All posts by Ryan Davis Philip

 

Asthma Boy

VIC and SA to be hit with icy cold front

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PARTS of Australia have been relishing in warm sunny weather, but that’s about to change. Fast. Rain, damaging winds and snow are forecast.

news.com.auMAY 3, 20183:10PM

RUG up — our warm weather is about to take a turn for the chilly worst.

Extreme weather is already hitting many parts of the country’s southeast and temperatures are set to dip again tomorrow with heavy rain, damaging winds and possible snow set to fall.

Sky News Weather chief meteorologist Tom Saunders said the chilly conditions are caused by a cold front in the southeast.

“We have near record high May temperatures in NSW and the ACT and much-needed rain over southern Australia with the risk of damaging winds,” he said.

Mr Saunders said April was the second hottest on record for Australia on average across the whole country, but that has now come to an end.

“Much of the southeast recorded their hottest April on record, including Canberra and Sydney,” Mr Saunders said.

“It was also the driest April in 21 years with a countrywide average of only 10.2mm.”

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned rain and possible thunderstorms will hit parts of South Australia today and tomorrow.

Winds of up to 90km/h and heavy rain are forecast to hit Adelaide, Mount Lofty Ranges, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Mid North and Kangaroo Island.

Murraylands, Upper South East, Lower South East and parts of West Coast and Riverland districts are also expected to be hit by strong gusts.

The BOM has also issued severe weather warnings for damaging winds across Central, South West and North Central districts of Victoria with wind gusts of 90km/h expected.

Winds of up to 110km/h could hit Alpine regions.

Mr Saunders said rain and storms could hit later today with Adelaide and South Australia already receiving a heap of rain.

“Adelaide’s heaviest rain should be through the morning and the city could receive its heaviest fall so far this year,” Mr Saunders said.

“Already this morning the Eyre Peninsula has received about 10 to 20mm of rain — the heaviest so far this year. There is also the risk of damaging wind gusts across SA this morning.”

Adelaide is due to hit lows of 11-13C over the next few days. The city will hit a high of 20C today with showers, 18C tomorrow and 21C on Saturday with showers easing.

Mr Saunders said the rainband will then spread across southern NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania later today and early Friday.

“The best falls will be along the coast and ranges with over 25mm for some areas,” Mr Saunders said.

“Generally less than 10mm will fall across most of the Murray Basin but it has been so dry this year that could still be the heaviest fall this year.

“For example Mildura’s wettest day so far this year has only brought 3.2mm and the city has received less than 10mm for the entire year.”

Tomorrow is looking equally as chilly.

“Friday will be colder over the southeast and again windy with showers and even some Alpine snow,” Mr Saunders said.

“The weather will ease over the southeast during the weekend.”

However Mr Saunders said while freezing weather was set to hit some parts of the southeast, other areas were basking in warmer conditions.

“Ahead of the rainband, near record high maximum temperatures are developing over NSW, the ACT and central/eastern Victoria,” Mr Saunders said.

He said maximum temperatures today for parts of NSW were actually a May record with Canberra due to hit 24-24.5C, Albury 28-27.6C, Wagga Wagga 28-31.1C, Orbost 28-28.9C and Griffith 29-28.6C.

Sydney can expect lows of 13-19C over the next few days.

The city will hit a top of 26C today, 26C tomorrow and 22C on Saturday.

Melbourne will reach lows of 11-12C over the next few days and a high of 25C today with heavy showers. The city will hit a high of 18C tomorrow and 20C on Saturday with showers easing.

If you think that’s cold, spare a thought for those in Hobart. The Tasmanian capital will experience lows of 9-10C over the coming days, with a high of 22C today dropping to 18C and showers tomorrow and Saturday.

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Dad saved son urges others to learn first aid

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A father who saved his baby son’s life using recently acquired CPR skills is urging others to learn first aid.

Alec Brown, 29, put the skills he had learned into action when his eight-month-old son Ruaridh suddenly stopped breathing as he sat in his high chair for lunch at the family’s home on Mull.

Mr Brown thought he had choked and looked to see if he could dislodge anything from his son’s throat but found nothing and saw that Ruaridh was turning blue. Having called an ambulance, he carried out CPR and after a short time Ruaridh was sick and started to cry.

The incident on April 6 came weeks after Mr Brown attended a training session led by St Andrew’s First Aid in Oban in January as part of the charity’s community engagement programme.

