All posts by Ryan Davis Philip

 

Woman in hospital after bite by eastern brown snake

A trained WIRES volunteer has been bitten by an eastern brown snake while at a reptiles handling refresher course.

Deborah Mary Martin attended the WIRES reptile course at Springwood Scout Hall in the Blue Mountains on Saturday afternoon and was bitten on the finger while handling the reptile.

“We were doing our refresher course and everything was going fine but I must have done something wrong because the eastern brown snake I was trying to catch turned around and bit me on the finger,” she said.

“I didn’t really have time to think about what had happened – the guys that ran the course were excellent and treated me correctly.”
Ms Martin said she was really lucky she received the correct treatment after being bitten by an eastern brown snake.
Ms Martin said she was really lucky she received the correct treatment after being bitten by an eastern brown snake. Photo: Brook Mitchell
Ms Martin, who has rescued and worked with snakes for nearly six years said as part of being a volunteer they have to attend a refresher course every two years to make sure they had the correct technique.

“I really like to get the message across – people should really try to avoid handling snakes because even trained WIRES volunteers can get bitten.”

Emergency services treated Ms Martin at the scene before taking her to Nepean Hospital where she tested positive for venom and has been administered anti venom.

Ms Martin took to social media to inform her family and friends on her condition.

“I am in Nepean Hospital after being bitten by an Eastern Brown snake at a WIRES reptile course,” the post said. “Doctors in emergency are doing regular blood tests to decide whether I need anti venom.”

The 63-year-old remains in hospital in a stable condition and is under observation.

“I’m feeling okay, I got all the right first aid and treatment – I’m really lucky,” she said. “If I didn’t get the correct first aid treatment that quickly, I think I might have died.”

The incident is a timely reminder that Australia is currently in snake season and people should prepare and know what to do when someone is bitten.

“Venomous snake season is now – it’s from the start of spring through summer to autumn,” John Mostyn from Johns Reptile Awareness Displays said. “Snakes have now just come out of brumation [hybernation-like state] and are looking for food and to mate as it is mating season for venomous snakes from October to January.”

Mr Mostyn, an experienced venomous snake catcher said the eastern brown snake is frequently encountered in many residential and commercial properties.

“They are the second most venomous snake in the world and are responsible for the most snake bite deaths in Australia since 1980,” he said. “They are a very nervous and flighty snake, and if encountered individuals should slowly back away from the snake, allowing the snake to have an escape route.”

Mr Mostyn advised anyone who encounters a snake to neither catch nor kill it, but to keep an eye on the snake and call a licensed snake catcher.

“People should be aware of snake behaviour and how to retract if they are confronted by a snake,” he said, “Know the correct first aid for a snake bite which is to apply pressure or an elasticise compression bandage along the affected limb, immobilise themselves and call 000.”

Mr Mostyn advised parents to sit down and talk to their children about what to do when they see a snake.

“Tell the children if they see a snake to stand still and don’t move – call out to an adult and allow the snake an escape route – do not try to catch and kill the snake,” he said.

“Snakes in the environment is a sign of a good eco system, we need to understand snakes and their behaviour as we can coexist with snakes in our environment so long as we are educated about their behaviour.”

Look out there are snakes about. It is important to understand that the snakes are just as scared of you as you are of them so please try to give them space and they will remove themselves. It would also be a great idea to get some training in a first aid course in case you do get bitten. In a first aid course with us in Canberra we will show you the correct technique to bandage a snake bite. Canberra First Aid courses are only $100 and you will gain many skills to help save a life. So book in now for some first aid training.

 

Primary pupils ‘should learn first aid’

All primary school children in Scotland should be given first aid training, a charity has said.
St Andrew’s First Aid said they should learn potentially live-saving skills such using the recovery position.
The charity also said children should know how and when to call an ambulance.
The Scottish government said it recognised the value of children learning first aid skills and insisted individual schools were best placed to decide what was appropriate.
‘Necessary skills’
St Andrew’s First Aid chief executive Stuart Callison, said: “One of our key priorities is to provide as many people as possible in Scotland with first aid training.
“Research has shown that even very young children can learn the basics of first aid and that the skills and knowledge they develop at a young age will stay with them for years.
“We can equip them with the necessary skills to help a parent, family member, friend or someone in the street. By knowing how to call for an ambulance, put someone into the recovery position or assist a person who has suffered a heart attack, they will help save lives.”
‘Engage with health’
He added: “This is why we feel it is so important to partner with local authorities, with the support of the Scottish government, to identify ways in which we can make it easy for teachers in Scotland to deliver basic first aid training to their pupils.”
A spokesman for the Scottish government said: “We recognise how important it is that children and young people are able to positively engage with health and wellbeing issues at school.
“Being trained in first aid can help young people develop the skills they may need in an emergency situation.
“Under Curriculum for Excellence, schools already have the flexibility to provide first aid training. It is up to individual schools and local authorities to decide if, and how best, to deliver this.”

