For millions of U.S. citizens, celebrating July 4 is synonymous with setting the sky ablaze with fireworks, and based on consumer data from 2017 that trend isn’t likely to slow down this year.

Americans spent more than $1 billion dollars in 2017 on consumer and display fireworks, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, but they also racked up plenty of injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated 12,900 fireworks-related injuries occurred in the U.S. in 2017.

According to the same report, 67 percent of those injuries occurred between June 16 to July 16. In other words, emergency rooms can expect to be busy as usual during the holiday week. Pennsylvania in particular, which passed a law in October allowing residents to purchase consumer-grade fireworks like sparklers and bottle rockets, is preparing for the worst.

With July 4 less than 24 hours away, we reached out to Reddit and asked nurses and healthcare professionals for their weird or random Independence Day ER stories and got some harrowing responses. We’ve posted some of the best ones below, but if you’ve got a story to share tell us about it in the comments.

CONTENT WARNING: Some of the content displayed below may include descriptions of injuries that are graphic or fatal. Reader discretion is advised. 

Pro tip: Don’t bundle 40 sparklers together

It’s always important to drink responsibly. This person didn’t do that.

Hunting down missing fingers is not necessarily part of an ER nurse’s job description

Degloving accidents are not for the squeamish

An unfortunate outcome that’s actually not related to fireworks

Don’t light fireworks in a car! We can’t believe we had to type that sentence.

Another example of why too much alcohol and July 4 don’t mix.

Editor’s note: Healthcare Traveler Today does not condone the illegal or unsafe use of fireworks. Readers who choose to use consumer-grade fireworks should consult the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s safety guidelines. 

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