Hands Only CPR
CPR. A lifesaving action.

Hands only CPR

When an adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, his or her survival depends greatly on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby. Unfortunately, less than 1/3 of those people who experience a cardiac arrest at home, work or in a public location get that help. Most bystanders are worried that they might do something wrong or make things worse. That’s why the AHA has simplified things.
Don’t be afraid. Your actions can only help.

It’s not normal to see an adult suddenly collapse, but if you do, call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Don’t be afraid. Your actions can only help. Take a minute and look around this site and invite your friends! Increasing the number of people who know about Hands-OnlyTM CPR will increase the chance that someone can help when an adult suddenly collapses, and more lives can be saved.

SOURCE: handsonlycpr.org

Click here to learn more about Hands only CPR

How to Address Potential Christmas Home Health and Safety Issues

It is important to take the proper precautions to ensure that your home is safe during those winter holidays.
Step 1
Put short table cloths on the table on which you will be serving Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Young children just learning to walk and stand may accidentally grab long cloths and could fall or pull hot food items or dishes onto themselves.

Step 2
Remove all bones, gristle and hard-to-chew pieces of meat, especially from turkey or other poultry, before feeding the meat to children under the age of six, to prevent choking.

Step 3
Before adding nuts or hard-to-chew diced fruit, like apples, to any salad or deserts, set aside a portion of the food items large enough to give to (or feed) children under seven years old. Even older children are often in a hurry to eat on the holidays and may gulp their food or not chew enough to keep items like nuts from becoming a choking hazard.

Step 4
Make sure there are no artificial (or real) grapes, nuts, holly berries or other small items in holiday centerpieces as they pose a choking hazard for young children who may think the centerpieces are real.

Step 5
Keep candy dishes on top of fireplace mantles, grandfather clocks, china cabinets or other very tall pieces of furniture and out of the reach of young children.

Step 6
Place the electrical cords for strings of Christmas or other lights at the back of the tree so that they cannot be easily reached by young children. Unplug the cords when you retire for the night. When you put lights around a window, try to position a big easy chair, couch, recliner or other piece of furniture with a back, so that you can keep the cord behind the furniture.

Step 7
Water real Christmas trees daily and completely fill the tree stand to keep the tree needles from drying out before the holiday is over. A dry tree is a fire hazard. Wrap a sheet or holiday tree holder cover around the bottom the tree so that young children will not be tempted to play in the water and possibly pull the tree over on themselves.

Step 8
Hang plastic ornaments on the lower branches of the tree if there will be any young children in your home over the holidays. Try to purchase shapes other than round ornaments as young children may think the ornaments are balls to be played with.

Step 9
When cutting paper and wrapping packages, make sure that you don’t leave scissors, pieces of ribbon, knives or sharp-edged paper cutters out where young children could get to them. Place tools used for cutting and wrapping in a locked cabinet or on top of the highest kitchen cupboard to prevent easy access to the tools.

Step 10
Do not place candles on trees or on tables that are low enough for young children to get to them, as candles start several dozen fires a year and children could get burned on the hot wax. When leaving home or going to bed, double check to make sure that any candles or tapers you lit have been put out and placed well out of the reach of young children. Do the same with lighters, matches or other implements used for lighting them.

Step 11
When leaving home for several hours, unplug your indoor holiday lights, including those for the tree to avoid the potential for creating a fire hazard. Do not leave your porch light on when you leave for an extended period of time because that indicates to thieves, who are very active during the holidays, that you are not home. Leave one or two lights on in your house, but not the bathroom light.

SOURCE: ehow.com

Click here to read the rest of the article

Sacramento – Governor Schwarzenegger has signed Assembly Bill 83 (Feuer/Benoit), legislation which encourages individuals to act as “Good Samaritans” and voluntarily help rescue others in peril. The legislation goes into effect immediately.

Author of Good Samaritan Assembly Bill 83

Assembly Member Feuer was moved to introduce AB 83 by personal experience. While driving home from work on a Los Angeles freeway we witnessed the driver of a pickup truck swerve and lose control, overturning in traffic. Feuer helped pull the driver and his family from the overturned vehicle while others blocked traffic on the busy freeway.

Now Good Samaritans have no reason to hesitate to responsibly help someone in an emergency out of fear that they might be sued, ” Feuer said. “This legislation encourages Californians to look out for each other at a time when public resources are all too scarce. I’m proud of the broad coalition that came together to make this common sense law possible.” The bill garnered unanimous bi-partisan support in its passage through the Legislature, and it created a broad and unusual alliance of support from law enforcement and rescue agencies, as well as the plaintiffs and defense bars and the American Heart Association.

