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A HIGHLY venomous snake has caught a lift into Melbourne’s CBD before causing lunchtime chaos and attracting a huge crowd outside Southern Cross station this afternoon.

Originally published asRogue snake invades major CBD street

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A MAN who stepped on a stonefish while on holiday in Queensland has detailed his horrific ordeal — and how nothing could stop the excruciating pain.

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Every parent has been there.

Your child has had a fall. Or they have a fever. Either way, it may be serious.

Or perhaps it isn’t – but you just can’t be sure.

So maybe you head straight to A&E.

Fevers and falls: the top reasons why parents visit A&E

British Red Cross research has found that two of the main reasons parents take their children to A&E are falls and fevers.

And over 40 per cent of parents said they brought their children to A&E because they were worried and didn’t know what to do.

The research also found that more than half of parents ask for advice before going to A&E. That’s where we can help.

Trying some #FirstAidFirst when a baby or child is ill or injured could help you find out what’s wrong. It can also help you relieve symptoms and know whether or not they need to go to hospital.

Our online first aid advice and baby and child first aid app provide clear, easy steps to follow whenever your little one is poorly or hurt.

Our first aid for baby and child course will give you further peace of mind.

And here is some simple first aid advice for fever and falls:

What to do when your baby or child has a fever

The British Red Cross is helping parents learn what to do if a baby or child has a fever with a new animated video.

1. The first thing to do is check the child’s temperature with a thermometer. If it is above 37°C, your child has a fever. They may have flushed skin and be sweating.
2. Reduce their temperature: remove excess clothing and give the baby or child a drink, such as water, diluted juice or their normal milk.
3. You can also give the recommended dose of paracetamol syrup.
4. If a child has a temperature above 39° – or above 38° for a baby less than six months old – seek medical advice.

What to do when your baby or child bumps their head

When children bump their head, they may be in pain and get a headache. There may also be a lump on the head and they may look pale.

1. Get the child to rest and put something cold on the injury. This could be frozen vegetables or a bag of ice wrapped in a tea towel.
2. If the child gets drowsy or vomits, or their symptoms get worse, seek medical advice.

What to do when your child has a sprain or strain

If your little one falls and twists an ankle or overstretches another part of the body, they may have a sprain or strain.

They may feel pain around the injury and it can start to swell. A bruise may also develop.

1. Get your child to rest the injured part of their body.
2. Put an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables on the injury for up to 10 minutes.
3. You can also give them the recommended dose of paracetamol syrup.
4. If their injury doesn’t improve, seek medical advice.

A&E is always there in an emergency

Your GP, pharmacist, walk-in centre or NHS 111 can also help when your child is hurt or ill.

But you can do a lot as well.

Try #FirstAidFirst before taking your child to A&E. It can help you find out what’s wrong so you’ll know what to do.

Maybe you’ll decide you don’t need to take your child to hospital after all.

Or maybe you’ll help them calm down and feel a little better for the trip to A&E.

Both are good news for you and your child.

So give yourself some peace of mind – try first aid first.

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Managing my son’s food allergies has become more difficult as he’s gotten older.

No longer in my constant care, I can only hope that I have taught him enough to save his own life.

Philip, 13, was born with severe food allergies to egg and tree nuts. That means when he eats these foods his over-active immune system mistakenly thinks they are poison, and attempts to shut his airways to prevent them getting in, suffocating him in the process.

Read more: My son was told he’d never grow out of his food allergies

It’s called anaphylaxis, and it’s deadly.

The only way to stop the reaction is to administer a shot of adrenalin via an auto-injector.

In Australia, the only auto-injector available is called an Epipen which is produced by American big-pharma Mylan and distributed locally by Mylan Australia.

Except they’ve run out.

And allergy families are feeling real fear.

My daughter was allergic to milk for the first two years of her life but thankfully grew out of it. Philip, however, has grown out of some of his allergies, however those that remain have become worse.

As a teenager, Philip has learned to carry his life-saving medication with him everywhere. He straps an auto-injector pack to his leg wherever he goes. It carried two EpiPens.

Those pens expire in June.

For some allergy families, their EpiPens expire sooner, or already have done.

Maria Said from Anaphylaxis Australia told 9News there has been a series of problems with EpiPens since November 2017 when the EpiPen Junior ran out, and now the adult EpiPens have also run out.

Last March some EpiPens were recalled due to flaws in the product.

“There has been a role on of problems and this has caused some unrest and some anxiety,” she said. “We’re trying to support people through this.”

The only way to access life-saving adrenalin in the absence of an auto-injector is to call an ambulance however when it comes to food allergies, particularly the more severe anaphylaxis, an injection is needed in the first few moments of the reaction.

By the time the ambulance arrives, it’s often too late.

But it’s not the fact Mylan is having trouble doing it’s job that is the real issue. It’s the fact they are the only provider of EpiPens in Australia.

Since when did it become a good idea for a lone big-pharma to be responsible for the manufacture and distribution of life-saving medication?

Since when did it become a good idea for any company to have a monopoly on a life-saving medication or device?

Two years ago a rival product called the Anapen attempted to launch in Australia and the news was music to my ears.

It was a better product, lasting two years instead of the one that an EpiPen does.

The company was never able to establish the Anapen in the Australian market or any market.

That has left allergy families at the mercy of Mylan and it could cost lives.

One in 20 Australian children are born with a deadly food allergy, according to current data, and two in 100 Australian adults are living with the deadly condition.

“First and foremost we have to get to the bottom root cause of why we’ve got this shortage and why these shortages keep happening.”