He nearly didn’t make it because of the weather and ferry cancellations. Mr Brown said: “You hear about these types of stories in the news but you never expect it to happen to you. I wanted to attend the first aid training because I had a young family and living on an island means that emergency medical support can take a bit longer to arrive than on the mainland.

“When Ruaridh stopped breathing, I went into auto- pilot and remembered what I had been taught.

“It felt like half an hour before be started breathing again but I suspect it was only a minute.

“I’m just so glad I made the effort to go to the demonstration. The ambulance arrived after 20 minutes but had I not known what to do, the ending could have been very different.”

Ruaridh was airlifted to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow where he spent three days, with doctors concluding the episode may have been caused by a viral infection.

Mr Brown, who lives in Tobermory with wife Kayleigh, 26, Ruaridh and Callum, 3, is urging other people to learn first aid skills. He said: “I can’t recommend strongly enough learning to do even basic first aid.”

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Epipen

Female US Army soldier, 32, went into anaphylactic shock

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A female US Army soldier went into anaphylactic shock caused by a combination of dinner, drinks and dancing at a wedding, despite not having any known allergies.

Researchers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center delved into the unidentified 32-year-old’s unprecedented case in a new report published Thursday.

At the wedding, the woman hit the dance floor after having eaten a steak, vegetables and crab cakes, which she washed down with one cocktail and one glass of red wine.

The report says she was dancing ‘vigorously’ when a rash began to develop on her shoulder, spreading rapidly to her chest, arms, neck and face, one of the first signs of an allergic reaction.

Her throat then became itchy, tongue started to swell to the point that she couldn’t breathe.

Emergency personnel identified the symptoms as anaphylactic shock and treated her with allergic medicines before bringing her to the hospital, where her symptoms disappeared within four hours.

Weeks later her allergist diagnosed her with food dependent exercise-induced allergy to crab, a rare and potentially fatal condition.

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIAn) occurs when a person exercises within a few hours of eating a certain food that they are hypersensitive to, triggering an allergic reaction.

Eating the same food without exercise, however, would not cause a reaction.

FDEIAn is a rare subset of anaphylaxis, a potentially-fatal type of allergy that affects less than one percent of the population.

Lifetime prevalence for the FDEIAn is estimated to be less than one quarter of a percent.

Doctors have struggled to identify exactly how the condition occurs, in part because there have been so few reported cases of it.

The diagnosis process can also be very complicated because modern processed foods make it difficult to pinpoint specific trigger ingredients.

Another challenge comes from the fact that it’s impossible to recreate the effects of known co-factors such as alcohol and anti-inflammatory medications when testing for triggers.

According to the case report from Walter Reed, the 32-year-old soldier’s case is especially unique.

The woman had never before experienced any type of allergic reaction, despite the high level of physical activity demanded by her job and the fact that she runs regularly.

 The woman was found to have a food dependent exercise-induced allergy to crab, meaning that she is only allergic to crab when she exercises within hours of eating it (stock image)

In a consultation with an allergist after the wedding, she underwent skin-prick testing for the foods she had consumed that night, but they came back negative.

Next she did a food challenge that involved eating increasing portions of crab over a 30 minute period while being monitored for signs of allergy, which she passed.

An hour later she was asked to run on a treadmill at a moderate pace for 15 minutes, but no symptoms appeared.

Again an hour later she ran on the treadmill again, at which point she developed urticaria, the same rash she had experienced while dancing at the wedding.

As a result doctors diagnosed the woman with the FDEIAn to crab.

Her treatment plan is simple: avoid exercise for at least four to six hours after eating crab.

The report revealed that since the allergic reaction she has moved to Hawaii and is successfully sticking to that plan.

The researchers concluded that soldier’s case highlights the importance of thorough testing for the condition because it’s very possible for tests to come back as false-negatives.

Interesting information around anaphylaxis that should be coupled with a first aid course.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5609131/Woman-diagnosed-rare-exercise-induced-allergy-died-dancing-wedding.html#ixzz5E6PVTqj4
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Kit

Five Myths About First Aid

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In a medical emergency, the right response can save lives – but many of us are still doing the wrong thing.

  • By Claudia Hammond

20 April 2018

Getting first aid right can mean the difference between life and death. But as we learn more about the human body and how it responds, over the years the advice gradually changes – meaning that in some cases, what we learned in the past is out of date.

