Ask a Medic

Code Blue, What I Didn't See

2016-03-09T13:22:00.001-08:00

Recently I was involved in a Code Blue that struck me a little different than most. I’ve seen a lot of things in my 15 years, stuff you can’t make up and stuff you can’t unsee. This particular Code Blue was a doozie easily makes my top 10 list of doozies. I’ll spare you the gory details of what I saw because today I want to tell you what I didn’t see.
I didn’t see a Muslim Man doing chest compressions or squeezing bag after bag of donated blood into this patient's body. I didn’t see any Indians ventilating the patient or checking blood gasses. I didn’t see a black guy cleaning up blood and running supplies to and from the room, I didn’t see a Mexican handing medications to the doctor or nurse. I didn’t see Christians relieving a Muslim after 2 minutes of arm numbing chest compressions. I didn’t see a "woman" checking the femoral artery for a pulse or a "Man" pushing Critical IV medications. I didn’t see Republicans or Democrats running blood to and from the lab. I didn’t see any Jews, or Gentiles Checking leads, drawing blood or reading the cardiac monitor. I didn’t see Asians, Middle Easterners, or Anglo-Saxons in the pharmacy mixing vital meds for this patient. I didn’t see Gays, Straights, Catholics, Protestants, Hindu, Atheists, Mormons or Muslims putting years of training and experience to use during this critical hour.
During that Critical Hour, what I saw, was a Team, a Family, Good Friends who knew each other, worked with each other, trusted each other, cried with each other.
In a world where the media focuses so much on our differences, and strives to divide. When it came down to it, in that critical hour, I didn’t see any of that.
...What do you see?
-Adam B. Christensen

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome "SIDS", Cot or Crib Death

2014-12-28T08:45:00.002-08:00

I woke up this morning to a devastating article about a family that lost their child on Christmas morning to SIDS.

Don't let this happen to your child. I know they say "we don't know what causes SIDS" but it's not true and it is very easy to prevent.

SIDS

Many of the nurses have their own idea as to what might be the cause, most consist of the time honored tradition that SIDS is somehow caused by the child rolling over on their faces and suffocating. Millions of years of evolution and the body’s basic instinct to survive convinces me that though this may be the instance in a few rare cases, this is not the cause of the bulk of the cases out there. So you ask who have I talked to that labors in this area of emphasis and what have I learned. Well I have talked to many and learned nothing. It wasn’t until I discovered the many studies done by the British and the scientist in New Zealand (which use to have the highest rates of SIDS in the world and now has the lowest) that I actually learned something.

It doesn’t take any gifts or talents to prevent the common occurrence of SIDS the only thing it takes is knowing the facts and spreading the word.

Dr. Jim Sprott, OBE, a New Zealand scientist and chemist, states with certainty that crib death is caused by toxic gases, which can be generated from a baby's mattress. Chemical compounds containing phosphorus, arsenic and antimony have been added to mattresses as fire retardants and for other purposes since the early 1950's. A fungus that commonly grows in bedding can interact with these chemicals to create poisonous gases (Richardson 1994). These heavier-than-air gases are concentrated in a thin layer on the baby's mattress or are diffused away and dissipated into the surrounding atmosphere. If a baby breathes or absorbs a lethal dose of the gases, the central nervous system shuts down, stopping breathing and then heart function. These gases can fatally poison a baby, without waking the sleeping baby and without any struggle by the baby. A normal autopsy would not reveal any sign that the baby was poisoned (Sprott 1996).

In spite of denial and opposition from orthodox SIDS organizations, no research has disproved this gaseous poisoning explanation for crib death. No valid criticism of this explanation has ever been provided. This logical finding explains every factor already known about crib death, and is backed by scientific research (Sprott 1996, 2000) and eight years of practical proof consisting of a crib death prevention campaign that continues in New Zealand.

Ongoing research continues to support these findings. A four and a half year study by the Scottish Cot Death Trust published in the British Medical Journal (November 2, 2002) has shown that the re-use of infant mattresses triples the risk of cot death (Tappin 2002). Dr. Sprott explains that the risk of death increases when mattresses are re-used from one baby to the next because the fungus has already had a chance to establish itself in the used mattress. When the next baby uses the same mattress, the fungus is soon active. Toxic gas production begins sooner and is generated in greater volume. It is known that crib death rates increase markedly from the first baby in a family to the second, and from the second to the third, and so on (Mitchell 2001). Dr. Sprott warns, however, that new mattresses can also be unsafe because fungal growth can quickly become established in a new mattress once a baby begins sleeping on it (Sprott 2003).

The fundamental solution is urgent action to eliminate all sources of phosphorus, arsenic and antimony from all mattresses. But this is not happening now, and is not likely to happen anytime soon, so exposure to these gases must be prevented. The intervening solution is to prevent babies wrapping mattresses in a gas-impermeable cover made from high-grade polyethylene and ensuring that bedding used on top of a wrapped mattress does not contain any phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.