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved two alternate products but they aren’t available yet.

Pfizer is the company responsible for manufacturing EpiPen products and has released a statement blaming “manufacturing problems” for the shortages.

Not good enough.

Allergy experts are telling allergy families to keep their expired EpiPens and use them as long as the adrenalin inside them isn’t discoloured. This can be observed through the observation window in the product.

Associate Professor of the Australian National Allergy Strategy, Richard Loh, told 9News that while using expired adrenaline is safe, it may not be as affective at treating an allergic reaction.

The TGA has been told new supplies of EpiPens will be available by February 23.

Let’s hope so.

What else can we do?

If you are concerned about the EpiPen shortage email me at [email protected]

To find out more contact Anaphylaxis Australia on 1300 728 000.

To learn how to use the epipen in a first aid course please book in to a training session in Dickson at www.canberrafirstaid.com

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Fluttering of your heart is not always a sign of love, nor is skipping of a beat. The fluttering could be a sign that you need to pay attention to your heart. So what if your health parameters are more or less fine, but if your heart is not beating right, it is reason enough to see a doctor. Arrhythmias, also called irregular heartbeats, fluttering, palpitations, and so on, can put you in grave danger, even causing a sudden cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, in India, we do not have a national registry for cardiac deaths, so it is difficult to predict the number of people dying due to SCDs. But a look at the macro factors removes any doubt whether Indians are at the brink of cardiac emergency. An India Spend research in the year 2016 showed cardiovascular diseases (CVD) kill 1.7 million Indians every year. What is abnormal beating of the heart?Our heart beats regularly and non-stop while we are alive. It keeps on pumping blood — even when we suffer a heart attack, the pumping of blood does not stop. Our normal heart-beating rhythm is around 60 to 100 beats per minute when the body is at rest.

The rhythm can vary if a person does some extra physical work, or is under the effect of some emotional or psychological stimulus. But arrhythmia is much different — it is the change in our normal heartbeat that is triggered by an alteration in the sequence of the electric impulses our heart receives.Vanita Arora, Director & head Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab & Arrhythmia Services, Max Super Specialty Hospital Palpitations triggering cardiac arrest When the heart is not functioning properly for a prolonged period of time, it gives rise to a situation that may lead to sudden cardiac arrest, which is different from a heart attack. A sudden cardiac arrest means that the heart has suddenly stopped functioning due to irregularity of electric impulses. A sudden cardiac arrest leads to almost instantaneous death. A person who is suffering from cardiac arrhythmia for a long time is at a high risk of cardiac arrest as the electric system of the person is not functioning properly. Some of the common symptoms of various forms of irregular heart eat include breathlessness, dizziness, fluttering in the chest or irregular heartbeats even in normal circumstances. Other symptoms include chest pain, palpitations, sweating, and confusion. In case the symptoms are detected, the patient should be taken to a cardiac specialist.A proper check-up from a cardiac electrophysiologist will help determine whether arrhythmia is dangerous or not. With due medications, increased physical activity, certain dietary changes, periodic monitoring of pulse, and managing risk factors can ensure a person continues to live with a healthy heart.

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A VICTORIAN pear farm where an Irish backpacker had her scalp and ear torn off will have its sentence appealed by prosecutors, who called it “manifestly inadequate”.

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AN Ipswich girl got more than her morning tea today when she checked her school bag for snacks and instead found a red bellied black snake.

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Would you know what to do if you thought someone you love was suicidal?

It’s a complex situation best handled by professionals, but like physical emergencies, knowing mental health first aid can help.

The concept has been around since the 1990s but a new course focused on suicide has been developed.

Trys Reddick, an accredited Mental Health First Aid instructor, runs the course in Perth through his organisation Passionate Lives.

He relies on grant money to be able to deliver the service free of charge to the community.

At the moment the course is so popular he has 200 people on a waiting list.

What are the signs someone is feeling suicidal?

The course teaches several signs to look out for.

They include someone acting recklessly, talking or writing about suicide and withdrawing from friends and family.

Helping someone who is suicidal is complicated, but the course suggests three key actions to take.

The first is if you think someone’s suicidal, ask them directly.

If they say yes, don’t leave them alone, and try to get them professional help. A trusted GP is the first port of call.

One of Mr Reddicks’ students knows more about suicide than most.

Three years ago Paul Mallett tried to end his life.

“I don’t want to hide things, I’ve always drunk alcohol, it hasn’t been great,” Mr Mallett said.

“I probably still drink too much alcohol but ultimately a family breakdown led to a crisis for me.”

After 20 minutes, the 51-year-old called an ambulance.

“I guess it dawned on me, if I can’t look after my kids, who’s going to do it?

“The experiences I’ve had since then are things I wouldn’t trade for the world — teaching my son to drive a car, helping with homework, just chatting, going to the movies, all those things that normal people do.”

The course Mr Reddick teaches, which was developed by Mental Health First Aid Australia, has won a big tick of approval from Beyond Blue’s Grant Blashki.

“Mental health first aid is really appropriate for anyone in the community but especially people who are in the education sector or community groups or having a lot of contact with members of the public,” he said.

For information about mental health first aid, visit Mental Health First Aid Australia.

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With two separate incidents with tragically similar circumstances, just days before Christmas it’s a timely reminder to be careful in your driveways. News.com.au report – http://www.news.com.au/national/two-children-struck-by-reversing-cars-in-separate-incidents/news-story/8462b1469a3cdb8912047e6c05f88e6a