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(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.)

DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS, PULMONARY EMBOLISM, CHOKING, AND NOSE BLEEDS

Today is the last of this four-part series. I hope that the previous three parts have been informative and helpful. Our topics for today are deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, choking, and nose bleeds (epistaxis). There are also a few suggestions regarding how to make an effective emergency notebook. Before we begin, please remember to see a medical professional ASAP in an emergency! Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk for use when no timely medical professional help is available. Do not, consider the following information as complete or as any attempt to advise, diagnose, treat, or manage anyone’s medical condition.

DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS AND PULMONARY EMBOLISM (LUNG CLOT)

A deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins, usually of the legs. When does this occur? If someone is on prolonged bed rest, after surgery or childbirth, on birth control pills, or on a long sedentary trip, a clot may form in one or more leg veins. A friend of mine almost died as a consequence of post-operative venous thrombosis.   If at risk, be on the look-out for redness, swelling, and crampy soreness of the calves. So what is the big deal? The clot(s) can break loose, travel through the heart, and lodge in the lung(s) preventing essential blood flow and life-giving oxygenation. It may even be so severe as to result in sudden death. What are the symptoms of pulmonary embolism? Sudden shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, and coughing of blood may occur. Best is to prevent the deep venous thrombosis from ever happening. If sedentary, take a short walk every two hours. If on a long trip, stay well hydrated by drinking water, and exercise your toes, ankles, and lower legs if not allowed to leave your seat to walk in the aisle. If this is not possible (example post-surgery or strict bed rest), wiggle your toes and flex your ankles every waking hour and then contract your calf, thigh, and buttock muscles in that order for several repetitions. Also take slow deep breaths every hour. If at high risk, your doctor may prescribe blood thinners and compression stocking, or may suggest taking aspirin. If you see the signs of DVT, seek medical help asap. Call 911 for the symptoms of pulmonary embolism.

DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS/PULMONARY EMBOLISM MEDICAL EMERGENCY SHEET

1. TRAVEL- DRINK WATER.

BY CAR- STOP AND WALK EVERY 2 HOURS.

BY PLANE- STAND UP AND IF ALLOWED WALK UP AND DOWN THE AISLE.

IF NOT PERMITTED, SEE #2 BELOW.

2. PREVENTION IF BEDFAST, POST-SURGERY, POST-ACCIDENT ETC.

HOURLY MOVE TOES, ANKLES, AND PERFORM UPWARD CONTRACTION OF MUSCLES.

TAKE SLOW DEEP BREATHS HOURLY.

WALK EVERY TWO HOURS OR MOVE TO SIT IN A CHAIR IF PERMITTED.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU SHOULD USE COMPRESSION STOCKINGS OR ASPIRIN.

3. SYMPTOMS OF DVT- EXAMINE TWICE DAILY FOR CALF REDNESS, SWELLING, CRAMPS, SORENESS.

GET MEDICAL HELP ASAP UPON SEEING THE ABOVE. DO NOT MASSAGE CALVES

4. SYMPTOMS OF PULMONARY EMBOLISM (LUNG CLOT)-

CALL 911 FOR SHORTNESS OF BREATH, SUDDEN DIZZINESS, CHEST PAIN, OR COUGHING UP BLOOD

Continue reading“Medical Emergency Sheets – Part 4, by K.B., M.D.”

(Continued from Part 2.)

STROKE, HEAT EXHAUSTION, HEAT STROKE, AND WOUNDS

Today’s presentation will cover protocols for the above topics. I hope that you have found Parts 1 and 2 interesting and helpful. Do you have at least one emergency medical notebook for quick, concise reference? If not, please consider starting one this week. There will be a few tips offered at the end of Part 4 to assist you with this project.

Remember that reliance on any information provided in this series is solely at your own risk. Always consult your own medical professional for advice and treatment. Do not, consider the following information as complete or as any attempt to advise, diagnose, treat, or manage anyone’s medical condition.

