December 23rd, 2011 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Health Tips
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This is another post derived from a presentation given at the 2011 Annual Summer Meeting of the Wilderness Medical Society. Tracy Cushing, MD, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine gave an excellent presentation on submersion injury—i.e., the dangers of becoming submerged under water. What follows is some of what we learned.
Historically there have been many terms and definitions, such as “drowning,” “near-drowning,” “dry drowning,” and others. Current experts favor the term “submersion injury” as any adverse effect from submersion in water. This commonly causes difficulty breathing, for many reasons. “Immersion syndrome” refers to the situation where there is a lethal heart rhythm during or after a cold-water exposure, usually attributed to stimulation of the vagus nerve, which slows the heart rate. “Shallow water blackout” refers to a person becoming unconscious after hyperventilating prior to attempting a lengthy period of breath-holding underwater.
Drowning is the Read more »
This post, Preventing Drowning And Other Submersion Injuries, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
April 18th, 2011 by Paul Auerbach, M.D. in Health Tips
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Wilderness medicine folks are often considered to be “gearheads.” That is, we love to try out new outdoor equipment, whether it is for our activities, search and rescue, or personal safety. Improvisation is important, but it’s better to have what you need, particularly if you can pack light and accomplish your mission without unnecessary bulk and weight. There are numerous suppliers of equipment online. From time to time, as I am made aware of these, I will let you know.
Rescue Essentials is a frequent exhibitor at wilderness medicine continuing medical education meetings, and so I have become familiar with their carried product lines.
Importantly, Rescue Essentials carries the complete product line for SAM
Medical Products, which include the SAM Splint series and BlistOBan blister
(prevention) bandages. The company sells equipment for persons who respond to outdoor medicine situations, tactical medics, search and rescue personnel, and wilderness emergency medical technicians.
As a reminder of what a layperson might need to consider carrying in order to be prepared to assist a person outdoors in need of medical attention, here is a list that appears in the 5th edition of Medicine for the Outdoors. From this list, one would select the desired items: Read more »
This post, Emergency Rescue Essentials: The Outdoor Gear You Need, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Paul Auerbach, M.D..
March 12th, 2010 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Tips
1 Comment »
Allergists from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) have some tips for reducing allergy symptoms this spring. I thought they were excellent and worth sharing… Enjoy!
Do:
1. Wear glasses or sunglasses when outdoors. Covering your eyes keeps pollen and other irritants away from this sensitive area, which reduces itchiness and redness.
2. Shower and wash your hair before bed. Cleaning up before getting into bed helps remove pollen from your hair and skin, which reduces irritation. You should also consider keeping pets out of the bedroom if they’ve been outside, as pollen can cling to their fur. Read more »