Here are some of the most common myths about first aid… and what you should do instead.

MYTH 1: Put butter on a burn

This is a folk remedy that’s been around for centuries. It even was recommended by the man widely credited with the invention of first aid, the Prussian surgeon General Friedrich Von Esmarch.

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Any new burn that’s exposed to the air is incredibly painful. Covering it with a cool substance such as butter will slightly ease the agony for a time. But the pain will soon return –  and sealing off the air before the burn has cooled can keep the heat in, meaning the skin continues to burn.

For most burns, the general advice instead is to remove any clothing and jewellery touching the burn, then to run your burn under the tap for a lot longer than you think – at least 20 minutes. This prevents the skin from continuing to burn, as well as helping to numb the area.

If you’re burned, run your burn under the tap for at least 20 minutes

If you’re burned, forget the butter – run your burn under the tap for at least 20 minutes instead (Credit: Getty Images)

Once the burn is thoroughly cooled you can cover it up with a clean cloth or cling film or a plastic bag to prevent it from becoming infected.

There’s just one situation where butter on a burn can be useful: if you get hot tar on your skin. The fattiness of the butter can help to remove it, reducing the pain. (Read more about this myth in our previous story here).

MYTH 2: Giving chest compressions to someone who doesn’t need them can cause more harm than good

If someone has a cardiac arrest, the biggest predictor of their survival is whether or not someone gives them cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before medical help arrives.

If you go on a first aid course, you learn to watch the chest and put your head to person’s close to listen for breaths. If there’s no sign that the person is breathing, you should call emergency services and begin CPR.

First aid instructors also tell you that even if you’re not sure the person is breathing normally, you should again proceed with CPR anyway.

Although this is the advice, many people are reluctant to give CPR because they fear doing more harm than good.

Both first aid technology, and advice, have changed a great deal over time (Credit: Getty Images)

A study conducted in Yokohama, Japan’s second largest city, followed up cases where bystanders gave CPR in order to discover whether unnecessary CPR might have put patients at greater risk. During the study, bystanders had performed CPR on 910 patients. Of these only 26 had not, in fact, had a cardiac arrest. And of those 26, CPR only caused complications in three cases. This included a minor rib fracture, but none of the complications were serious.

The authors conclude that members of the public should not be afraid to give CPR even if they’re not certain what’s happening. They could save a life.

MYTH 3: To do CPR properly, you need to give mouth-to-mouth as well as doing chest compressions

The guidelines on this have changed a lot in the past decade. Standard CPR used to involve alternating 15 fast-paced compressions with two breaths into the patient’s mouth. Then it was found that giving two breaths after every 30 compressions was just as effective. This became the standard advice.

There was a 22% improvement in survival rates if bystanders gave compression alone, instead of compression with breaths

Next came the idea of doing CPR without giving any breaths at all. This results in fewer pauses and allows more opportunity for the compressions to keep blood flowing to the brain. Although the blood may not be fully aerated, at least it gets to the brain quickly. Three randomised controlled trials comparing the methods found only marginal differences between the two methods.

But when the results from these studies were combined and re-analysed, there was a 22% improvement in survival rates if bystanders – who were doing CPR with guidance on the phone from ambulance dispatchers – gave compression alone.

These results do not apply to children or to cases of near-drowning, where breaths are still recommended.

Giving CPR without breaths is easier and more effective than with breaths – but even so, only 39% of women and 45% of men receive CPR from bystanders (Credit: Getty Images)

The finding that CPR without mouth-to-mouth is slightly more effective is good news in two ways. First, any improvement in survival rates is of course of a good thing. But second, it might encourage more people to have a go. After all, the easier the guidelines are to remember, the more likely people are to try. There even are games you can play to teach you how to do it.

Also, many people are reluctant to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a stranger.

But still not everyone is prepared to give chest compressions. Research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in 2017 revealed that some bystanders seem to be wary of touching women’s chests. Audrey Blewer studied almost 20,000 cases of cardiac arrest and found that 45% of men received CPR from bystanders – compared with 39% of women.

MYTH 4: You shouldn’t shock someone with a defibrillator unless you are certain their heart has stopped

This is a major myth. After all, defibrillators, often kept in public places like railway stations, are designed for anyone to use. You don’t have to work out for yourself whether the person who’s collapsed would benefit from electric shocks to startle the heart into rhythm: the machine itself can assess what’s needed. If shocks aren’t necessary, it won’t give them.

