Tag Archives: Roy W. Shaw

Posted in Health & Wellness • Roy on Rescue

Roy Juices For The First Time!

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Roy Goes Juicing For The First Time!Hello Rescue Fans!

Remember at the end of the 2013 I said something about a series of wellness segments for 2014? Well…it’s come to roost and here’s my first installment. It’s a little off the cuff but I got so excited to show off this great new healthy lifestyle assistant, that I threw all caution to the wind and recorded the first in-house juicing experience with an iPhone.

For those of you who juice, you already know that the flavor was so intense(in a good way) and the fragrance was so brilliant, it made me laugh outloud! I enjoyed another juice the following morning but kept it a little lighter and shared it with a couple of colleagues in the ProTrainings offices. Success! I’m looking forward to more episodes on wellness and prevention and who knows, maybe I’ll even sneak in some of the ways I’ve found to eat smart during a crazy busy day.

For now, keep on rescuing and remember, the best way to survive cardiac arrest…is to never have one!

Cheers!

Posted in CPR • Cardiac • CPR for Providers • Roy on Rescue

Guess What Movie Star Put Their CPR Skills To Use!

Tens of thousands of people are trained in life saving CPR every year. But sometimes it’s easy to forget that CPR is not just for health care providers and in the case of an emergency, you never know just who might be happening by. In this case, it was famous actor, Dustin Hoffman! You may know him from some of his better known movies such as Rain Man, Tootsie, Hook and of recent, Kung Fu Panda. I included the video that interviewed to two medics who interacted with Mr. Hoffman on scene and they tell the story. Thought you might find it interesting.

Posted in Roy on Rescue • RoyOnRescue Updates • Accidents • Automobile • Cold Related • Scene Safety

How To Survive Icy Driving Conditions and Crashes

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In this episode I revisit an annual subject that can never be taken too lightly. Safe driving in winter snow and ice. Too many times people follow too closely and don’t leave enough room to evade a crash or to stop at an intersection. If you want to be prepared to survive this winter’s icy driving, be sure to watch this episode of RoyOnRescue and learn what RoyOnRescue is preparing for the new year!

Posted in Roy on Rescue • RoyOnRescue Updates

Back To Business Summer Update

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Hello Rescue Fans!

I wanted to get a video update out before the long Holiday weekend. I’ve had an incredibly busy summer but am excited to get the RoyOnRescue series updated and back on track. Make sure you reach out to me with questions and comments using email and twitter.

Have a great Holiday!

Roy

Posted in Roy on Rescue • CPR for Instructors • CPR for Providers

Fellow Workers Credited For Saving Co-Workers Life With CPR

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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.

Keep On Rescuing,
Roy

Posted in Roy on Rescue • Head Injuries

What Is Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis?

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Hello Rescuers!

I received an email from a RoyOnRescue friend who had suffered a head injury while playing a sport.  After being seen by the doctor he was diagnosed with Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis or (CVST).  He had asked me if I would give my explanation of what it is and if it was something he should be worried about.  His doctor had exCSVTplained it but he was still a bit foggy regarding the diagnosis.  Well, after looking into it from the clinical perspective, I realized that it was a pretty big deal and in some cases may be fatal.  I researched multiple sources to gather credible information and when it all came down to brass tacks, I found that the Wikipedia explanation had done a pretty dog-gone good job of summarizing CSVT.  So, with all credit given to them for most of this article and a link back to their website, here it is.

I have personally responded and treated many different types of head injuries as a paramedic but had not researched this problem to this level.  Then, shortly after receiving this question, I read that  Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was diagnosed and hospitalized with the very same problem secondary to her head injury!  Ironic.   So, I thought to myself, if two people experienced this problem secondary to a common traumatic head injury(concussion), there may be more with the same question.

Here’s my trimmed-down version of what it is, what it’s symptoms are, how to determine if it is truly CSVT and then what a person may want to do if they think they may be suffering from such a complication.  So let’s dig into some of the questions you may have!  P.S.  You’ll notice there are more links then usual in this article.  The topic is so complex and has so many different facets I thought it wise to allow you to do some of your own information mining and hope the links make it easier.

Q:  What is a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis anyway?

A:  A CVST is the presence of thrombosis (a blood clot) in the dural venous sinuses, which drain blood from the brain. 

