You’ve packed the car for a weekend excursion to the lake and take one final inventory. Swimsuits, beach towels, sand toys, snacks, kids…Check! Not so fast. What about the first aid kit? Do you have your insurance card? Do you know where the nearest hospital islocated? Although it is impossible to anticipate everything that can go wrong at a summer cabin, resort or campground, the proverbial ounce of prevention can go a long way when it comes to keeping your brood healthy.

We came up with a few tips:

Bring a thermometer. “It’s a cheap item, a couple of bucks, with a lot of bang,” says Frank Rhame, MD, who specializes in internal medicine and infectious diseases at Allina Medical Systems – the Doctors. Make sure you seek medical help when a fever is high, prolonged or unexplained, particularly if accompanied by concerning symptoms such as a severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, swollen throat, a strange rash or listlessness. 

Shield yourself from attack. Protect skin from insect and tick bites by staying inside at dawn and dusk and avoiding dense woods and bushy areas with high grass. If you venture outside, make sure you wear long pants, sleeves, socks and shoes. Dr. Rhame suggests applying insect repellent with DEET concentration in the 30-percent range for adults and 10 percent for children. Check your family, pets and clothing for ticks daily; the chance of getting Lyme disease is small if a tick is attached to the skin less than 24 hours. 

Stay vigilant about food safety. Dr. Rhame points to the potential for food-borne illness when food goes without adequate refrigeration. “When camping, your set of food preparation standards can quickly deteriorate,” he says. Keep cold foods cold — refrigerated or on ice — to prevent bacterial growth. Campers using cook stoves should allow plenty of ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Save your skin. Sun protection at every age is important to prevent the damaging effects of sunlight. Minimize sun exposure during peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). When outside, wear protective clothing, sunglasses and a hat, and be sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks U VA and U VB rays, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater. Apply sunscreen liberally and often, particularly after swimming or sweating.

Stop the itch. Stay away from plants with three leaves (i.e., poison ivy, oak and sumac). Poison ivy rash appears as a red rash with small bumps or blisters. If you come into contact with the poisonous plant, wash skin with soap and water to remove residual poison and prevent it from being spread. Don’t scratch — dirty fingernails can cause a secondary bacterial infection. Although Dr. Rhame says extreme cases are treated with steroids, the usual course of treatment is “just time.” Treat symptoms with a soothing bath or over-the-counter aids.

Beware of bonfires. Every summer children are injured by stepping or falling into bonfires. If you build one, Dr. Rhame suggests drawing in the dirt a “circle of safety” about four feet around the fire. Unless accompanied by an adult, children should not be allowed to enter the circle.

Don’t get hooked. In case of a fish-hook incident, Dr. Rhame recommends removing the hook with wire cutters (most emergency rooms have them) and passing the hook through rather than backing it out to minimize tearing. Wash the wound with soap and water and use antiseptic ointment.

Don’t be stupid! Increased activity on lakes and rivers means more potential for accidents and injuries, particularly where jet skis and water skis are involved. “Neutralize the testosterone,” advises Dr. Rhame. For treating sprains and strains, use RICE as a rule of thumb: Rest, Ice the injury, Compress the injured area to reduce swelling, and Elevate the injured body part.

By Nancy Pias