It’s Christmassss! A time for gift giving, spending time with our loved ones, and eating far too much delicious food. But like most good things in life, it does come with a few potential hazards.
Last Boxing Day, my wife woke me at 3am with a really bad tummy ache. We put it down to acid reflux after consuming copious amounts of Christmas pudding and tried to manage it at home. She had never previously woken me in the night with pain, so maybe we should have taken it more seriously. Later that day, when the pain moved to the right lower part of her tummy and she spiked a fever, we knew we had to amend our diagnosis: she had appendicitis. A short trip to the ED and a quick surgery later, she was finally feeling better.
Last year’s antics have made me reflect on the various festive mishaps I’ve treated. A 2023 systematic review looked at these festive mishaps, or “Chrishaps,” and identified 30 articles, mostly case reports and retrospective analyses, describing a wide range of Christmas-related injuries.[1] One case report described a woman who developed a severe abdominal infection after accidentally ingesting a plastic robin hidden in a Christmas pudding. Another highlighted gait disturbances and injuries linked to wearing a Santa costume.
So, as I write this on Christmas Eve after several drinks and a three-course meal, the takeaway seems clear: Chrishaps may be uncommon, but they do pose a small public health risk. A little festive risk assessment might therefore help ensure the holiday season is remembered for the right reasons. If nothing else, it’s probably worth chewing the pudding carefully and keeping the Santa outfit out of the emergency department!
I’d also like to take a moment to remind everyone that Christmas decorations do not belong inside any of our orifices!
[1] Wild U, Shaw DM, Erren TC. Avoiding a crisis at Christmas: a systematic review of adverse health effects or ‘Chrishaps’ caused by traditional hazard sources and COVID-19. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2023;46(1):32-35. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.13207. PMID: 34940996.