MedWorm Tags: choking

An App For Baby-Related Emergencies

Better Health — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:00:02 +0100

RN Tara Summers was inspired to make an iPhone app after a frightening episode where she saw her infant child choking. Because she was a nurse, she sprang into action and gave the Heimlich maneuver, but worried about parents (or babysitters) without the same training. So, along with her emergency medicine physician husband, she created MedBasics — a readily-accessible information packet for the home about things to do in an emergency. Now they’re announcing an iPhone app called BabyMedBasics for emergencies when you’re not at home. More from MedBasics… iTunes link to the iOS app… *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health)

Do Speeding Ambulances Save More Lives?

Better Health — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:00:49 +0100

How fast should an ambulance go? The stereotypical speeding ambulance with lights flashing and sirens blaring is the image that most conjure up. But recent data suggests that transport speed may be overstated. In a fascinating piece from Slate, emergency physicians Zachary F. Meisel and Jesse M. Pines examine that very question. They cite a recent study from the Annals of Emergency Medicine, which concluded that a fast transport speed didn’t necessarily save lives. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com* (Source: Better Health)

Redesign Hot Dogs to Reduce Choking?

Healthbolt — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:35:43 +0100

I’m going to have to add a subsection to the Duh Files called the “Are you freaking serious?” file, because just when you’re sure you’ve heard everything, something else surprises you. New on the list: there’s a call to redesign hot dogs so children won’t choke on them. To be fair, a child who is choking is a horrible, frightening thing and too many children do choke. Sadly, many parents and by-standers don’t know what to do because they’ve never learned first aid techniques. But we have gotten better about passing regulations as to how small children’s toys can be, how parts can’t break off, and so on. According to a policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatricians, -At least one child dies from choking on ...

Panic Disorder

Inside Surgery — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:16:30 +0100

Pathophysiology 1) episodic, unpredictable attacks of intense fear, agitation, and discomfort (especially agoraphobic) 2) onset must occur over a 10 minute period 3) attacks generally occur for < 1 hour 4) exact cause is unknown, but genetic predisposition occurs Signs and Symptoms presence of at least four of the following during attack – 1) tachycardia/palpitations 2) trembling/shaking 3) sweating 4) shortness of breath 5) dizziness 6) chest pain 7) choking sensation chills or hot flushes 9) abdominal pain or diarrhea 10) sense of impending doom or death 11) feelings of anxiety Biochemistry 1) altered autonomic functioning 2) increased noradrenergic discharge from locus ceruleus Inheritance/Epidemiology onset is usually in late adolescence to early adulthood Treatment 1) SSRIs (se...

Drink Can Tabs Choking Hazard – for Teens

Healthbolt — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:30:56 +0100

I’m not quite sure where this would fit, after all, we’d like to think that people should know better. Baby boomers and older people may remember the pull tabs on drink cans. We used to pick up the edge of the tab, a circle usually, pull up and the tab would pull off. Most people would throw them away and then drink out of the can, but some people would push the tab into the can or it some how ended up in there. The result was some people would end up swallowing the tab and choke on it. To counter this, the tab system was changed and the tab is no longer immediately removable. The problem is though, sometimes the tab comes off anyway, deliberately or not, and choking is still happening. And, while choking on foreign objects is usually a problem reserved for babies and toddlers,...

Mulitple sclerosis - it’s hard to swallow!

Life with MS — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:46:10 +0100

You’ve all likely noted that we have the occasional banner advertisements on “Life with MS.” We’ve made fun of some of them in these very pages. I’ve noted the new Nestle ad for drink thickeners the past couple of weeks but didn’t really pay too much attention. However, I experienced some “swallowing issues” over Memorial weekend that have me thinking about this particular ad. For Memorial weekend, I went sailing with some friends from Europe. We had great fun, enjoyed the soft breeze and saw tons of wildlife (including a young humpback whale resting quietly off the tip of an island as we passed). However, through the serenity of it all I began to experience some issues with dysphasia, which is difficulty swallowing properly. I’ve had some problems with swallowing...