Even though defibrillators often can be found in many public places, many people remain intimidated to use them (Credit: Getty Images)

US research has shown that survival rates double if a public access defibrillator is used rather than CPR alone. But their use outside hospitals is very low. People seem reluctant to use them. Christopher Smith from Warwick Medical School published research in 2017 showing that many members of the public didn’t know what the machines were, where to find them or how to use them. He told me that some people are afraid of using them in case they do more harm than good.

MYTH 5: Tilt the head backwards to stop a nosebleed

This is very old advice – but can result in a person swallowing their blood into their stomachs or even choking on it, all while continuing to bleed. Instead the best way to stem the bleeding is to apply pressure by pinching the soft part of the nose and leaning forwards for 10 minutes. If bleeding hasn’t stopped after half an hour, seek medical advice.

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Epilepsy breakthrough to help families

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Researchers have discovered a genetic link to devastating epilepsies, which could help families prevent having a second child with the disease.

Sarah Wiedersehn
Australian Associated PressAPRIL 26, 20187:31AM

Parents of children with severe epilepsies may be able to prevent having a subsequent child with the devastating disease following an Australian research breakthrough.

For the first time, a genetic link has been found between a child with epileptic encephalopathies – severe brain disorders that result in aggressive seizures and intellectual disability – and either of the parents.

Up until now, it had been thought that the genetic abnormality that results in these conditions was new to the child.

Published in leading medical journal The New England Journal of Medicine, the findings mean parents can have more accurate genetic counselling when planning a family, the researchers say.

But this is not just about family planning, says Professor Ingrid Scheffer, Austin Health Director of Peadiatrics and University of Melbourne Chair of Paediatric Neurology.

“It’s about preventing them from having a second child with a devastating illness,” Professor Scheffer said.

Epileptic encephalopathies affect at least one in 1500 each year just in Victoria.

Children with the condition have a 15 per cent risk of dying before the age of 20.

Researchers at Austin Health and the University of Melbourne studied 123 families, looking for the child’s genetic mutation in 200 cells of both the mother and the father.

They found in 10 of these families a parent carried low levels of the same mutation.

For these eight per cent of parents, there is an increased risk of having a second child with the disorder, Professor Scheffer explained.

“What we found is that where we thought a child’s genetic abnormality was new in the child, causing these severe epilepsies of infancy and childhood, we found in fact it is not new in the child; in about eight per cent of patients one of their parents has it at a very low level in their bloodstream,” she said.

This means that the chances of these parents having another child with epileptic encephalopathies is increased; the more cells carrying the genetic mutation the greater the recurrence risk.

“They have it without any knowledge and it’s just bad luck if their child gets one of their six per cent (of cells carrying the mutation) say for example,” Professor Scheffer said.

Geneticists currently advise that the risk of recurrence of these disorders is low, at approximately one per cent, but this study shows that the risk could be much higher for a significant proportion of families.

“These results provide support for targeted, high-coverage testing of parents who have a child with a diagnosis of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. This testing will be helpful in counselling parents regarding the risk of recurrence,” Professor Scheffer said.

It’s also thought this finding could have much broader implications.

“I suspect for other diseases where a new mutation causes severe disease that the parent might actually be carrying it at low levels, I think this finding may have greater impact than just in the epilepsy” Professor Scheffer said.

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Attacked by shark, bear and snake

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THIS guy is lucky to be alive – but otherwise he has the worst luck imaginable, after a series of terrifying run-ins with deadly animals.

Dom Calicchio & Christopher Carbone
Fox NewsAPRIL 23, 20187:06AM

Are Sharks Really Dangerous?

WHEN Dylan McWilliams was bitten by a shark in Hawaii on Thursday, it meant he had been bitten by a shark, a bear and a rattlesnake — all in less than four years.

“I don’t know,” Mr McWilliams told the Honolulu Star-Advertiseron Friday. “I’m either really lucky or really unlucky.”

Not surprisingly, the 20-year-old from Grand Junction says he spends a lot of time outdoors.

In Thursday’s attack, about 50m from Shipwreck’s Beach off Poipu, Mr McWilliams suffered deep cuts to one of his legs, but the injury wasn’t life-threatening, reports Fox News.

