This question came in via RoyOnRescue email. They asked, what should I tell my friend to do if they have an asthma attack?
Here’s my answer. I hope it helps.
Hi S,
Asthma stinks! But what’s worse is when we have an attack. There’s no better treatment than management to prevent an attack. Avoiding triggers, maintaining regular preventative medications and always having a rescue inhaler available that is not expired and not empty. If a person is having signs of an attack, it’s never a bad idea to call 911 and then begin to treat the symptoms with their medications. If the attack ends, becomes manageable and everything is fine, then the ambulance leaves and there’s no problem. If the attack is persistent and the medications don’t work, one will never regret having called for EMS backup. Remember, you can always send them away, but we can never make up for lost time.
If a person is having trouble with their asthma(wheezes in or out or both, short of breath, tightness, having small attacks, more albuterol use than normal, has congestion or feels like their not able to move as much air(maybe they have a peakflow meter and it’s reading lower than normal) they should call their doctor. Again, if they’re having an attack, call 911. Don’t rely on home remedies and cold air. Hope this helps.
In this episode, we take a look at what areas are safe to watch a thunderstorm from. A question was asked about the safety of watching lightning from under a porch attached to a house. They wondered if it was grounded just like the porch. After researching a bit, I found that it is no more safe than being in a tent, a shed, or under a tree. Take a look at this vlog and find out why it’s not safe to be outside when you hear the roar of thunder.
In this episode, I take a closer look at the reasons that tourniquets were so important during the Boston Marathon bombing aftermath. Injuries were similar to those seen on the battle field and the battle field has trauma that requires immediate hemorrhage treatment and usually includes a long transport time. In the case of the bombing, we saw a very similar landscape. Though we don’t use tourniquets often in peaceful situations, there can and may be times where a tourniquet could mean the difference between life and death. Watch this episode to sharpen your skills on how to apply an effective tourniquet.
I didn’t want you to think that I’d fallen off the planet. I have been extremely busy with some projects that are really detailed and take a large portion of my time. The RoyOnRescue fans are very important to me and I want to make sure that I’m taking care of the subjects that are most important to you. I’m currently working on a new Vlog post related to the bomb blasts that occurred in Boston. As I understand it, there was quite a need for tourniquets and this is really closely related to the types of blast injuries that were seen. It mimics the same type of injuries that are closely associated with war. I’m hoping to get this up by this week.
This video covers a story of how a person’s life is saved because others cared enough to try CPR. Watch this video and be encouraged that you never know when you may need to use CPR skills. If you want to learn CPR today, go to www.profirstaid.com and click on the training tab at the top of the site. Then watch the videos for free, and learn what to do in case of an emergency. It really can make a difference! It did in this person’s life.
I just received a question from one of our Power Rescue Fans. They asked:
“I just went through a frightening and painful experience at work the other night. I got splashed in my eyes with an acid based cleaner. I know some chemicals that can become more corrosive if water is applied, although that doesn’t go for all of them. What do you do in the case of first aid when you get any type of chemical in your eyes? Is irrigation always the first line treatment? Thanks!”
What a great question. You’re right about the concept that some chemicals could actually cause more damage when water is added. Take the case of phosphorous pentoxide, which can burst into flames upon contact with water, or in the case of other dry alkali chemicals they may actually begin a chemical reaction upon water contact. In most cases “dry” chemicals should be brushed off as best as possible, prior to irrigating with water. When it comes to eyes, the rule of thumb for most chemicals, not the least acid, is flush with sterile or clean water for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Here’s a list of the top five actions to take after you realize there’s an eye emergency:
1. Stay calm and calm the patient with confident words like, I’m Going To Take Good Care of You!
2. Is the scene safe? If not, wait until it is or get personal protective equipment
3. Determine what type of chemical you’re dealing with and read the label for first aid or read the MSDS sheet
4. If the chemical exposure calls for dilution, begin flushing the effected eye(s) with clean or sterile water for at least 15 minutes
5. Tell EMS providers what chemical you’re dealing with, wow much the patient was exposed to, and what treatment has been provided and for how long
The “eye-dia” sorry…is that we manually keep the eyelids open while we flush the eye(s). This should be done in a way that won’t cause cross contamination of the non effected eye. In other words, flush from inside to outside away from the non-affected eye. Activate EMS (911 in the US and 999 in the UK as well as many other countries). The EMS personnel should continue the flushing with sterile water or saline for the duration of the trip to the hospital. Remember, “the solution to pollution is dilution. P.S. Don’t let hysterics get in the way of your treatment. Your patient is going to be scared, blind and really upset. Besides all that…it probably hurts like fire in the eyes, but as rescuers, we have to do what needs to be done and that means holding the eyelids open while flushing.
