BEND, OR -- Emergency rooms around the state are gearing up for a busy summer; especially in the High Desert, where ERs treat everything from hiking injuries to car crash victims. "Motor vehicle collisions are one of the most common reasons that people get seriously injured or killed in this country. And that volume certainly goes up in the summer," says St. Charles Trauma Surgeon Dr. Annie Onishi, "Just because people are out and about, people are traveling."
Dr. Onishi says St. Charles Bend serves a broad area that’s especially popular with outdoor enthusiasts taking part in inherently risky activities, "We are actually in the season now, where you may get a ski injury as well as a mountain bike injury or a mountain climbing injury, for example." She tells KBND News, "There’s really no show in town between here and Boise, and as far south as probably Redding. So, we sure take care of a lot of patients from all over the High Desert, the mountains. People are doing all kinds of fun activities, which can be safe. But, you know, things happen."
Bend's Emergency Room sees all types of patients, "We take care of city slickers that come here totally unprepared. But we also take care of really experienced hikers, experienced outdoors people; there are just times where you have bad luck. If you’re going to recreate outside, there are factors that are out of your control; a rock can fall, you can slip." But, Dr. Onishi says tourists are especially prevalent, "People’s judgment is just different when they’re on vacation and when they’re visiting Central Oregon. And that’s true everywhere."
To avoid the ER, she suggests taking a step back before starting an activity, and think about your abilities, "Being conservative and humble about your physical limitations, and just being respectful and recognizing that the Cascades are not Disney World. Anything can happen at any time." And, she says, if you wouldn’t do it in front of your mother or your kids, you probably shouldn’t do it at all.
Dr. Onishi says if you do need to visit the ER, remember doctors prioritize critical patients, especially those brought in by ambulance. "If you’re walking into the ER, you are already in a category of patient that is not as ill as we need to attend to immediately. So, if you are a ‘wounded well,’ as we might refer to you, please do be prepared to wait." She notes urgent care might be a quicker option for minor injuries or illnesses.