“The scariest part was swimming back,” he told the news outlet, adding that he was hoping the shark wouldn’t continue following the trail of blood from his leg.

The leg wound required seven stitches, the Star-Advertiser reported.

Last July, McWilliams told the paper, he received nine staples in his scalp after a nearly 140kg bear invaded his Colorado campsite.

“The bear grabbed the back of my head and started pulling me and I was fighting back as best as I could,” he told Hawaii News Now. “It dropped me and stomped on me a little bit, and I was able to get back to the group and they scared it away.”

As for the rattlesnake, that encounter occurred about three-and-a-half years ago in Utah, Mr McWilliams told the Star-Advertiser.

Luckily, he took in only a small amount of venom, so he was only briefly ill afterwards, he told the newspaper.

“My parents are grateful I’m still alive,” he said.

This article was originally published by Fox News and is republished with permission.

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Asthma Boy

Meg’s three children have asthma

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HELEN VNUK

Many parents were surprised to read reports earlier this week saying that gas stoves are a significant cause of asthma in Aussie kids, along with damp homes. But for Melbourne mum Meg Taylor, the news came as no surprise.

Taylor’s children – Heidi, seven, and twins Orlando and Finn, five – all have asthma. When Taylor began renovating her house four years ago, she did a lot of research to make sure the renovations would be as asthma-friendly as possible.

“We didn’t put in a gas stove because of that,” she tells Mamamia. “And we have heaps of ventilation, underfloor ventilation, extractor fans going, just to keep the asthma away.”

The renovations also involved getting rid of the house’s open fireplaces and installing hydronic heating. The paint finishes were low VOC (volatile organic compounds) and the new flooring was raw oak.

“The oak floors were referred to by my family as the ‘princess floors’ because they were so expensive,” Taylor remembers with a laugh.

Taylor says her daughter’s asthma has more environmental triggers, and the renovations have been a big help for her. However, her sons’ asthma triggers are more viral-related.

“They generally go into intensive care a few times a year. My daughter will go in for a night or so, but not prolonged intensive care like the boys.

“She’s definitely much better with all the changes that we made.”

The new research into the causes of asthma in Australian children was published in The Medical Journal Of Australia. It reveals that 12 per cent of childhood asthma can be attributed to gas stoves. Cooking with gas releases chemicals that can inflame the airways and make asthma worse.

Lead researcher Dr Luke Knibbs from the University of Queensland says parents don’t necessarily have to replace their gas stoves.

“It’s more, when you’re cooking, open the windows,” he tells Mamamia. “If you’ve got a rangehood, use it whenever possible. The rangehoods that are vented outdoors generally do a better job.”

The research also reveals that eight per cent of childhood asthma can be attributed to damp homes. A damp home is classified as one that has mould in a room other than the bathroom. Dr Knibbs says one of the big contributors to dampness in a house is the use of a clothes dryer indoors.

LISTEN: Sue Channon talks about what it is like to be a parent of a very sick child and what people can do to make life a little bit better. 

“All your wet clothes that you put in the dryer, the moisture has to go somewhere. If it’s not possible to move the dryer to the garage, or you’re living in an apartment, sometimes you have the option to vent the dryer to outside of the laundry area. If not, open windows are the fallback solution.”

Dr Knibbs says the research didn’t look at gas heaters and asthma, but previous Australian studies have shown that gas heater emissions do have some impact.

“Unflued gas heaters can pose a problem because they just emit all of their combustion products into the living spaces,” he explains.

For more information on asthma, go to the Asthma Australia website, or call their helpline, 1800 278462.

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First aid kits

Snake bite victim’s final moments

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A NEIGHBOUR of Aaron Bryant, 46, who died from a venomous snake bite on Thursday has recalled the final moments of the man’s life.

news.com.auAPRIL 

Brett Boggs speaks about Deeragun fatal snake bite

BRETT Boggs has spoken about the sad events leading up to his neighbour’s death in Townsville on Thursday night, after the man was bitten by a deadly eastern brown snake.

“He was a top bloke, real fit, a hard worker,” Mr Boggs said of Aaron Bryant, the 46-year-old who was bitten on the hand by the 1.5 metre venomous reptile while he and his wife tried to chase it from under their house.

While Mr Bryant didn’t seem concerned about the bite, Mr Boggs knew if it was brown, it was most likely poisonous.