STROKE

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain decreases and cells die. What conditions predispose a person to suffering a stroke? Smoking, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, obesity, and atrial fibrillation all increase the risk of having a stroke. What are some of the symptoms? Difficulty

moving or feeling on one side of the body, loss of part of one’s vision, dizziness, or problems speaking or understanding speech are all possible symptoms. If the problems last only two hours or less, it is called a TIA (transient ischemic attack). If it lasts longer, it is a stroke and damage may be permanent or even fatal. Call 911. Time is of the essence. The sooner treatment begins, the more likely the outcome will be a positive one. Do not hesitate to call for help. It takes only a few seconds to do a quick exam.

Does the person’s face droop on one side or is the smile lopsided? Is there weakness of the arms or hands? Ask the person to squeeze your hands. Hold out your hands with two fingers on each side for him to squeeze. Is the grip equally strong or is it weak on one side? Ask him to fold his arms like a chicken and raise his elbows to the level of his shoulders. Press down simultaneously on each elbow. Is one arm weaker than the other? Finally ask the person to repeat any sentence that you choose or to say “no ifs, ands, or buts.” Is his speech slurred or does he not understand you? If yes to any of the above, call 911 immediately. Remember the popular acronym “FAST” for face, arm, speech, time to call 911.

In dire circumstances where no professional medical care is available at all, we have prayer, bed rest, and perhaps daily aspirin for treatment. About 20% of strokes are hemorrhagic which may worsen if given aspirin. Take your chances as you think best. Optimize your health before the SHTF to improve your odds.

STROKE MEDICAL EMERGENCY SHEET

1. FACE- IS THE FACE DROOPING ON ONE SIDE? IS THE SMILE LOPSIDED?

2. ARM- ASK HIM TO SQUEEZE EACH OF YOUR HANDS (2 FINGERS) SIMULTANEOUSLY.

ASK HIM TO FOLD HIS ARMS LIKE A CHICKEN AND RAISE HIS ELBOWS SHOULDER HIGH.

PRESS DOWN ON EACH ELBOW SIMULTANEOUSLY.

IS THE STRENGTH EQUAL ON EACH SIDE OF HIS BODY?

3. SPEECH- REPEAT ANY SENTENCE OR HAVE HIM REPEAT “NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS”.

IS HIS SPEECH SLURRED, OR DOES HE NOT UNDERSTAND YOU?

4. IF YES TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, CALL 911.

Continue reading“Medical Emergency Sheets – Part 3, by K.B., M.D.”

(Continued from Part 1.)

HEART ATTACK, FRACTURE, AND HEAD INJURY

Today, we will cover these topics. The author has had an unpleasant experience with the latter two, more than once! As mentioned previously, having a prepared summary to turn to for *initial* information during a medical emergency can be helpful. Further reading of other sources can then occur after the immediate emergency if necessary. If at all possible, see a medical expert ASAP! Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk. Do not, consider the following information as complete or as any attempt to advise, diagnose, treat, or manage anyone’s medical condition.

HEART ATTACK

We all know at least a little about chest pain and the importance of calling 911 in the event of a heart attack. Do not delay. The more time elapses, the more cardiac muscle dies. Also review how to administer CPR. Is the pain, a heart attack or not? If it’s not your usual indigestion symptoms responsive to antacids, call 911! There are many different types of chest pain and even the experts

require EKG’s and other tests to make an accurate diagnosis. In a dire emergency without *any* chance of medical help, take an aspirin daily, use oxygen if available, and stay in bed completely for 3 days, and perform no physical exertion for 6 weeks. (Complete bed rest means no bathroom privileges.) Also note that females suffering heart attack often have an atypical presentation such as extreme fatigue, faintness, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Make sure that your family members know where this Medical Emergency Sheet is located so they can refer to it if you are in trouble. While waiting for the ambulance, have the patient rest with his back supported from behind and his knees bent if possible. Some also suggest taking 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a cup of warm water. I doubt, however, that I would be able to ingest that if in severe pain and nauseated.

HEART ATTACK MEDICAL EMERGENCY SHEET

PAIN LASTING 5 MINUTES OR MORE-

SITE- CENTER OR LEFT SIDE OF CHEST, MAY RADIANT INTO SHOULDERS,

LEFT SIDE OF NECK OR JAW, OR FOCUS IN BACK, OR STOMACH

OTHER POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS-

SHORTNESS OF BREATH

COLD SWEAT

NAUSEA

LIGHTHEADEDNESS

FATIGUE

PALE OR BLUE-GREY TINGED SKIN

CALL 911

ASAP- TAKE ONE REGULAR ASPRIN. CHEW 30 SECONDS THEN SWALLOW IT.