Assembly member Mike Feuer´s website: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/a42Read the rest of this article from californiachronicle.com

The Saga of “Crabby Craig” the Morton’s Neuroma Post op goes on.
Tonight Crabby Craig headed for the shower. A challenge indeed, as the post op dressing has to stay dry and intact until the stitches are removed. Hmm? What to do!
We did a “Dry Run” before there was any water involved to make sure that the patient could get into the shower safely. Hmm? How to get the patient safely in the shower? Use the bed side commode in the shower for stability, and to sit on. Crabby Craig is elevated on another shower stool. Used a walker to get the patient into the shower.
The PLAN:
Wrap the foot and dressing in a washcloth … then cover well with plastic food wrap and tape with micropore plastic tape. Next whole leg goes in the “waterproof” leg shower bag, and more tape goes on the top of that to make sure not water sneaks in. Patient was Estatic to have running water and be able to wash her hair without getting Crabby Craig Wet. Post Shower all the plastic coverings were removed… and the dressing was DRY not one drop of water near the foot!!
Yea! Crabby Craig was relaxed for the evening! Patient was Clean and safe, feeling better after a warm shower.

OOPs! I have not checked my emergency preparedness kit for a while.  Tonight I discovered that my small radio had battery corrosion.

What to do?

From wikihow.com
1. Check for the corrosion and follow the corresponding directions.
* Mild corrosion: On the traditional shiny terminals, this usually shows up as a dark dull spot.
* Build up: In extreme cases, you may see a crusty build-up. If the build-up is significant, the solution is a bit more tricky.
Mild Corrosion:
1. Gather the required materials.
2. Lightly soak your applicator in vinegar.
3. Gently swab at the terminal. Don’t be alarmed if there’s a fizzing reaction. That’s perfectly natural.
4. Rub with a bit more vigor if the corrosion doesn’t seem to be going away. If that still doesn’t remove the corrosion, you can gently rub the area with fine sand-paper to remove the corroded bits before trying the vinegar again.
5. Enjoy the return of life to your batteries. And remember to remove them before putting your camera away next time.

Build Up
1. Gather the required materials.
2. Do not touch the white crusty build-up with your bare skin! That’s battery acid which has leaked from the battery and it can burn your skin.
* If you do touch it, be sure to rinse your hands off thoroughly with warm soapy water before getting them close to your eyes or any mucous membranes. Let the water run vigorously because the acid will likely become active as it’s hydrated. Fast-running water will help rinse it off before it starts to burn you.
3. Try removing the battery case and soaking it in water or a dilute solution of baking soda (best case scenario).
4. Gently scrub the build-up off with a moistened towel while wearing rubber gloves. Remove as much as you can in this manner.
5. Use a dilute solution of baking soda on a towel to remove the rest. You will almost definitely get hissing and fizzing, as well as the creation of salt and water. If the battery casing is not waterproof (it generally isn’t), you may want to perform this step over a sink with the battery case facing down so that any generated water or salt will drip out.
6. Swab the inside with a dampened lint-free cloth. Distilled water is better in the long run to prevent build-up, but tap water won’t cause significant problems in this situation.
7. Gently dry the terminals with another lint-free cloth. Ensure that everything is dry before putting the batteries in. If necessary, leave the camera sitting out overnight to let any remaining water get out.

Click to read the Article

From Heloise

The batteries in my touch lights have become corroded. Could you please tell me how to clean the terminals safely?
– Sally Flanagan, East Pittsburgh, Penn.

Mix one or two tablespoons of baking soda with a little water to make a paste and apply to the corroded areas. This should bubble away the problem. Wipe clean and dry well.

If you live in a humid environment or store battery-powered equipment in a damp location, your batteries will have a tendency to corrode faster. So here’s my hint: For infrequently used items, remove the batteries when not in use.
Click to Read the Heloise Article

There are several companies making knee walkers. Knee Walkers are an alternative to crutches for some patients.

Knee Walkers are “scooter-like” devices that allow you to rest your hurt leg while allowing you to roll around
You can buy or rent these devices and your insurance may or may not cover some or all of it.  There are several companies that rent them.  You can do a search on knee walkers on Google.

There are many types of walkers, RollerAid makes a turning Knee Walker.

RollerAid Knee Walker

Visit the Rolleraid Site

Some benefits to using a device like a knee walker vs. regular crutches are:

• Helps eliminates tripping or falling associated with crutches
• Can be used as a bench or foot stool during rest
• Frees up hands with a removable basket
• Allows you to move faster than you ever could on crutches
• Is portable so you go wherever you need to go without hassle

Individuals who are most likely to use this device are people who have an injury below the knee and they need to be mobile.

There are many different styles, and most of them fold for storage and transport.

Invacare also makes a style of knee walker.
Read Invacare info

See YouTube Video on how a patient can use his knee walker

Check with you doctor to see what version of a knee walker would work for you.