When Mr Bryant knocked on Mr Boggs door, he told his neighbour “I’m pretty sure it’s poisonous,” but Mr Bryant didn’t seem too concerned by the bite after someone else down the road suggested it may have been a tree snake.

But a few minutes after his neighbour had visited, he heard a woman yelling for help.

Mr Boggs rushed to his neighbour’s house and found him on the floor struggling to breathe and began to perform CPR.

“It was scary at the time, I didn’t really have time to think about it. Just had to do it,” he told the ABC.

Statistics released by the National Coronial Information Service in March 2017 showed 35 people died as a result of a snake bite between 2000 and 2016. The eastern brown was responsible for 23, or 65 per cent, of those deaths.

The author of the study, Dr Ronelle Welton, from the University of Melbourne’s Australian Venom Research Unit, said one fifth of snake bite fatalities occurred when people tried to pick the snake up.

“People should not attempt to pick up snakes, and need to be encouraged to practice appropriate first aid course and know CPR,” she said.

“I never realised it would happen so quick with a snake. I don’t think it’s (the shock) really hit me yet,” Mr Boggs told the Townsville Bulletin.

The tragic incident has motivated Mr Boggs and other neighbours in the Townsville suburb of Deeragun to clear their backyards of clutter and leaf debris. While the species is particularly prevalent in open grasslands, pastures and woodland, the eastern brown snake has been known to thrive in areas populated by humans.

Book in to one of our first aid course so you know how to treat a snake bite. Our upcoming dates are listed at www.canberrafirstaid.com

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What is an Adrenaline Auto Injector?

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Adrenaline (epinephrine) auto injectors are an approved emergency treatment for anaphylaxis.

 

Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction. It can happen within seconds to minutes of exposure to an allergen, like an insect sting, medications, and food.

When the immune system mistakenly identifies a substance as harmful, it releases certain chemicals that cause allergy symptoms. In anaphylaxis, the release of the chemicals can cause the person to go into shock. Anaphylactic shock is a potentially fatal condition that is characterized by a drop in blood pressure, narrowing of the airways and difficulty in breathing.

An anaphylaxis can turn fatal within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Immediate access to adrenaline or epinephrine is critical during the first few minutes of an anaphylactic reaction.

Indications for use

Adrenaline auto injectors are indicated in the emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions to insect stings, including bees, hornets, wasps, fire ants and yellow jackets, and insect bites from triatoma and mosquitoes. Also, adrenaline or epinephrine auto injectors are used in the treatment of anaphylaxis due to foods, drugs, diagnostic testing chemicals or substances, allergen immunotherapy, and other allergens.

The immediate symptoms of anaphylaxis include pruritis, rashes, abdominal cramps, wheezing, the difficulty of breathing due to laryngeal spasm, angioedema, urticaria, flushing, syncope, apprehension, convulsions, diarrhea, vomiting, and thready pulse due to a fall in blood pressure.

How do adrenaline auto injectors work?

Adrenaline auto injectors deliver an adequate dosage of adrenaline or epinephrine. Adrenaline is a natural hormone released by the body in response to stress. It is secreted by the medulla of the of the adrenal glands.

Normally, strong emotions trigger the release of adrenaline, which will increase the heart rate, blood pressure, sugar metabolism and muscle strength. It instantly reverses the effects of an anaphylactic reaction by opening the airways, reducing throat swelling, and maintaining blood pressure and heart function. Learn more in a first aid course.

How to use an adrenaline auto injector

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The maximum effect of an adrenaline auto injector relies on the proper administration of the drug. The proper and accurate administration is vital. Injecting large doses or accidentally injecting the drug directly into a vein or artery may lead to cerebral hemorrhage due to a sudden increase in blood pressure.

How are adrenaline auto injectors administered?

Adrenaline auto injectors are prescribed to those who are having an anaphylaxis. These injections come with a pre-filled solution that automatically injects when pushed against the skin.

Make sure to inject the adrenaline on the anterolateral aspect of the thigh. Never inject the auto injector intravenously or in any other part of the body. The adrenaline auto injector should never be injected on the feet, hands or buttocks.

Injecting adrenaline into the buttocks has been associated with gas gangrene. On the other hand, injecting it into the feet or fingers may lead to loss of blood flow to the affected area.

Moreover, make sure to read manufacturer labels because each brand has a different mode of administration. This is to reduce the risk of injecting the adrenaline to other parts of the body or the administrator’s thumb. Also, the drug may not work if it’s injected incorrectly.