A 100% successful crib death prevention campaign has been going on in New Zealand for the past eight years. Midwives and other healthcare professionals throughout New Zealand have been actively advising parents to wrap mattresses. During this time, there has not been a single SIDS death reported among the over 100,000 New Zealand babies who have slept on mattresses wrapped in a specially formulated polyethylene cover. The number of crib deaths in New Zealand that have occurred since mattress-wrapping began in 1994 is about 550. The number of crib deaths that have occurred in New Zealand on a properly wrapped mattress is zero.

In early 2002, a German doctor published the results of the New Zealand mattress-wrapping campaign, including statistical analysis carried out in conjunction with the University of Munich (Kapuste 2002). The statistics showed that the proof of the validity of mattress-wrapping for crib death prevention was one billion times the level of proof generally accepted by the medical community as proving a scientific proposition.

Prior to the commencement of mattress-wrapping, New Zealand had the highest crib death rate in the world (2.1 deaths per 1000 live births). Following the adoption of mattress-wrapping by many parents in New Zealand, the New Zealand crib death rate has fallen by 48% (NZHIS), and the Pakeha (non-Maori) crib death rate has fallen by an estimated 75% (King 2001). Pakeha parents have adopted mattress-wrapping with enthusiasm. "These reductions cannot be attributed to orthodox cot death prevention advice," said Dr Sprott. "There has been no material change in that advice since 1992. The only significant change in cot death prevention advice, which has occurred since 1994, is the nationwide dissemination of my recommendations to wrap babies' mattresses."
So why isn't this profound and critically important information making the headlines of major newspapers or all over the evening news? Why aren't crib death researchers and the government of the United States telling parents to wrap babies' mattresses? Why are the manufacturers still adding fire retardants and other c
hemicals to mattresses?

Crib death research funding has nearly stopped in New Zealand as more people become aware that mattress-wrapping is easy, cheap and 100% successful in preventing this tragedy. Unfortunately, the ongoing complex and expensive research that leads to the discovery of "risk factors" for a so-called "syndrome" has pushed aside the simple and inexpensive solution of mattress-wrapping; a solution that can do no harm.

A second committee published the 1998 Limerick Report, which is frequently cited by SIDS organizations as finding no evidence to substantiate the claim that toxic gases cause crib death. Contrary to this publicity, the Limerick Report did not disprove the theory (Fitzpatrick 1998) - in fact, it provides further confirmation of it (Sprott 2000).

The main orthodox crib death prevention recommendation is to put babies to sleep on their backs. We know that babies do still die when sleeping on their backs, although face-up sleeping does reduce the risk. The gases are denser than air and tend to settle in a thin layer directly on top of the mattress, so babies sleeping face-down are more likely to inhale a lethal dose of the gases. The gases are also absorbed through babies' skin, and this is one of the major reasons why face-up sleeping provides only partial protection against crib death (Sprott 1996).

However, no babies have died sleeping on a properly wrapped mattress. This is crucial information for parents. Eight babies continue to die every night in the United States from SIDS. Parents should be provided with the information so that they are able to decide for themselves whether they want to wait for the SIDS research organizations or the government to endorse mattress-wrapping or to "play it safe" as many parents have done in New Zealand. As Dr. Sprott points out and no one has denied, "All New Zealand crib deaths since mattress-wrapping began in late 1994 have occurred when parents have not wrapped their babies' mattresses. An inexpensive, non-toxic protective cover can surely do no harm."

The assumption that our government agencies do everything they can to protect our children is naive. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission has stated that BabeSafe mattress covers do not constitute any safety risk to babies. These covers (manufactured in New Zealand) are the only mattress covers designed to protect babies from toxic gases generated in mattresses. Yet even though BabeSafe products are simple, inexpensive, and safe, the FDA requires the manufacturer to go through the expensive, complex, time-consuming procedure of obtaining pre-market approval in order for BabeSafe covers to be bulk imported into the U.S.

Instead of putting unnecessary hurdles in the way of a harmless and potentially live-saving product, why don't the authorities endorse mattress-wrapping in the U.S. to see if the results achieved in New Zealand could be duplicated here? The score in New Zealand is now 550 deaths (orthodox crib death prevention advice) to none (mattress-wrapping). With so many more babies born in the U.S. than in New Zealand, the potential to save lives is dramatically greater - thousands every year. Why should even one baby be denied something that could potentially save his or her life?

BABYSAFE

This logo is the property of B A Richardson, Winchester, England. It identifies bedding which complies with the BabeSafe specifications.