Q:  What causes a CVST?

A:  There can be many causes of CVST.  Here is a few I included:

Q:  How might I know if I have a CVST?

A: Headache that may worsen over the period of several days, but may also develop suddenly.  Strangely the headache may be the only symptom of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.  Stroke, 40% of all patients have seizures, Common symptoms in the elderly with this condition are otherwise unexplained changes in mental status and a depressed level of consciousness.  The pressure around the brain may rise, causing papilledema (swelling of the optic disc) which may be experienced as visual problems.  In severely raised intracranial pressure, the level of consciousness is decreased, the blood pressure rises, the heart rate falls.  This is a common symptom found in closed head injuries which makes sense as the mechanism is very similar.

Q:  How will the doctor know if this is what I have?

A:  The most commonly used tests are computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both using various types of radiocontrast to perform a venogram and  visualise the veins around the brain

Q:  How is a CVST treated and cured?

A: Treatment is with anticoagulants (medication that suppresses blood clotting), and rarely thrombolysis (enzymatic destruction of the blood clot). Given that there is usually an underlying cause for the disease, tests may be performed to look for these. The disease may be complicated by raised intracranial pressure, which may warrant surgical intervention such as the placement of a shunt.

AmbulanceQ:  Can this be serious?

A:  Yes.  Like any illness or injury that causes a problem with the circulation of oxygenated blood to our tissues, this type of problem can be very dangerous if left untreated.  It also runs a risk of complication in that it raises the intracranial pressures which can act similar to a closed head injury and this too can cause severe injury or death.  If a person has any of the symptoms listed above, they should be seen as soon as possible to rule out this potentially life threatening disorder.  If a person is reacting with decreased level of consciousness, or any type of life threatening complications, activation of Emergency Medical Services or 911 should be immediate with life saving or time buying intervention given.

 

I hope this helps and keep well!

See Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_venous_sinus_thrombosis

http://neurology.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2007/515/2

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/705510_3

 

 

Posted in Roy on Rescue

When I Was Doing CPR The Patient Began To Revive…But I Heard They Didn’t Make It. What Gives?

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I received a really good email from a rescuer who provided CPR to a person and before the emergency services arrived, the patient was exhibiting signs of revival.  Later, the rescuer discovered that the patient did not survive after all.  This person had a valid question about how or why this would happen and I wanted to include my reply so that it may help others who may in the future or  have already had the same experience.

Dear “Rescuer”,

There are so many reasons why a person may start to revive or does revive from initial cardiac arrest only to arrest again later and die. This fact that he later died should in no way be connected to your heroic actions you performed. By getting involved you increased his chance of survival by attempting to circulate some percentage of oxygenated blood to his vital organs in order to slow down the clinical to biological death process.

Of course, we never want to think that our rescue efforts will not change the end result. But in expressing compassion, you gave this individual one of the greatest gifts one can give, your care, compassion and your love for a fellow human.

Whomever that gentleman was, for a certain amount of time, you were able to give him the care he needed in order to have a chance to survive. Statistics and data show us this to be true. This does not mean however, that his condition would allow him to survive for the long term. The cardiac related disease that he may have suffered from chronically, the pulmonary embolism that may have occluded a vital vessel in the circulatory system or any other serious medical problem could have still determined that he was not going to survive his cardiac event.

Your efforts were completely successful because they did exactly what CPR is suppose to do… buy time! Be at peace knowing that you were successful in that you did buy him time and your efforts were not in vain. His last hours of life were spent knowing that someone he didn’t even know intimately cared enough to try and save his life. That’s an incredible gift to give someone.

I hope that this in some way can help bring you comfort.

Peace,

Roy

Posted in Roy on Rescue

Neighborhood Heroes Making A Difference

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In this RoyOnRescue, we take a look at Stephen St. Bernard, who risked his own life to save another. He caught a young girl after she fell from a third story platform and though he suffered some injuries after the rescue, he saved the little girls life. This is an episode dedicated to the neighborhood heroes that get involved and make a difference. You won’t want to miss the live footage of this heroic event.  Thank you Stephen St. Bernard, for being a true hero.
Some have asked, how does catching a falling child compare to catching a weight at that velocity. A physicist has figured it out and states, “If she weighs 50 pounds, the man and ground must push up with an average of 12 times that force, or 600 pounds.”