November 4th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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This is the third post based upon my presentation given at the Wilderness Medical Society Annual Meeting held in Snowmass, Colorado from July 24-29, 2009. The presentation was entitled “Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water.”” The topic was an overview of hazardous marine animals and it was delivered by me. In the previous post, there was information about stingrays and scorpionfishes. In this post, there is information about injuries from sea urchins incurred in the marine environment.
Sea urchins are free-living echinoderms with egg-shaped, globular or flattened bodies. They are covered by tightly arranged spines and/or triple-jawed pedicellariae, which are seizing and envenoming organs. The spines can be brittle, hollow, sharp and venom-bearing or blunt and non venom-bearing (such as with Hawaiian pencil urchins). Most persons are envenomed when they step upon or brush against an urchin. Read more »
This post, What To Do If You Step On A Sea Urchin, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
October 30th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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First, about sharks and shark attacks:
Sharks are found in oceans, tropical rivers and lakes. They range in size from 10 centimeters to over 15 meters (whale sharks). Approximately 30 out of 350 species have been implicated in human attacks. On average, there are fewer than 100 attacks reported each year worldwide, and less than 10% of these attacks are fatal. Sharks are superbly equipped predators, and can detect motion, chemicals, electrical signals, and vibration in the water, with a sensitivity that enables them to easily hone in on prey. The most dangerous sharks from a frequency-of-attack perspective are the white (“great white”, “white pointer”), tiger, bull, blue, dusky, hammerhead, and grey reef sharks. However, it is important to note that any shark, including the seemingly docile nurse shark, will bite a human if sufficiently provoked. Read more »
This post, How To Reduce Your Risk Of A Shark Attack, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
October 24th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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This is the next post based upon my presentation given at the Wilderness Medical Society Annual Meeting held in Snowmass, Colorado from July 24-29, 2009. The presentation was entitled “Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water.”” The topic was an overview of hazardous marine animals and it was delivered by me. In the previous post, there was information about shark attacks. In this post, there is information about envenomations incurred in the marine environment.
Marine venoms, similar to other toxins and poisons that originate in the animal and plant kingdoms, may cause a wide range of human physiological derangements. It is very important to remember that certain of these venoms, such as that elaborated by jellyfish, may invoke a serious allergic reaction.
Stingrays are a commonly incriminated group of envenoming animals. There are more than 10 species found in U.S. coastal waters, with from 1 to 4 venomous “stings” found on the top of the caudal appendage (“tail’). The spine is a serrated cartilaginous structure that houses venom glands covered by a fragile tissue sheath. Thus, when the spine enters a human victim, most commonly on the lower limb (ray is stepped upon) or upper limb (ray is handled), the tissue sheath is disrupted and venom enters the wound. Thus the injury is just a puncture/cut and an envenomation. Read more »
This post, How To Treat Stingray Envenomation, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
October 20th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, News
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Every one in a while, an inventor comes up with something remarkable, not only in its ingenuity, but in its simplicity and applicability. Whenever I see something like that, I usually mutter or marvel, “I wish I had thought of that.” Such is the case with the original ski pole Slishman Splint, invented by my friend Dr. Sam Slishman.
Wilderness medical types are familiar with the difficulties managing long bone fractures in the backcountry. A femur fracture can be a devastating, and even life-threatening, injury. It’s common knowledge that realigning the bony fragments and stabilizing the femur are important to control blood loss and pain, and to facilitate victim extrication and transport. There are numerous traction splints for this purpose on the market, but many of them are heavy, bulky and unwieldy in a remote setting. Sam intended to solve that problem. Read more »
This post, Leg Splints Made From Ski Poles, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
October 5th, 2009 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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When you build a house, you begin with the foundation. The same holds true for the U.S. health care system. The President and Congress are scrambling to put up a reform structure that would have a better chance to succeed if the cinderblocks and joists were in place. No health care system in our country can develop adequately unless supported by validated information, policies and procedures based upon accurate data related to its most important features, and updated continuously. While there are agencies and institutions that can answer some of our questions, a comprehensive assessment is lacking. We should learn much more – the sooner, the better. Conflicted entities cannot be relied upon for objectivity, so if the government would like to increase its role in health care, creating a method for objectifying the rationale for change is the correct place to start. Read more »
