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Online CPR Certification Blog

LAIV recommendation for 2018-19 flu season reaffirmed by ACIP

Jan
18

Date: January 18th, 2019

The 2018/2019 flu season recommendations released

Members of ACIP also stated new guidelines for use of the anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA; BioThrax0 for post-exposure prophylaxis.

The group also offered additional updates on zoster and pneumococcal vaccines, HPV, mumps, AAFP. This is according to ACIP Pamela Rockwell, D.O, from Ann Arbor, Mich.,

Influenza Vaccine

The ACIP also reaffirmed the vote taken at its last  meeting that was held in the month of February this year to official issue its recommendation that all patients whose ages were 6 months and above without any contradiction should be vaccinated with influenza vaccine during the influenza season of the year 2018-19; and clinicians should play the role of administering any licensed, age-appropriate influenza vaccine, without excluding LAIV ( for patients whose ages fall between 2 to 49 years old and without contradictions), recombinant influenza vaccine and  inactivated influenza vaccine.

Risk of CVD death may be staved off by exercise in midlife

Jan
15

Date: January 15th, 2019

Cardiovascular disease and midlife exercise

The study associates 16% of lower risk of depression with high level of midlife fitness  (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.95) and lower risk of death of about 61% from cardiovascular disease  (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.31-0.48) in adults whose ages were at least 65 years without a diagnosis of depression. This is according to the report issued by Benjamin L. Willis. MD, MPH. from the Cooper Institute, Dallas, and his colleagues in JAMA Psychiatry.

Midlife fitness modifiable

The authors termed Midlife fitness as a risk factor that is modifiable and which has not yet been studied. They also talked about the advantages that follow a diagnosis of depression later in life. Those who took part in the high fitness group and were diagnosed with late-life incident depression vividly demonstrated that there is 56 percent lower risk of death caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD, HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.31-0.64) when compared to those individuals with low fitness levels.

Is there any association between FP scope of practice and burnout?

Jan
11

Date: January 11th, 2019

Link between FP scope of practice and burnout

In has also been noted by the authors of the study entitled ‘Burnout and Scope of Practice in New Family Physicians’ that there are particular protective benefits that are afforded to family physicians who set aside their time to visit their patients at their respective homes and provide obstetrical care to them alongside practicing impatient medicine.

How the study was done

The study involved two researchers led by author Lars Peterson, M.D., Ph.D., research director at the America Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) in Lexington, Ky., and Amanda Weidner, M.P.H., a research scientist at the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency Network in Seattle.

After the study, the team corresponded with AAFP News about the study and its results. They both came in an agreement that their main finding was somewhat unexpected.

A critical look at the whole snacking issue

Jan
10

Date: January 10th, 2019

What research says about snacking?

Researchers find out that consumers continue to consume meals alongside their main meals and some replace meals with snacks. There is a certain limit on the calorie consumption despite the eating frequency of any individual. However, the process of quality eating, snack consumption and eating frequency takes a different approach from different researchers. Some researcher associate eating frequency with a high level of calorie intake and high BMI while as others believe that low eating frequency is a source of unhealthy living and poor nutrition. There is a lot of controversy on the information released by researchers concerning healthy eating and mainly involving eating frequency and snack consumption.

Alzheimer’s disease: A real threat if not checked

Jan
10

Date: January 10th, 2019

MRI evidence indicates changes in brain may occur prior to amyloidal deposition. It develops gradually especially affects ADAD mutant carriers.

Alzheimer disease is fatal and according to researchers, it has no cure. Its predisposition affects the mutant carriers and thus can develop early especially among the children carrying genetic mutation for the disease. According to research by Quiroz in the department of psychiatry in Massachusetts general hospital, suggest that ADAD mutant carriers can develop as early as possible among the children with a high certainty unlike the non-carriers who have no brain abnormalities.

No cancer risk posed by long term low dose vaginal estrogen

Jan
10

Date: January 10th, 2019

A review on the large database showed that using unopposed topical vaginal estrogen wasn’t in any way associated with a higher risk of getting cancer or endometrial hyperplasia. Yearly incidence of diseases from 2006 to 2012 among women from Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership aged at least 46 years old didn’t show any significant differences by the number of vaginal estrogen prescriptions dispensed over a period of 3 years. This is according to the report given by Dr. Kathryn M. Gunnison at an annual meeting of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Best response to help save a choking child

Jan
08

Date: January 8th, 2019

Taking CPR classes is a very ideal way to get prepared in case you are faced with a situation where the child is choking.