Get yourself into a first aid course with Canberra First Aid in the near future. We have plenty of first aid courses running during January and February so even bring along your kids. As you can see there is a push in Scotland to get more kids first aid courses so that they are aware of how to help. We need to do more in Australia also. 

 

Five seconds from death: Boy, 8, saves child using first aid learnt at school

  • Chloe Booker

An eight-year-old Altona North boy is being praised after using first aid training learnt at school to save a four-year-old boy from drowning.

Judd Greenham was playing in a Port Douglas resort pool while on a family holiday when he saw Matthew Sagar slip on a step, hit his head and fall unconscious to the bottom of the pool.

Judd Greenham, 8, with his friend Matthew Sagar, 4.
Judd Greenham, 8, with his friend Matthew Sagar, 4. Photo: Arsineh Houspian

Although there were five adults watching over the shallow pool about noon on September 30, it happened so quickly that Judd was the only person to see the incident.

“The little boy slipped over on a step and hit his head and then I scooped him up,” Judd said. “His eyes were rolling back.”

The first aid training gave Judd the confidence to save Matthew's life.
The first aid training gave Judd the confidence to save Matthew’s life. Photo: Arsineh Houspian

St John Ambulance had visited Judd’s grade 2 class at Sacred Heart Primary School in Newport as part of its first aid in schools program in May.

Judd said his pool safety training kicked in and he began to practice what he’d been taught.

“I pulled his head up from the water,” he said. “I [put] my hand under his nose to see if he was breathing and he wasn’t breathing.”

Judd then called his mother, Natasha, who phoned an ambulance as Matthew’s father jumped in the pool.

Paramedics arrived and Matthew slowly regained consciousness as Judd stood over him repeating questions he learnt at school, such as “how many fingers am I holding up”?

The first aid program’s manager, Martin Wells, said the training had given Judd the confidence to act quickly to save Matthew’s life.

“He was five seconds away from being dead,” he said.

“It’s another testament to the proof that first aid training saves lives and you’re never too young or too old to learn what to do when in an emergency.”

Mr Wells said once water entered a child’s lungs, there was a 90 per cent chance of death at the poolside.

If paramedics were able to revive the child, there was still only a 2 per cent survival rate in hospital.

“We’re talking about a couple of seconds between life and death,” he said.

Mr Wells said it showed how important it was for all members of the public to learn first aid.

Matthew’s father, Peter Sagar, said the Strathmore family was “very fortunate” no water had entered the boy’s lungs.

“Judd was great,” he said. “He was onto him so quickly it didn’t given him a chance for anything to happen.”

Ms Greenham said she was “completely overwhelmed” and planned to take her son to SeaWorld to swim with dolphins as a reward.

Judd remained humble about his actions but said he was “very proud” of his efforts and wanted to learn more first aid.

“I kept giving him cuddles [afterwards] because I was scared of anything happening to him, so I was happy.”

its so good to see more and more schools taking part in first aid training, the earlier we start with our young ones the better they are prepared for any first aid incident that may occur. When you book int to one of our first aid training courses you will receive a free first aid manual and free first aid training for face mask. So book in. Ow and be prepared for saving a life.

 

Asthma in children linked to vitamin D deficiency

By Jacquie Lynch

Posted Tue 1 Nov 2016, 8:12pm

Children with a vitamin D deficiency are more likely to develop asthma, according to Perth medical researchers.

The Telethon Kids Institute studied children under 10 who were genetically at risk of the condition, and found those who spent less time in the sun were more susceptible to asthma, allergies and eczema.

The study’s lead researcher, Elysia Hollams, said this was because vitamin D was important for immune function.

“Vitamin D can help to promote tolerance to allergens,” she said.

“So that means our immune system can ignore things that are harmless to it.

“When we get allergies is when our immune system has a response to something that it should just ignore.”