Today I was made aware of a story that is on fire with debate. Should CPR have been given to the elderly person or not? Should the RN be charged? Should the family sue the “Nursing Home?” actually independent living residence. How does the blah blah blah association feel about this? How does the National Board of Registered Nurses feel about this? On and on and on! What I can’t believe is why everyone is blaming a non medical facility, which has pre-aranged agreements with it’s residents that don’t want any CPR for calling 911 and then simply doing what the resident and the management agreed to do? Okay, so there wasn’t an actual DNR(Do Not Resuscitate) which can lead to a lot of miscommunication and ambiguity…I give you that but come on, guilty of neglect? Charged for not administering CPR? I know what you’re thinking right now. Roy has flipped his lid! Here he is, the RoyOnRescue host that is always talking about how we should get involved in order to try and save a life and now he’s sticking up for this non-caring facility that let this “poor” women die!
You’re right, I am all about saving lives when they can be saved, but I’m also all about death with dignity when the time is right and it’s in line with the wishes of the patient themselves. What’s more is that this debate is not about the wishes of the patient, which has already been confirmed by deceased family members, this is about a 911 dispatcher who thought that the person at the end of the phone should care enough to begin CPR, regardless of the rules and regulations by which the employee was mandated to follow. Yes, the caller should probably not have said that they were a nurse which could be interpreted as a skilled nursing center instead of an independent retirement community. Yes, the nurse and the dispatcher could have been more calm while explaining that the patients wishes were for no resuscitation and that the community agrees to no resuscitation prior to living in that facility. But in the end, the mainstream media has gotten wind of this story and blown it way, way out of proportion. I’ve dealt with so many of these calls that I predicted what the problem was before I even read the story. And after reading not one, but many accounts, found that it was just as I thought. In short, lack of communication, lack of paperwork and lack of privacy. You put all those together and what do you get? A hot story that takes off like a wild fire! Watch the video for my thoughts and then give me your feedback. Especially if you disagree. I love a good debate.
I wanted to share this video with you. We know sudden cardiac arrest happens almost every 2 minutes to someone in the U.S. but we rarely get a chance to watch a real cardiac arrest occur, see the rescue caught on a security camera and then hear the patient talk about his experience so that everyone can learn from it. If you or someone you know does not know how to provide CPR, please go to www.profirstaid.com and watch the free CPR training by clicking on the training video tab. Or simply click here after you watch the video below.
I tried to release this video episode on Friday and unfortunately had some media problems. I wanted to make sure to address some of the questions regarding how people could be injured by the Meteor explosion if it never hit the earth. Great question, because the meteorite entered earths atmosphere so fast and burned so brightly when it came in, it drew thousands of peoples attention and they went near windows to gaze up at the aftermath of it’s entry. While people were standing by, the sonic boom was so loud, it shattered windows, caved in buildings and in some cases even blew in doors. The shards of broken glass was the greatest cause of injuries. But some reports said there could have been ear drum damage, some eye and vision disorders and I believe even one cardiac arrest though this may be hard to confirm. If you have any interest in what happened want to see shocking footage and how these injured people could have protected themselves, be sure to watch this episode of RoyOnRescue.
Every couple of minutes, someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest. 95% of these victims are dead before they make it to the Emergency Room doors. In North Carolina, the Governor is trying to change that statistic. She’s signed a bill that requires all highschoolers to be CPR trained prior to receiving their diploma. Is it a good or bad idea and why do you feel the way you do?
Keep in mind that ProTrainings.com has already implemented a program that offers CPR training and certification to all high school students for FREE! ProTrainings.com and the StudentsTrainFree.com program reported that over 3000 high schoolers this year alone have already been trained and certified. If you know of any school desiring to implement a similar program, please contact ProTrainings.com and ask for the Student CPR department.
Hi S,
Hello Rescue Fans!