You do need to learn other tips that will help complement your skills and place in you in a better place to save lives.

How does choking start?

Choking creates a very scary scenario that is very unpleasant. It occurs when a young child tries to force an object (food, plastic) down their small throat which can’t accommodate is size. The object then gets stuck in the wind pipe and obstructs air from going out and in the lungs.

4 Tips for Staying Safe While on Vacation

Jan
08

Date: January 8th, 2019

Vacation is a time where you can get a break from the monotonous routine. Your vacation can be a fun-filled time allowing you to unwind, de-stress, and rejuvenate your mind.

However, if you don’t take safety precautions, your vacation can turn into a nightmare.

Here, you will learn about some tips that can help you to remain safe and have fun while you’re on vacation.

1. Protect Yourself from the Sun

You should wear sunglasses and put on sunblock (ideally SPF+50) to protect yourself from the damaging effects of the sun. Also, wear hats when you are outside. When you leave the car in the sun, you should consider covering the seat belts with a cloth.

Should we be comfortable when speaking about death?

Jan
08

Date: January 8th, 2019

 

As we slowly drove west, our cab had a palpable tension. Our taxi driver who was driving us to our patient’s retirement home had numerous stories to tell us about how the locality was beautiful during summer time and things about the local prisons. Even though I laughed at these stories, my heart beat became faster and louder as we neared our destination and I felt anxious. Even though I had read a lot about death and talked about it, I really hadn’t literally engaged with somebody about their life coming to an end.

Supporting a dying person

Finally, when we entered our patient’s room, the sight of an elderly woman who was relatively good looking relieved me. This is a rather strange feeling to experience as you set in a dying patient’s room. I felt good that I didn’t get face my perception of what I believed about death and dying. Recently, Mrs. Jones had been diagnosed to be suffering from pancreatic cancer and this really struck me being an oriented, engaged and intelligent woman. As we slowly learned about Mrs. Jones’ children, grand children, medical history and hobbies, I became a little at ease. Even though the conservation was nice, it lacked something. I was gently broaching the idea of death as it engaged her about what the physicians had told her about the disease and its natural course.

Rather than talking about death or illness, the patient surprised me as talked of how she will soon be feeling better and walking again. Well, I was relieved as she vividly convinced us how she was surely going to recover from her illness. Now, I know her to be even more unwell and confused than I thought initially. Her misunderstanding could have resulted from her unwillingness of accepting death and her mental incapacity. For me, I seriously hoped that she would recover and get fine and as a result, death wasn’t part of our conversation. I strongly believe that engaging and believing in stories provided to us by patients can relieve us, which is quite normal even though it might be particularly helpful or patient-centered.

Supporting a dying person

For us to be able to support the spiritual, social, medical or emotional help of any dying person, we really can’t be preoccupied with selfish desires. Just like any other patient, a dying patient also has his or her own unique needs, reference and frame of reference. Such must be addressed and recognized fully by the team providing health care to the patient. As we drove back from the retirement home, I felt a little disappointed with the fact that I wasn’t able to interact with Mrs. Jones in a meaningful way. At the back our car, a heated conversation was continuing on palliative care, taking care of a dying patent and even death itself. This experience reminded me once again that death isn’t really a comfortable subject to talk about.

 

Unknowingly, doctors experience a lot of stress and trauma

Jan
07

Date: January 7th, 2019

 

Recently over lunch hour, we were talking together with some new friends at the famous Hominy Café, Charleston. I had a burning question to these esteemed educators of emergency medicine. I want to know if they have any irrational fears of the people they love given the kind of work they engage in. The answer they gave me was a resounding yes. Just like me, the doctors worried a lot when an ambulance was dispatched and their children were playing out with some friends. They are also worried that their loved ones drove in the heavy traffic and as the list continued to go on, I only shook my head as I agreed to what I was hearing.

Consequences of working in ED for years

For quite a long time, I had always contemplated to ask this question about the consequences of working in an emergency department for years. Sure, I know about the consequences too well: bitterness, anger, distrust, frustration and cynicism. Fortunately, this is balanced by perspective, compassion, and love of life’s gifts, appreciation of the common people as well as being able to hangout with former felons and heaving tattooed drunks and bikers without feeling uncomfortable.