References
Fitzpatrick, M.G. 1998. SIDS and The Toxic Gas Theory (letter), New Zealand Medical Journal, October 9, 1998.
Kapuste, H. 2002. Giftige Gase im Kinderbett ("Toxic Gases in Infants' Beds"), Zeitschrift fuer Umweltmedizin No. 44; January-April 2002:18-20
King, M.P. and Hon, A.F. 2001. New Zealand Minister of Health, correspondence, April.
Mitchell, P.R. 2001. Analysis of Official UK Statistics for Cot Deaths and Infant Deaths by Other Causes, 1996-1999.
New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS), Official New Zealand Cot Death Statistics.
Richardson, B.A. 1994. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Possible Primary Cause. Journal of Forensic Science Soc. Jul-Sep; 34(3):199-204.
SIDS Alliance. 2001. www.sidsalliance.org
Sprott, T.J. 2000. Critique of the 1998 UK Limerick Report. www.cotlife2000.com
Sprott, T.J. 1996. The Cot Death Cover-Up? Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books.
Sprott, T.J. 2000. Personal communication with an officer of the Ministry of Health. August 11, 2000.
Sprott, T.J. 2000. Research Which Confirms and Supports the Toxic Gas Theory For Cot Death
Sprott, T.J. 2003. The Cause of Cot Death and How to Prevent It, Cot Life 2000, March 2003
Tappin et al, Used infant mattresses and sudden infant death syndrome in Scotland: case-control study, British Medical Journal 2002; 325:1007

Peanut Allergy

2013-07-30T10:04:00.002-07:00

Recently a 13 year old girl died from one bite (she didn't even swallow) of a rice crispy treat with frosting that had Peanut Butter in it. Her dad (who was a doctor) was right there when in happened and administered several doses of epinephrin (which is suppose to counter act the allergic reaction). There were several nurses and paramedics on scene and even with all the resources available the girl still succumbed to an untimely demise.

I admonish everyone to take food allergies very serious especially in children. Here are a few general rules I follow when giving food to people outside my immediate family.
1. Always ask if anyone has food allergies before sharing treats for food. Peanut butter is not the only food allergies out there.
2. If taking food to a party or event try to make it with hypoallergenic foods (avoid strawberries, peanuts, etc.)
3. If you do make a food item that has allergenic foods make sure it's easy to tell or even make a sign that states the allergenic food used.

For people that do have an allergy to Peanut Butter there is a revolutionary treatment called sublingual immunotherapy. Please DO NOT try to replicate this treatment at home. The trace amount of allergenic is a specific dose and patient must be monitored by a doctor or nurse in a setting where resources are available to counter act any anaphylaxis shock that may occur. If you have a sever allergy to anything you should talk to your doctor and have him prescribe an EpiPen that you should carry with you everywhere you go.

Swimming Baby "Baby Swims Across Pool

2013-07-04T14:49:00.002-07:00

Recently my little angel, Elizabeth, became and internet sensation because of a video I uploaded to YouTube "Baby Swims Across Pool". The video stirred up a lot of controversy as well as awareness for the ISR (infant swimming resource) program.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that one of leading cause of death for children 1-19 years old is drowning. "But new evidence shows that children ages 1 to 4 may be less likely to drown if they have had formal swimming instruction. Swimming lessons, however, is absolutly NOT a substitute for adult supervision.

But new evidence shows that children ages 1 to 4 may be less likely to drown if they have had formal swimming instruction. - See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/AAP-Gives-Updated-Advice-on-Drowning-Prevention.aspx#sthash.AFSJB9x7.dpuf

There are a lot of programs and techniques out there that will give your child the skills necessary to self rescue, however, I personally have found ISR programs to be the best program for the following reasons:
1. Their mission statement: “Not One More Child Drowns.”
2. They start teaching infants at 6 months to flip over on their back when in the water.
3. They use specialized techniques to develop muscle memory which teaches your child to swim to the stairs or the wall and pull themselves out.

"A moment's inattention does not have to cost a child his life. ISR's Self-Rescue™ training is an added layer of protection, teaching your child water survival skills in a completely safe environment."
Your child doesn't have to be a genius child to do this. Any child can learn no mater their gender, race, color, or creed. If you have a pool or live around a pool you have a responsibility to protect your children from drowning. "Sometimes the difference between life and death is 6 inches of water and the ability to flip over and breath."

No parent should have to go through the horror of finding their child in the pool due to a "moment's inattention". Remember Safety first!

Here are some news articles about my little swimming angel ELIZABETH
Fox & Friends
CP U.S.
The Telegraph
USA Today
CNN
CNN
CNN "a doctors take"
Deseret News
CBS Local News DFW
Or just Google "Baby Swims Across Pool"

Fever Algorithm Plan of Care for your Child

2013-04-14T01:31:00.002-07:00

Fever

2013-02-26T16:51:00.003-08:00

A Fever can be a tricky thing to consider when your child is sick. I have found a link that does a better job explaining Fevers and when you should take your child to the doctor. Contrary to popular belief a fever is a good thing and is actually the body's way of getting rid of some infections and usually does no harm to the body. What does harm to the body is the germ that is causing the fever. I have discovered a link that will explain it much better than I could so just click on the picture below to take you to the link. I recommend printing it off and keeping it in your medicine cabinet for easy access next time a fever pops up.