REST IN “W” POSITION (BACK SUPPORTED, KNEES BENT). TRY TO RELAX AND

STAY CALM. HELP IS COMING.

Continue reading“Medical Emergency Sheets – Part 2, by K.B., M.D.”

Today begins a four-part article series called “Medical Emergency Sheets” in an effort to assist fellow readers who may face certain emergencies. Why? During an emergency, people panic and may forget what to do or may never have had any medical training whatsoever. Circumstances may also require immediate action which won’t allow time to peruse medical articles or books. While we still have it, call 911 first and always get help from medical professionals! I do, however, encourage you to make a notebook with dividers for certain categories (various body parts, diseases) and place these Medical Emergency Sheets as the first page in the appropriate sections. Read, review, and practice what you would do in different emergencies. I also hope that you will obtain some of the fine medical reference materials available and print off many of the excellent medical articles from SurvivalBlog. Consider making notebooks for your grown children or other relatives and have them readily available in each residence or cabin along with a medical treatment bag.

To review, the article series Medical Action Sheets was published in SurvivalBlog December 26-29, 2018. I am a M.D., now retired disabled, previously educated at a prestigious U.S. medical school with five years additional specialization and years of medical experience. I strongly encourage anyone with medical concerns to seek assistance from a certificated medical professional. Do not, repeat, do not, consider the following information as complete or as any attempt to advise, diagnose, treat, or manage anyone’s medical condition. As readers of SurvivalBlog, we are all aware of the possibility of TEOTWAWKI or, at the least, of a serious emergency where we may find ourselves alone and without professional medical help. During those times, having a prepared summary to turn to for *initial* information can be of assistance. Further reading in other sources can then occur after the immediate emergency and preferably the seeking out of medical experts as soon as possible! Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk. Ask your own medical professional for advice and treatment.

Note: Please do not be offended by the use of all capitals in the Medical Emergency Sheets. Capitals are utilized here for easy readability. Some of us are older or have visual limitations. Give thought to storing a pair of reading glasses on top of each emergency notebook. Larger print is helpful when reading under emotional stress or in reduced lighting. These sheets could even be laminated and put in an emergency treatment bag.   I will be covering fourteen subjects in this four-part series. How did I make my selection of topics? I chose ones that not only happen frequently, but also have occurred among my family and friends. Maybe I can help you.

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction which can quickly result in death. The first episode is a

very frightening event for all. I speak from personal experience. My beloved husband picked some

flowers and a few minutes later noted symptoms of itching which progressed to whole body weakness with near collapse. I gave him diphenhydramine (generic Benadryl) and called 911. While waiting, his mouth and lips swelled, his skin developed hives and his entire body became as red as a hot dog. In the ambulance, his blood pressure dropped therefore epinephrine was administered followed by steroids at the hospital. He now carries an epipen and had a second less severe episode a year later with a different plant. Fortunately, we were able to treat him at home without resorting to the use of epinephrine. What can trigger anaphylaxis? The answer is anything that your body has become sensitized to such as a bee or wasp sting, a particular plant, food, or medication. Symptoms can include itching, hives, swelling of lips, tongue, and airway with possible death in as little as 5 minutes. I encourage you to read more about anaphylaxis as this brief summary is by no means complete. Please find below your Medical Emergency Sheet. I am well aware that some of the suggestions are beyond the capability of untrained individuals, but we can all do something to help. Note that liquid diphenhydramine will act a little faster than the pill form but has a shorter shelf-life. Not all steps are appropriate for all cases. H2 blocking acid reducers such as cimetidine are available over the counter. Also note that hives do not necessarily indicate that you will go into anaphylaxis. Please do not be intimidated by the complexity of this protocol as this is the most complicated one that I will present. Easier ones will follow, rest assured. Always check with your medical practitioner in advance as to the safety of any of these medications for your personal use.Continue reading“Medical Emergency Sheets – Part 1, by K.B., M.D.”