December 17th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
No Comments »
Christian Vaillancourt, MD and his colleagues recently published an article in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine (2009;54:663-671) entitled “The Out-of-Hospital Validation of the Canadian C-Spine Rule by Paramedics.” This rule was originally developed for “clinical clearance” (e.g., without the use of x-rays) of persons with possible cervical spine fracture (broken neck) in alert and stable trauma patients by qualified persons (generally, emergency physicians) in a health care setting (such as an emergency department). This particular study found that paramedics can apply the Canadian C-Spine Rule reliably, without missing important cervical spine injuries.
The Rule, properly applied to an awake and alert injured person for which there is a concern for a cervical spine injury, provides the following direction:
1. If a person has a high-risk factor (age greater than or equal to 65 years; a dangerous mechanism of injury [a fall from an elevation greater than or equal to 3 feet; fall down 5 or more stairs; direct blow to top of head, such as a diving board accident; motor vehicle accident characterized by high speed, rollover or passenger ejection; motorized recreational vehicle accident; bicycle collision]; or numbness/tingling in an arm or leg), then neck immobilization and x-rays are indicated. Read more »
This post, Canadian C-Spine Rule: How To Know If A Neck Is Likely To Be Broken, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
December 9th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
2 Comments »
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported an analysis of motorcycle helmet use in fatal crashes. What was discovered is not surprising – namely, that in states in which there is not a state helmet law, the odds of a rider in a single-vehicle (e.g., the motorcycle) crash wearing a helmet was 72% less than in states with a helmet law. So, absent a law, people are not particularly inclined to wear a helmet.
One needs to couple this information with the facts about the benefits of wearing motorcycle helmets. First, motorcyle fatalities and fatality rates are increasing at a time when motorcycle riding is becoming more popular. Second, the average age of motorcycle fatalities has moved up to 39 years, from 30 years nearly 20 years ago, probably because the age of motorcycle riders has increased. Third, motorcycles expose the drivers more directly to lethal forces than do enclosed vehicles. Helmets are essential to prevent brain injuries and deaths. Read more »
This post, Motorcycle Helmets: Why Don’t People Wear Them?, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
December 2nd, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
No Comments »
Ski season is upon us. There is no greater relief on a frigid winter day than warming cold, painful fingers and toes. In a recent issue of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine (2009;20:33-38), William Sands, Ph.D. and colleagues authored an article entitled, “Comparison of Commercially Available Disposable Chemical Hand and Foot Warmers.” The objective of their study was to characterize the thermal behaviors of 14 commercially available hand and foot warmers.
The warmers were studied in pairs in a laboratory setting, not in frigid conditions. Each warmer was monitored with a rapidly-responding thermister to determine its external temperature. One of each pair of warmers was placed in a boot or glove. Temperature was recorded until the heat output of the devices ceased and the temperature was determined to be identical to ambient temperature.
The results were quite interesting. There was variability both within and between manufacturers and types of warmers. Some of the devices exceeded packaging claims, while others fell short. The greater the mass of the warmer, the longer the duration of heat production. Read more »
This post, Do Hand and Foot Warmers Work?, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
November 27th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Uncategorized
No Comments »
From the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association comes an interesting article by BC Muller and colleagues (J Am Mosquito Control Assoc 2008;24:154-160) entitled “Ability of Essential Oil Candles to Repel Biting Insects in High and Low Biting Pressure Environments.”
Anyone who has spent much time outdoors, whether on a camping trip or enjoying a backyard picnic, has encountered the scourge of biting insects, and in particular, mosquitoes. There is no good reason to be bitten by a mosquito, and many very important reasons to avoid them, namely, the risk of transmission of infectious disease, such as dengue, West Nile virus, malaria and so on. My first experiences with mosquito repellents were the ubiquitous green (“snake”) coils and candle products, which were supposed to keep the critters away. No surprise – some of them work well and some of them do not work so well. Read more »
This post, Mosquito Repellents: Do Essential Oil Candles Work?, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
November 12th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, News
No Comments »
In a recent issue of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (Volume 20, Number 2, 2009), Anne-Michelle Ruha and Steven Curry have written an article entitled “Recombinant Factor VIIa for Treatment of Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage Following Rattlesnake Envenomation.” This is a “case report,” meaning that this is a description of a particular medical event, rather than a study.
To open the piece, the authors observe that North American rattlesnakes possess venom with properties that can cause severe physiological effects, such as low platelet count and, on occasion. bleeding. In this report, we learn about a 44 year old man who was bitten on the index finger by an unidentified (unknown for this case) species of rattlesnake. The victim developed massive gastrointestinal bleeding that was treated eventually with a product known as recombinant factor VIIa. His initial clinical presentation included an altered level of consciousness, profoundly low blood pressure (shock), sweating, and vomiting of bright red blood. Read more »
This post, Man Dies Of Internal Bleeding After Rattlesnake Bites His Finger, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
Christian Vaillancourt, MD and his colleagues recently published an article in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine (2009;54:663-671) entitled “The Out-of-Hospital Validation of the Canadian C-Spine Rule by Paramedics.” This rule was originally developed for “clinical clearance” (e.g., without the use of x-rays) of persons with possible cervical spine fracture (broken neck) in alert and stable trauma patients by qualified persons (generally, emergency physicians) in a health care setting (such as an emergency department). This particular study found that paramedics can apply the Canadian C-Spine Rule reliably, without missing important cervical spine injuries.