If clicking on the above picture does not take you to the link you can copy the link below and paste it in your browser.

http://wellnessmama.com/5820/why-i-dont-reduce-a-fever-and-what-i-do-instead/

Natural Remedies for Eczema in Children

2012-02-14T15:03:00.000-08:00

Flaxseed

Natural Remedies for Eczema

Probiotics, or "good" bacteria, are live microbial organisms naturally found in the digestive tract. They are thought to suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, influence immune function, and strengthen the digestive tracts protective barrier.

Studies suggest that babies at high risk for allergic disorders such as eczema have different types and numbers of bacteria in their digestive tracts than other babies, and that probiotic supplements taken by pregnant women and children may reduce the occurrence eczema in children.

A large, long-term study examined whether the use of a probiotic supplement or a placebo could influence the incidence of eczema in infants. Researchers randomized 1223 pregnant women carrying high-risk babies to use a probiotic supplement or a placebo for 2 to 4 weeks before deliver.

Starting from birth, infants received the same probiotics as their mothers had plus galacto- ligosaccharides (called a "prebiotic" because it has been shown to help multiple strains of beneficial bacteria flourish) for 6 months. After 2 years, the probiotics were significantly more effective than placebo at preventing eczema.

In addition to the use of probiotics to prevent eczema, probiotics have also been explored as a treatment for infants and children who already have eczema. Some studies have found that probiotics alleviate symptoms of eczema only in infants and children who are sensitized to food allergens.

Researchers are testing different strains of bacteria to see if one particular strain is more effective for eczema. One of the most commonly used probiotic strains used in eczema studies is Lactobacillus GG. Other strains used include Lactobacillus fermentum VRI-033 PCC, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Bifidobacteria lactis. The prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides has also been used.

Consult a qualified health professional before using probiotics. Children with immune deficiencies should not take probiotics unless under a practitioner's supervision. For more information about probiotics, read Acidophilus and Other Probiotics.

Elevated Liver Enzymes

2012-02-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

The most common reason for testing elevated liver enzymes is alcohol use. This is certainly not the only reason though. Your body breaks down and metabolizes about 90% of the medications you take, including
alcohol, through your liver. Tylenol (or acetaminophen) for example is particularly harsh on the liver. On average, an adult liver can only metabolize about 4g (4000 mg) of Tylenol in a 24 hour period. If you overdose on Tylenol you can potentially kill your liver and subsequently kill yourself.

Elevated liver enzymes do not necessarily mean you have overdosed on some medications or that you are drinking too much alcohol.

The Mayo Clinic has this to say about elevated liver enzymes:
Elevated liver enzymes may indicate inflammation or damage to cells in the liver. Inflamed or injured liver cells leak higher than normal amounts of certain chemicals, including liver enzymes, into the bloodstream, which can result in elevated liver enzymes on blood tests.
The specific elevated liver enzymes most commonly found are: Alanine transaminase (ALT) Aspartate transaminase (AST) Elevated liver enzymes may be discovered during routine blood testing. In most cases,
liver enzyme levels are only mildly and temporarily elevated. Most of the time, elevated liver enzymes don't signal a chronic, serious liver problem.

Like the Mayo clinic said: "Most of the time..."
any time you are taking a medication that is metabolized by your liver you will see a rise in liver enzymes. our liver is pretty resilient and bounces back quickly though if abused it can form scar tissue, cancer, calcification, or a number of other problems. Liver enzymes alone do not diagnose poor liver function. if the doctor is concerned about the liver he/she will order subsequent tests such as liver biopsy (large needle into the liver for a core sample).

Usually if your liver is rebelling you will see Signs and Symptoms the most common of which is Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin) and itching. be careful self diagnosing yourself with itching, the mere suggestion of itching often causes people to itch... in fact I'll bet you feel itchy just reading this. If you didn't have a liver you could take one or two drinks of alcohol before you’ve reached a fatal dose. In fact it is our unique livers that cause one to become drunk.

You would live approximately 2-3 very painful days with a completely failed liver (or if it were to be removed from your body). Since your liver is so vascular, if you were to traumatize your liver (like in
“Saving Private Ryan”) you could potentially bleed out rather quickly.

I guess the short answer is; if you are taking any medications and you have liver enzymes checked, you should expect the results to be elevated.

Decipher your Lab Results

2012-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

So the doctor told you some results of your lab work... what exactly does that mean? Here is a site that will help you decipher the results of your lab test: Lab Results

Pill ID... What pill is this?!?

2012-02-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

Have you ever found a pill and wanted to be able to Identify it? well here is a helpful site to help you identify those pesky pills without a label or a bottle. Go to: Pill Identification Click on the "Agree" button and start describing your pill. I use this all the time when I find a pill laying around... which happens more often than I care to admit.