The first two years of childhood have been flagged as a critical period for allergies and chest infections to begin growing into something bigger, but enough vitamin D can help prevent the development of asthma.

The study considered 50 nanomoles per litre as the cut-off for low vitamin D levels, but Doctor Hollams said they were yet to come to a conclusion about how much vitamin D children should be getting.
“That’s the million dollar question, we really don’t even know what range of vitamin D is optimal for normal immune development,” she said.

Although vitamin D supplements are available, Doctor Hollams said parents needed to make sure their kids spent sufficient time in the sun.

“As vitamin D is a marker of sun exposure, we don’t know whether just giving supplements can give the full benefit of healthy sun exposure,” she said.

In a statement, the study’s co­author Prue Hart reminded parents too much sun exposure could be harmful.

“In summer, it’s still important to wear sun protection during the hottest parts of the day and when the UV index is three or above,” she said.

How good is getting out in the sunshine. Vitamin D is so great for you psychologically but seems like also for first aid asthma. Now that summer has finally hit Canberra make sure you get trained in first aid. We get you prepared for many emergencies including anaphylaxis, asthma, bites and stings and CPR. We will make sure you leave our first aid courses with many skills so that you can help out in emergency situations. We run our first aid courses on many different days of the week so if a Monday doesn’t work for you than maybe a Friday will. Our first aid courses are only $100 and are the best on the market.

 

Woman burnt by charging iPhone 7 as she slept

Tim Biggs, Chloe Booker
Published: November 15, 2016 – 7:03PM

A western Sydney woman says she has suffered severe burns after falling asleep on her charging iPhone 7.

In a Facebook post, Melanie Tan Pelaez posted a picture of her red, blistered arm and issued a warning to others to keep their phones well away from their beds.

“I recently purchased an Apple iPhone 7 and accidentally fell asleep with my arm on my phone whilst it was charging. I was woken up by sudden pain, pins and needles, numbness and shortness of breath” reads the post.

“I have been an iPhone user since the beginning and have never had an issue or concern, so it’s really scary and disappointing that something like this happened and can happen to someone else”.

Fortunately, she was apparently otherwise unharmed.

Ms Pelaez, who is 15 weeks pregnant, told Fairfax Media she fell asleep watching movies on her phone last month and woke up in pain.

At first, she wasn’t sure what had caused the injury.

“I woke up with pins and needles radiating from the bottom to the top [of my arm],” she said. “I thought it was something wrong with me medically.”

Ms Pelaez went to a hospital emergency department where they ran tests on her heart and blood. Doctors said she had been burnt by a foreign object and advised her to check her bed to see what had caused it. She and her husband then matched the markings on her arm to her phone and charger.

Ms Pelaez took the phone to an Apple store.

“Their first reaction was ‘there is no way the phone could have done this to you’,” she said.

As the days went by, with no action from Apple, the pain on the Pelaez’s arm become more and more severe and the mark more distinctive.

After contacting Apple’s “executive team” through their website, Ms Pelaez’s phone was flown to the US for testing.

Ms Pelaez continued to see her GP and a plastic surgeon to address scarring as three weeks went by without hearing from Apple.

When she eventually emailed them, she was told the investigation would take more time to complete.

“I thought this is ridiculous,” Pelaez said. “I was really frustrated that I wasn’t getting any response from Apple.”

It was then that she took the step of writing the Facebook post, which has since been shared more than 450 times, to warn her friends and family. She said she did not expect it to go viral.

After media outlets picked up the story, Apple got in contact to ask how she was, but they still couldn’t provide any answers.

“I think it’s really poor considering billions of people use iPhones,” she said. “Surely three weeks is enough time to investigate one particular iPhone.”

Meanwhile, Ms Pelaez is still paying for the phone under her mobile plan. Her telecommunications provider, Optus, said it could not cancel her plan until receiving the phone, which is still in the US. Apple has offered her a replacement phone, but she’s refused to take one.

While handling or sleeping with a charging phone is not generally advisable — in fact Apple says so explicitly in its iPhone user guide — no reasonable user would expect the device to get so hot as to burn them. iPhones — and other smartphones besides — will shut off automatically if they overheat, due to being confined or being exposed to direct sunlight or another heat source.

Apple’s advice in its iPhone user guide. It’s clear the company knows prolonged contact with a charging iPhone is a danger.

If the iPhone was to blame for Pelaez’s injury, it’s unclear whether or not there was some kind of malfunction or other factors.