First aid for anaphylaxis

An anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. If someone is having an anaphylactic reaction, make sure to provide proper first aid to reduce the risk of complications.

  • Lay the victim flat but if they are having a hard time breathing, allow to sit. Never allow the patient to walk or stand.
  • Remove the trigger or prevent further exposure, if possible.
  • Administer the adrenaline auto-injector based on the medicine’s label.
  • Immediately after administration, call an ambulance or for emergency response, even if the patient’s condition is improving.
  • Let the patient lie flat with the legs raised to maintain blood flow.
  • If the auto-injector did not work or the person does not start feeling better, further adrenaline injection may be needed. The second auto-injector should be administered 5 to 15 minutes after the first one.
  • If breathing stops, perform resuscitation and life support procedures until an ambulance arrives.

Adrenaline auto-injectors are crucial in the treatment of anaphylaxis, which is a fatal condition. Proper use of the drug plays a pivotal role in its efficacy. Hence, it is recommended for patients and their caregivers to receive proper training on administration. Healthcare professionals in clinics, schools, and communities should also undergo training on how to properly administer adrenaline auto-injectors.

We would suggest booking in to a first aid course with Canberra First Aid o learn all about anaphylaxis and its treatment. Check our upcoming dates at www.canberrafirstaid.com

Reviewed by Hardik Patel, M.Pharm.

Sources:

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CPR

baby nearly chokes to death on teething bead

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First Aid Course in Canberra, Nationally Recognised Training. Excellent Provider. Free Parking. Great CBD Location.

A mother says her baby girl nearly died when the child began choking on a teething bead hanging from her pram.

Kahla Hilton, who lives in Wagga Wagga in the New South Wales Riverina, says her daughter is alive today thanks to the intervention of a stranger who saved her life, reports NewsCorp.

She has shared her horror story on Facebook, as a warning to other mums who might not understand the potential hazards teething beads pose.

“I wasn’t going to post about this, but as a Mother, Aunty and friend of many with kids, I felt I had an obligation,” Kahla wrote.

“I had an experience yesterday that I’m calling the scariest of my life.”

It all unfolded while Kahla was having lunch at a café with a friend – her daughter Lukah was in the pram next to them.

“I turned to look at her and noticed she had something in her mouth, and at first thought it was the end of her dummy chain, which she often chews on…until I remembered she didn’t have her dummy chain on.

“About a split second later I realised that it was a bead from her teething garland, which has been hanging across her pram for months for her to chew on.”

The mother-of-three leapt into action, trying to remove the object.

“I quickly put my finger in the side of her mouth and got the bead out, and then I saw that she had another bead in there, half way down her throat.

“I started to panic, she was choking, and I froze.”

Kahla realised she was unable to help her baby girl – even though she has done a First Aid course.

“As she went from pink, to red, to blue, I screamed at the top of my lungs for someone to help.

“The café owner called emergency services as I continued to scream like an absolute crazy person.

“My baby was going to die, that’s all I could think about.”

Thankfully, help did come just moments later.

“My loud screaming got the attention of people throughout the mall, including one man, who ran across the carpark, jumped through the open window, scooped Lukah up and had her in a downward position and giving her blows to the back within what seemed like half a second.

“This man, was ex military, and he saved my baby’s life. I owe him everything.”

Lukha was rushed to hospital where medical staff performed X-Rays, hoping to find where the bead had gone.

She is now on the mend, but Kahla is blaming herself for the near-death experience.

“I do want to slap myself silly for putting so much trust in a piece of string.

“Never again.

“Everything made with teething beads has been thrown out. And I highly recommend all parents consider doing the same.”

Bizarrely, Kahla says she’s received “backlash” online from small business owners after posting the warning.

“I can’t force people to stop buying these products, and that was not my intention,” she says.

“We were lucky. Lukah definitely had a guardian angel watching over her yesterday.

“I would hate to hear of this happening to anyone else, especially if the outcome is worse.

“Be safe. Get rid of them.”

Kahla says her daughter is back to her happy self, thanks to the quick-thinking action of the stranger who saved her life.

“I can’t stop thinking that if that man wasn’t there the outcome would’ve been a lot worse,” Kahla says.

“He really is a superhero.”

Check our website and book in today for a first aid course in Canberra. www.canberrafirstaid.com

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