CDC: Zombie Apocalypse 101

2012-02-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

On May 16th, 2011 the CDC put this on their website: "how to prepare for a Zombie Apocalypes."
check it out: Zombie Apocalypse 101

Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse 101

The following was originally posted on CDC Public Health Matters Blog on May 16th, 2011 by Ali S. Khan.

There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.

A Brief History of Zombies

We’ve all seen at least one movie about flesh-eating zombies taking over (my personal favorite is Resident Evil ), but where do zombies come from and why do they love eating brains so much? The word zombie comes from Haitian and New Orleans voodoo origins. Although its meaning has changed slightly over the years, it refers to a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead. Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like the Walking Dead were born.

In movies, shows, and literature, zombies are often depicted as being created by an infectious virus, which is passed on via bites and contact with bodily fluids. Harvard psychiatrist Steven Schoolman wrote a (fictional) medical paper on the zombies presented in Night of the Living Dead and refers to the condition as Ataxic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency Syndrome caused by an infectious agent. The Zombie Survival Guide identifies the cause of zombies as a virus called solanum. Other zombie origins shown in films include radiation from a destroyed NASA Venus probe (as in Night of the Living Dead), as well as mutations of existing conditions such as prions, mad-cow disease, measles and rabies.

The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder “How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse?”

Well, we’re here to answer that question for you, and hopefully share a few tips about preparing for real emergencies too!

Better Safe than Sorry
Some of the supplies for your emergency kit.

So what do you need to do before zombies…or hurricanes or pandemics for example, actually happen? First of all, you should have an emergency kit in your house. This includes things like water, food, and other supplies to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp (or in the event of a natural disaster, it will buy you some time until you are able to make your way to an evacuation shelter or utility lines are restored). Below are a few items you should include in your kit, for a full list visit the CDC Emergency page.

• Water (1 gallon per person per day)

• Food (stock up on non-perishable items that you eat regularly)

• Medications (this includes prescription and non-prescription meds)

• Tools and Supplies (utility knife, duct tape, battery powered radio, etc.)

• Sanitation and Hygiene (household bleach, soap, towels, etc.)

• Clothing and Bedding (a change of clothes for each family member and blankets)

• Important documents (copies of your driver’s license, passport, and birth certificate to name a few)

• First Aid supplies (although you’re a goner if a zombie bites you, you can use these supplies to treat basic cuts and lacerations that you might get during a tornado or hurricane)

Once you’ve made your emergency kit, you should sit down with your family and come up with an emergency plan. This includes where you would go and who you would call if zombies started appearing outside your door step. You can also implement this plan if there is a flood, earthquake, or other emergency.

Family members meeting by their mailbox. You should pick two meeting places, one close to your home and one farther away.

1. Identify the types of emergencies that are possible in your area. Besides a zombie apocalypse, this may include floods, tornadoes, or earthquakes. If you are unsure contact your local Red Cross chapter for more information.

2. Pick a meeting place for your family to regroup in case zombies invade your home…or your town evacuates because of a hurricane. Pick one place right outside your home for sudden emergencies and one place outside of your neighborhood in case you are unable to return home right away.

3. Identify your emergency contacts. Make a list of local contacts like the police, fire department, and your local zombie response team. Also identify an out-of-state contact that you can call during an emergency to let the rest of your family know you are ok.

4. Plan your evacuation route. When zombies are hungry they won’t stop until they get food (i.e., brains), which means you need to get out of town fast! Plan where you would go and multiple routes you would take ahead of time so that the flesh eaters don’t have a chance! This is also helpful when natural disasters strike and you have to take shelter fast.

Never Fear – CDC is Ready

Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Prepared

If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. CDC would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation. This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine). It’s likely that an investigation of this scenario would seek to accomplish several goals: determine the cause of the illness, the source of the infection/virus/toxin, learn how it is transmitted and how readily it is spread, how to break the cycle of transmission and thus prevent further cases, and how patients can best be treated. Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas (I will be volunteering the young nameless disease detectives for the field work).

To learn more about what CDC does to prepare for and respond to emergencies of all kinds, visit:

http://emergency.cdc.gov/cdc/orgs_progs.asp

To learn more about how you can prepare for and stay safe during an emergency visit:

http://emergency.cdc.gov/

To download a badge like the one above that you can add to your social networking profile, blog, website, or email signature visit:

http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies.asp

Med Pundit

2012-02-07T12:18:00.001-08:00

"When many cures are offered for a disease, it means the disease is not curable" -Anton Chekhov

I found another blog that looks pretty legit. go to: Med Pundit

Will the flu vaccine give me the flu?

2012-02-06T20:09:00.001-08:00

About half the people I ask if they have had their flu shot this year tell me they don’t want it because when they get the flu shot they usually get the flu. Okay here is the short and long of this one. The question is “does the flu vaccine give me the flu?” the short answer is no and the long answer is… potentially. Let’s explore the long answer.