Apple has not made an official statement on the matter.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/woman-burnt-by-charging-iphone-7-as-she-slept-20161115-gspd95.html

Oh my god what a dreadful burn. It seems at though the new phones on the market should come with a free first aid course or burns kit. Please book in to a first aid course before summer there are so many first aid accidents that happen around this time of the year especially bush fire season and also around the bbq and pool. We would love to train you so that you are prepared for any first aid situation. First aid training is essential for all so please book in to one of our cheap yet effective first aid training courses.

 

What’s the link between hay fever and asthma, and how are they treated?

At least half of all people with hay fever also have asthma – and allergens that trigger hay fever can trigger asthma attacks in people with allergic asthma.


Spring is a favourite time of year for many – as the earth rejuvenates, lawns become green and trees blossom. But for the 15% of Australians who get hay fever, it can be a struggle to get through the season.At least half of all people with hay fever also have asthma. Allergens that trigger hay fever can trigger asthma attacks in people with allergic asthma.

Remind me, what are hay fever and asthma?

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Hay fever isn’t caused by hay and is not accompanied by fever. Seasonal allergic rhinitis, as it’s known clinically, is caused by pollen from certain trees, grasses and weeds.

Perennial (year-long) allergic rhinitis, in contrast, is mostly caused by indoor substances, such as dust mites, chemicals in house paint, and so on.

Rhinitis refers to inflammation in the nose that leads to symptoms of hay fever: the sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy nose and runny nose. Rhinitis can be allergic, as in the case of hay fever, or non-allergic, where there is no known cause.

Asthma is a long-term inflammatory condition of the lung. People with asthma experience periods of wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness due to changes in the lungs.

Like rhinitis, asthma can be allergic (also known as atopic, which occurs when the person is exposed to an allergen) or non-allergic (non-atopic, when there is no allergen).

Non-allergic asthma is not related to hay fever.

How is hay fever treated?

Hay fever can make allergic asthma harder to control.

Conversely, effectively treating hay fever may reduce the chance of severe asthma attacks and make the lungs work better.

Current treatments for both hay fever and allergic asthma have a similar mode of action: limiting the body’s response to allergy triggers.

In the first instance, hay fever symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter antihistamines. Ask your pharmacist about non-sedating varieties.

If antihistamines don’t provide relief, the next treatment is corticosteroids. These are effective against all allergic conditions, including hay fever and asthma.

Corticosteroids are administered as a nasal spray for hay fever and via an inhaler for asthma. Unlike the steroids used for performance enhancement or bodybuilding, these medicines are non-addictive and long-term use doesn’t have any major side-effects.

Corticosteroid nasal sprays are available over the counter at pharmacies and can be taken before hay fever symptoms arise.

The final option for controlling hay fever is immunotherapy (also termed allergy shots or allergy vaccines). Specific immunotherapy involves the injection of increasing doses of an allergen (allergy trigger) extract. Like corticosteroids, immunotherapy is also effective against asthma.

Immunotherapy is effective, but not a quick fix. It usually takes months to show any benefits and requires a long course of routine injections, so it can be quite expensive.

Talk to your GP if you think this treatment could be useful for you. Some private health funds cover some of the costs, so talk to your health fund before starting any immunotherapy.

Sublingual immunotherapy, where the allergy-inducing substance is placed under the tongue, is emerging as a viable alternative to injections. Similar to injections, this requires routine dosing over several months.

A distinct disadvantage is its cost: it can be up to three times the cost of injections.

As specific immunotherapy bears a risk of severe allergic reactions that may be life-threatening, all immunotherapy must be performed under close clinical observation.

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What if you have asthma?

If you have allergic asthma and are on a management plan with a regular inhaler, ensure you’re using it regularly and as specified by your GP as we go into hay fever season. If you don’t use a regular inhaler, talk to your GP.

If you’ve had asthma or hay fever in the past, talk to your local pharmacist about using nasal spray for hay fever prevention.

For more information on asthma and hay fever, visit:

The ConversationReena Ghildyal, Associate Professor in Biomedical Sciences, University of Canberra

This article was originally published on The Conversation and republished here with permission. Read the original article.

Learn more about asthma and allergies and anaphylaxis is one of our first aid courses held in Canberra. We are proud to be locally owned and all of our trainers coming from an education background. We also take care in booking you into the right first aid course so that you are not dissapointed. Come and join one of our first aid courses in the near future and we guarantee you wont be dissapinted.