If you are getting the shot then the answer is most defiantly NOT. I don’t care what tricks your hypochondriatic mind is playing on you, the flu shot does not give you the flu. The stuff in the flu shot is only a small, inactive or synthesized version of part or all of the flu virus, just enough to get your body to develop antibodies. Does this mean you won’t get flu like symptoms? No, in fact some people do get flu like symptoms for a day or so after the injection but that is just their body developing the antibodies. Regardless of how you feel the day after the shot you do not get the flu from it and your symptoms are not contagious.

Now the vaccine you inhale is a different story all together. This is an weakend form of the LIVE virus or in other words they took a live virus and "mostly" killed it then they have you sniff the "mostly" dead bodies up your nose. In rare cases those bodies can, in fact, cause you to get the virus and the results can be contagious. That is just the risk you have to take if you are scared of needles.

Why do they ask if you are allergic to eggs before getting a flu shot? Well that is simple. When they synthesize the DNA of the virus using restriction enzymes they cultivate it in a medium known as egg whites. Later in the process the egg whites are all removed but the residual may still linger. If you are allergic to eggs this does not mean you are going to have a reaction to the shot it only means you might have one.

Getting the flu vaccine does not mean you won't get the flu. they only vaccinate you against the most prevalent flu viruses from the previous flu season.

Does the government inject you with a mind control drug or a tracking chip? Well if I told you that I would have to kill you… but let’s just say I know where you went last summer and you only think you went there because you wanted to.

When do I take my baby to the doctor?

2012-02-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

That is the age old question. Am I being paranoid or is my child really sick? First and foremost I never argue with a mother’s instinct. Even as a trauma nurse looking at a baby who (to me) appears normal and fine, if the mother says there is something not right, then by golly there is something not right. A mother truly does know best. But for those who are just paranoid let me give you a few helpful tips. A temperature of 100-102 degrees is not life threatening but should be watched carefully. Always check it several times and test your thermometer on yourself. If you are using one that scans across the fore head or scans the tympanic membrane of the ear make sure it is clean or it might give you a false reading. If you are certain the child has a temp of 103-104 or higher call the hospital or bring them in immediately, Tylenol may cover up the temp but it won’t treat the cause. A temp for too long can lead to dehydration and in many cases dehydration is the cause of the temp. Diarrhea/Vomiting For most adults after three days of diarrhea/vomiting we need to come into the emergency room for treatment but for children three hours to a day is all it takes for your little one to become dehydrated. With vomiting and diarrhea large amounts of fluids and precious electrolytes are lost. If you notice your child acting lethargic or less fussy or just overly tiered it probably means they are dehydrated and low on electrolytes. Trifecto If your child has all three (temp, diarrhea, vomiting) we call that a trifecto and you need to bring them in to an emergency room. The trifecto puts your child dangerously at risk of severe dehydration that can lead to organ failure, brain damage and even death. Don’t gamble with the trifecto. The sooner you bring them in the quicker and better chance they have at a speedy recovery. For mild, do it yourself, cases you give your child small doses of children’s Tylenol, be careful with Tylenol for too much can cause liver damage and never, NEVER, ever give your children aspirin… EVER! If you have some pedialyte that is a good way to rehydrate and replace electrolytes. Though in my experience most children hate the taste and will refuse to drink it but who knows, maybe your child is the exception to the rule. I have found the best thing for rehydration is good old fashioned cheap walmart popcycles. They are about 99% water and the rest is sugar (which is an electrolyte). Kids love them, they eat them slowly (which is important in cases of dehydration) and they are cold (helps bring down the core body temp).

Runny Nose

2010-04-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for runny noses and congestion as the flowers start to bloom. Here is a trick that will help clean your sinuses of congestion. I warn you this is a very difficult remedy and not for the faint of heart. Here goes! Okay this remedy works on the same principle as blowing milk out your nose when you laugh. Take a tolerable mixture of salt water and take a gulp size drink, but don’t swallow. Now the tricky part; somehow you need to take this salt water and blow it out your nose. There are several ways to accomplish this; the best way is to get someone to make you laugh. Some people have success bending over and doing a reverse snort through the nose. Relaxing the back of the throat while doing a reverse snort might be the key to this as well. It takes practice but if you master it you will never have to deal with congestion again. It’s not a very attractive method but it is a very effective one. The water helps flush out what is in there and the salt helps dry up the mucus. This method beats out any kind of medication. Good luck getting your kids to do this… though they may try it just to be funny.