 

Council looks set to back down on defibrillator ban at Pearl Beach

CENTRAL  Coast Council administrator Ian Reynolds has ordered an immediate review of a ban on having defibrillators­ at Pearl Beach.

Pearl Beach Progress Association­ has been at loggerheads with the council over its refusal to allow it to install­ one of four defibrillators it owns in a highly visible and easily accessible location near the public toilets­.

The council maintained that a defibrillator at a nearby cafe and another at the tennis courts were sufficient. There were also concerns the defibrillators could be vandalised or misused.

Central Coast Council Administrator Ian Reynolds ordered an immediate review of the council’s ban on allowing defibrillators at the beach front.

However, it now appears the council has bowed to pressure after a community backlash over the decision.

It comes as emergency specialist and CPR expert Professor Paul Middleton backed calls for the defibrillators to be located in a more accessible location.

Prof Middleton, based at Sydney University and the co-founder of Take Heart Australia, weighed in on the debate after reading about the council ban in the Express Advocate.

He said every minute mattered during a cardiac arrest and the chance of survival dropped by 10 per cent for every minute.

“The council seems to be under the same misunderstanding as many, with concerns about complications,” he said. “They don’t understand these defibrillators have been designed to be used by someone who has never used one before.

Professor Paul Middleton from Take Heart Australia backed calls by the Pearl Beach Progress Association for defibrillators to be highly visible and easily accessed.

“Having it in a shop or somewhere else is not good enough, it needs to be available at a moment’s notice.”

A truce was called on Monday after Mr Reynolds ordered­ a review and a council representative contacted the association’s president Ross Christie to arrange a meeting tomorrow.

Mr Christie said he was hopeful the council would do a backflip on the matter.

“I am pleased we got some response finally,” he said.

“I have been at this for months.”

Dave Kennedy, Greg McPhee and Barbara Hastings, would like a defibrillator and surf life saving equipment at Pearl Beach. Picture: Peter Clark

The association was frustrated that the council killed off the project after it raised $25,000 to buy the defibrillators and secured a federal grant for a special cabinet to house one near the public toilets.

“It’s important that we get one near the beachfront,” he said. “People don’t choose to have a heart attack when the cafe is open.”

Banning defibrillators what an absolute joke, thank goodness someone has seen the light. These machines are amazing and give the casualty a much greater chance of survival. Please book in to our first aid course if you are unsure of how to use a defibrillator or would like to learn more about these devices. We have first aid course every week in Canberra and also come out and do private first aid courses for those who would like training in their own home or workplace. Contact us now for the best first aid course in town.

 

The 000 emergency calls service has been put out to tender

The Turnbull government is calling for expressions of interest to run the national 000 emergency hotline, ignoring the advice of its own review into the service that to do so now was premature.

The 2014 review, published last year, recommended the government postpone the 2016 tender process for up to two years so “there is greater clarity on the desired future directions of triple zero” now that two-thirds of emergency calls are made from mobile phones.

“The inclusion of capability to reliably receive and automatically forward more accurate location-based data (coordinates) from mobile emergency callers to Emergency Service Organisations should be a priority in the development of the Triple Zero service,” the review said.

“The combination of Australia’s broader current transition from a circuit switched voice network to an IP-based telecommunications environment during the next five to ten years, and the expected continued growth of mobile services, presents a significant opportunity to rethink the end to end delivery of the Triple Zero service.”

With so many questions still unanswered, the review recommended delaying the 2016 tender because “without such clarity may place at risk the current successful delivery model and could also result in a protracted period of negotiation with the successful bidder, the current operator and other jurisdictions”.

The Department of Communications is currently seeking location technology solutions for 000 calls in a separate tender, which closes on October 14.

The government said calling for EOIs is “an important step in ensuring Triple Zero remains a highly-trusted and reliable service”.

Communications minister Mitch Fifield announced the tender today, saying the EOI process was “the latest step in ensuring all Australians have access to a world-class service which can keep pace with new and innovative technologies”.

The service has been operating since 1961, operated by Telstra, but still only takes voice calls, and cannot accept SMS or video calls. A number of countries are currently working on how to adapt to the smartphone era, but a solution has yet to be found.

The review warned that Telstra’s entrenched incumbency would make it difficult to find a new operator. Telstra has operated the current contract since 2011.