Tourniquet

2010-04-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: The rules and regulations for tourniquets are constantly changing, I will try to keep up but it's a never ending battle. There are some basic guidelines on how to make a tourniquet; from there you are free to use your own imagination. Basic Guidelines: don’t use shoe lace, or other thin strands of fiber, these can easily break and if they don’t they can actually do more damage by cutting into the flesh. Use something broader and less likely to act like a piece of dental floss wrapped around a block of cheese. I like the rule of thumb; as wide as your thumb or two of your fingers put together. Much wider and you’ll have a tough time tying it off. Make sure it’s strong enough to hold a good wrenching. Make sure it’s long enough to wrap around the arm or leg.
Okay, now that we have the guidelines out of the way lets cover the basics. You will need a lever of some sort, it can be a stick, screw driver, curling iron, butter knife (not the plastic kind). Take the strap you chose to use as a tourniquet and wrap it once around the limb two to four inches above the wound. (If it is near a joint try to go below the joint if you can, if you can’t then two to four inches above the joint). Tie half a knot then put your stick over the half knot and tie the other half so the stick is tied into the knot. You can tie one or two knots on top of this just to be safe. Once the stick is in place here is the important part, twist the stick just enough to significantly slow the bleeding. It doesn’t have to be 100% stopped. If you can stop the bleeding and still keep a pulse in the hand or foot, then you are an A+ medic. But keep in mind this is not always possible. Once you have the tourniquet to the desired tightness, tie one end of the stick down so it doesn’t accidently come undone. Using a permanent marker, write on the forehead of the patient the date and time the tourniquet was put on. (The time is more important than the date since people can remember dates better than time). Take said person to the hospital right away.

Poison Ivy/Poison Oak

2010-04-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

It’s no fun, the best advice I can give you is take a shower as soon as possible with lots of soap. The poisons from these plants are oil based and the soap will cut that oil. After it is cleansed as best you can keep it dry and don’t put anything on it unless it is specified for that particular poison.

Poison Control and Burnt Toast!?

2010-04-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
You should always keep the poison control number in your phone. If you don’t know the number, here it is: 1-800-222-1222 (pretty easy to remember) I also recommend you have your local police station and fire department in your phone as well. In the event you or your child swallow something you shouldn’t, be sure to call the poison control. Some chemicals should not be vomited because it can cause more problems by causing the airway to swell and then you have a poisoned child that can’t breath. In the event you call the poison control and they tell you to go to the emergency department then go right away. But while you are on the phone with them, now is a perfect time to make some toast. Seriously, put some bread in the toaster and let it burn really good. Feed the burnt toast to the child, the chard part of the toast will actually bind with the poison and it won’t be absorbed into the blood stream. You can also use charcoal from burnt wood but toast is a little more palatable.
When I say BURNT I don't mean "Mom you burnt my toast!" Burnt I mean BURNT! Open the windows it's smoky in here BURNT!

Stomach Aches

2010-04-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

The B.R.A.T.Y. diet is what you should remember when dealing with an upset stomach. B.R.A.T.Y. diet consists of the following:
Banana
Rice
Apple Sauce
Toast
Yogurt

These particular foods are more gentle on the stomach. When the stomach is upset it is a little more sensitive so keep the food intake down to small portions. Sip clear liquids or suck on ice/popsicles. Walking around a little bit will help stimulate the intestines and get things moving along. Keep in mind that the causes for upset stomach are many, this isn’t a fix all it’s just a general rule of thumb.

Home made cast

2010-04-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here is what you need to cast a broken bone:

Gauze
Egg Whites
Popsicle sticks

Take some gauze and soak it in egg whites. Using a strip of dry gauze, wrap one layer around the broken bone. Be sure to wrap it broad enough to make a good casting support. After the first layer put popsicle sticks around the broken bone to keep it inline and supported. Wrap the gauze soaked in egg whites around the popsicle sticks. Be sure not to wrap it too tight as this could restrict blood flow, too loose and it doesn’t do its job. Wrapping may take a little practice to get the perfect tension. Allow it to dry.
This cast is good for small fractures where the bone is broken or cracked but not separated or misaligned.

Clean and Steril

2010-04-22T02:31:00.001-07:00

Clean: sanitary, significantly low levels of germs
Steril: void of all pathogens both viral and bacterial.
You can sterilize things by using strong household products such as ammonia and bleach. Keep in mind that these products can cause serious damage to the skin and tissues so do not apply them to body parts. Rubbing alcohol and iodine can be used to clean and sterilize skin. Do not use hydrogenproxide on open wounds, I don’t care what your mother or grandmother use to do. Yes I know it’s cool to feel the sting and watch the bubbles bubble, but it’s very bad for the skin. Hydrogenproxide will kill any tissue it touches and dead tissue has a hard time coming back to life and healing.
You can use extreme heat to sterilize thing such as needles or knifes by boiling them for long periods of time or running them under a flame until red hot. Keep in mind that once these items touch anything that is not sterile they themselves are no longer sterile the border of the sterile field is at least two inches. That means if you are holding a sterile knife, two inches past your fingers holding the knife is no longer sterile. Since needles are scarcely longer than two inches be sure to wear sterile gloves when handling a newly sterilized needle or use a pair of sterilized pliers or hemostats.
Sterilized situations are very finicky; if you are unsure of the sterility of something, error on the side of caution. And remember, a sterile field unwatched is no sterile field at all (always keep the sterile field in view).