Submissions for the tender close on November 25. If not alternative bids are received, Telstra will continue in the role until 2032.

Correction: The initial version of this story said the Turnbull government planned to privatise the service. This was incorrect.

One of the most important aspects of a first aid course is understanding how to make a 000 phone call. We will give you hints and tips on this process in our short yet effective first aid course. We run first aid course every week at the Dickson Tradies so book in now.

 

School staff know more than they think they do about treating anaphylaxis

Study shows 87 percent knew what to do in an emergency

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF ALLERGY, ASTHMA, AND IMMUNOLOGY

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (November 11, 2016) – A study being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting found only 18 percent of non-nurse school staff surveyed felt very confident in their ability to recognize anaphylaxis symptoms.

“Even though most of the non-nurse school staff weren’t confident in their ability to recognize and treat a severe allergic reaction, the staff members were able to answer correctly, on average, 72 percent of the 12 knowledge-based questions in the survey,” said allergist Angela Tsuang, MD, MSc, ACAAI member and lead study author. “In addition, 87 percent were able to identify the correct sequence of actions to take if a child is experiencing anaphylaxis. This tells us the majority of non-nurse staff know what to do in an allergic reaction emergency, and we should train a broader range of staff to increase confidence in these skills.”

The surveys were completed by 143 non-nurse school staff at Colorado schools. The reported average food allergy training time was 29 minutes per year. Staff included teachers, office personnel, administrators and custodial workers. The largest number of respondents, 54 percent, were from rural schools, with 33 percent from suburban schools and 13 percent from urban schools.

“School staff training is critical to make sure kids who are having a severe allergic reaction are treated promptly and correctly,” said allergist Julie Wang, MD, ACAAI Fellow and senior study author. “School personnel should know that epinephrine is the first line of defense in treating anaphylaxis. The consequences of not using epinephrine when it’s needed are much worse than using it when it might not be necessary.”

Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal allergic reaction that can affect many parts of the body at the same time. The trigger may be an insect sting, a food (such as peanuts) or a medication. If left untreated, anaphylaxis can be fatal. Just because an allergic person has never had an anaphylactic reaction in the past, doesn’t mean that one won’t occur in the future. In addition, anyone who has had an anaphylactic reaction in the past is at risk of future reactions.

According to ACAAI, school staff should administer epinephrine and call 911 at the first sign of anaphylaxis. In addition, guidelines from ACAAI indicate there is virtually no reason not to use epinephrine on a patient believed to be suffering a severe allergic reaction.

This article was taken from the USA. The emergency services number in Australia is 000.

Its great to see that we may know more from our previous first aid course than we realise. Another good reason to make sure that your training is up to date by completing a new first aid course. At Canberra first aid course you will learn all of the important new first aid techniques on anaphylaxis, asthma, burns and much more. Book in now to one of our first aid course.

 

The FDA Just Approved a ‘Smart’ Defibrillator for Heart Patients

It could be a boon for people with irregular heart rhythms.

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a device from medical equipment giant Medtronic MDT -4.05% that could help patients with irregular heart rhythms by harnessing the power of algorithms.

The Claria MRI Quad Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator SureScan can handle a number of functions, including being able to be used inside MRIs, according to Medtronic. But what really sets it apart from standard defibrillators is the built-in software that can sense how effective the pulses sent to the heart actually are in individuals and adjust the rate at which they’re delivered.

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“Until now, [devices used to resynchronize heart rhythms] have shown only whether a pacing pulse was sent, but we haven’t been able to determine if that stimulation actually improves the heart’s pumping ability,” said Dr. Suneet Mittal, director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory at the Arrhythmia Institute of the Valley Health System in New Jersey and an investigator involved in Medtronic trials, in a statement.

That’s promising for patients who suffer from the abnormal heart rhythm condition atrial fibrillation. The firm did not say exactly when the product will be released on the market.

Medtronic recently received the first-ever FDA approval for an artificial pancreas that seeks to largely automate the process for patients with type 1 diabetes of taking insulin.

Medtronic looking to take over the science/maths/first aid course world. Nice work,hopefully some of these new and improved pieces of equipment come in to play in the first aid world soon. If only we could get defibrillators for individual use in our cars or even attached to our phones. One day this will happen but in the mean time make sure you get trained as best as you can in the use of defibrillators and other first aid techniques by attending a first aid course in Canberra with Canberra First Aid. We run first aid courses every week so you won’t have any problems finding a course to book in to.