Sunburn remedies

2010-04-22T02:14:00.002-07:00

Sunburns are normally 1st degree burns and can be 2nd degree as well. I’ve had both. Prevention is the best cure so be sure to follow all that advice about long sleeves, hats and sunscreen. But in the event you do get sunburned you can do the following to help with pain and treatment. Honey, I know it’s sticky and icky but it will seriously reduce your recovery time by up to half, maybe more. The vitamin E in honey is really good for the skin. Avoid applying anything with oil in it as this will only make the sunburn more painful by trapping the heat. Pain meds: if you are into taking pain meds for sunburns let me give you some advice I learned firsthand. Be careful what kind of pain med you use, some pain meds are known as vasodilators and will make the sunburn more painful. A vasodilator causes the vessels to dilate or become larger so more blood can flow, more blood means more body heat to the burned area, more body heat means, ouch, more pain. Some pain meds are vasoconstrictors, they do the opposite by constricting the vessels and making the burn a lot less hot! I can’t give you a list of all the pain meds out there that are dilators or constrictors but I can tell you Ibuprofen (Motrin) is a vasoconstrictor and will significantly decrease the pain from a sunburn.

Honey on a Sunburn?

2010-04-22T02:14:00.001-07:00

For any and all burns, do not apply anything with oil in it. Oil tends to trap the heat and make it worse.
1st degree: light burn, no blister, run under cool water wrap with silvadene or water based antibiotic cream. applying honey will reduce the healing time drastically because the vitamin E in honey is extremely good for the skin. as for pain, pop an ibuprofen (Ibuprofen is a vasoconstricter and reduces blood flow to burn area).
2nd degree: blister will form, avoid popping the blister as this will break the skin integrity and could lead to infection. If you must pop the blister do so by burrowing under the skin with a very clean or steril needle about ¼ a centimeter away from the blister so the fluids have to tunnel out, this makes it harder for bacteria to get into the blister. Apply water based antibiotic cream or silvadene. If the blister does pop and the skin pulls away, apply a thin layer of super glue to the area to create a artificial skin. Application of super glue will actually make the blistered spot a lot less sensitive.
3rd degree: burn that goes down into the other tissue layers. These burns are considered a medical emergency and the patient should be seen by a doctor or a health care provider. Burns this deep can lead to systemic infections and is seriously bad mojo. Keep the area as clean as possible. Do not apply anything to the area.
4th degree: didn’t know there was a fourth degree did you… okay maybe you did. 4th degree is a burn that goes all the way to the bone. Follow the same guidelines as 3rd degree.

Packing a Wound

2010-04-22T01:19:00.001-07:00

If you have a deep cut or wound on your legs or arm you should pack the wound with clean or sterile gauze or any supper absorbent material. Pack it into the wound and pack it outside of the wound. Applying direct pressure to the wound will help reduce bleeding. After packing the wound tie a bandage over it with the knot of the bandage directly over the wound (this will add additional pressure to the site). Be sure to write the time and date on or near the bandage with a permanent marker. Keep an eye on it and look for excessive swelling and redness in the area. Also watch for spider veins (red streaks) coming from the site or foul smells. These are all signs of serious infection. Seek medical assistance ASAP. P.S. packing the wound with Salt (though painful it may be) will help act as an antibiotic (due to hypertonicity) and can also assist in slowing the blood loss. Do not add cayenne (as previously mentioned in an earlier blog) to these wounds.

When to apply a tourniquet

2010-04-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

"All bleeding stops eventually"
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that the guidlines are constantly changing.
When to apply a tourniquet is very important. I’m sure you’ve heard lots of rumors as to why or why not applying a tourniquet is bad. Let me clear the air of confusion. You’ve heard that applying a tourniquet to a limb will cut off the blood supply and kill the limb. This is true… if you leave it on for days however a tourniquet can be applied for several hours without any damage on the cellular level. Surgeons leave tourniquets on for up to two hours while doing surgery on the legs. So what is the big deal? When a tourniquet is applied it causes the blood in that limb to become stagnant (not moving) blood that isn’t moving tends to form clots. Clots in the bloodstream are never a good thing. Clots can stay in the limb and continue to cut off blood supply which will eventually lead to tissue damage or worse they could break free and end up in your lungs or brain. I know you just had an “Ah Ha” moment. You see when surgeons put a tourniquet on they always test your blood for coagulation factors and give you medication to thin the blood or stop it from coagulating. The longer the tourniquet is on the higher the risk for blood clots forming. Everybody has a different coagulation time and so there is no set time to how long a tourniquet can be on before running the risk of clots forming. There are two rules of thumb I like to use. #1 never put a tourniquet on a limb you aren’t willing to lose. #2 it’s better to lose a limb than a life. Keep in mind that if you can stop the bleeding by applying direct pressure, this is always the preferred method. All bleeding stops eventually, the sooner you can stop it the better the out come.

P.S. I'm sorry I assumed everyone knew how to make a tourniquet. For instructions on how to make one, go to the “Tourniquet” blog I posted.