https://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.png00WMN Editorshttps://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.pngWMN Editors2013-12-04 20:50:502013-12-04 20:50:50THE USE OF MEDICAL OXYGEN IN EMS
This is a short article to compare and contrast Centipedes and Millipedes. Centipedes are venomous and can cause a painful bite, while Millipedes have no venom and pose no danger to humans.
Centipedes:Millipedes:
KINGDOM AnimaliaAnimalia
PHYLUM ArthropodaArthropoda
SUBPHYLUM MyriapodaMyriapoda
CLASSChilipoda Diplopoda
CENTIPEDES:
These are not Arachnids; they are Chilipoda.
They are predatory – eat insects, worms, and millipedes.
They have a pair of legs for each segment, 20 to over 300 pairs.
They have a pair of venom claws on the front segment, and they do produce venom used to killed and subdue their prey.
Size: 4mm (1/4”) to 30cm (12”).
8000 species of centipedes.
They have a venomous sting that is painful but not dangerous.
The only danger is the risk of an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.
https://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.png00WMN Editorshttps://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.pngWMN Editors2013-10-23 15:43:072013-12-02 13:49:27SCORPIONS and The WORLD OF ARACHNIDS
Auvi-Q is an autoinjector that contains epinephrine (adrenalin) for the use in severe Type 1 allergic reactions – anaphylaxis.
Epinephrine is a non-selective alpha and beta-adrenergic receptor agonist. The results of an IM or SC injection are bronchodilation, vasoconstriction, and an increase in heart rate.
An acute, severe Type 1 allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, is caused by too great a release of histamines, via degranulation from the MAST cells, resulting in bronchoconstriction, vasodilation, and an itchy, urticarial rash. Thus, epinephrine is the perfect drug to counteract the effects of the histamines.
Remember, that you are taking advantage of the side effects of epinephrine in counteracting the potentially life-threatening effects of the histamines. But, the effects of epinephrine only last 20 – 30 minutes and then the acute allergic reaction can return.
The cure for the over-abundance of histamines is to give an antihistamine. So, remember that regardless of how the epinephrine is administered, it has to be followed with an oral antihistamine such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) 50 mg by mouth every 4 hours for 24 hours (Benadryl 50mg po q4h x 24h).
What makes Auvi-Q unique is that it speaks to the individual administering the autoinjector. Designed to fit in a pant’s pocket so when needed it is readily accessible. The cap is removed, and the autoinjector will then talk you through the process of giving the shot.
You can go on their website, auvi-q.com, and watch a demonstration of its use.
It is impossible to accurately count the number of venomous snakebites worldwide, simply because most occur in rural and remote areas where access to medical care is limited, statistics are not kept, and snakebites are not reported.
Worldwide:
There are reportedly 421,000 envenomations per year with 20,000 deaths.
But, snakebites and deaths from snakebites are grossly underreported.
It is estimated that the real numbers could be as high as 1,841,000 envenomations with 94,000 deaths per year.
United States:
Approximately 8000 venomous snakebites are reported each year with 5 – 10 deaths per year.
SNAKES ARE:
–elongated
–legless/limbless
–carnivorous reptiles
–lack eyelids
–lack external ears
–ectothermic (cold-blooded)
–most are amniote vertebrates (lay eggs that contain amniotic fluid, suitable for the terrestrial environment), some snakes do have live births
–covered in overlapping scales
–most kill by swallowing their prey whole or death by constriction
–of the 3,400 species, 300 are venomous and use their venom to kill, subdue, and digest their prey
Kingdom – Animalia
Phylum – Chordata
Class – Reptilia
Order – Squamata
Suborder – Serpentes
Family – 20 different families
4 families are venomous
Genera – 500 different Genera
Species – 3,400 different species
3,100 are nonvenomous
300 are venomous
Interestingly enough, venomous snakes can be divided into different families based on their dentition and types of fangs, not as you might suspect, by the type of venom they possess. The rest of snakes are fangless, aglyphous.
https://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.png00WMN Editorshttps://www.wildernessmedicinenewsletter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wmnlogo20151.pngWMN Editors2013-08-22 19:55:542013-12-02 13:47:18THE WORLD OF VENOMOUS SNAKES
THE USE OF MEDICAL OXYGEN IN EMS
/in Asthma, Medical Response, Medications, Oxygen, Shortness of breath/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
Volume 26 Number 4
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Illustrations By T.B.R. Walsh
MEDICAL OXYGEN (O2):
To be used on anyone who is exhibiting signs and symptoms of hypoxia:
Shortness of breath
Increase or decrease in respiratory rate
– Adult: respiratory rate less than 10 or greater than 30
– Child (1 year – 12 years old): respiratory rate less than 15 or greater than 30
– Infant (0 – 12 months old): respiratory rate less than 25 or greater than 50
Increase in heart rate.
Change in level of consciousness.
Change in skin color: pallor or cyanosis.
Never, ever withhold oxygen from someone who appears to need it.
The following is needed to provide supplemental oxygen to a patient:
✔ O2 tank
✔ Regulator
✔ Delivery device – O2 mask
Medical Oxygen Storage Tanks:
Come in various sizes.
✔ Are identified by color– either the entire tank is green or the curved part of the tank, “the shoulder,” is green
✔ Have an identifying yellow, diamond shaped label on the tank that is marked U.S.P. and Oxygen
✔ Full tanks contain 2000 PSI of pressure and must be handled properly.
Read more
CENTIPEDES and MILLIPEDES
/in Bites and Stings, Rash, Skin itching/by WMN EditorsCENTIPEDES and MILLIPEDES
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Illustrations by T.B.R. Walsh
This is a short article to compare and contrast Centipedes and Millipedes. Centipedes are venomous and can cause a painful bite, while Millipedes have no venom and pose no danger to humans.
Centipedes: Millipedes:
KINGDOM Animalia Animalia
PHYLUM Arthropoda Arthropoda
SUBPHYLUM Myriapoda Myriapoda
CLASS Chilipoda Diplopoda
CENTIPEDES:
These are not Arachnids; they are Chilipoda.
They are predatory – eat insects, worms, and millipedes.
They have a pair of legs for each segment, 20 to over 300 pairs.
They have a pair of venom claws on the front segment, and they do produce venom used to killed and subdue their prey.
Size: 4mm (1/4”) to 30cm (12”).
8000 species of centipedes.
They have a venomous sting that is painful but not dangerous.
The only danger is the risk of an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.
Read more
SCORPIONS and The WORLD OF ARACHNIDS
/in Bites and Stings, Environemtal Injuries, Poisons/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
The WORLD OF ARACHNIDS
Dangerous to Humans
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Illustrations by T.B.R. Walsh
KINGDOM – Animalia
PHYLUM – Arthropoda
SUBPHYLUM – Chelicerada
CLASS – Arachnida
Arachnids:
They are joint-legged invertebrate animals.
They have eight legs, the front two may be modified into fangs or jaws.
There are over 100,000 named species.
There are 11 Orders of Arachnida:
Potentially dangerous to humans:
Araneae – spiders
Scorpiones – scorpions
Acari – ticks and mites
Harmless to humans:
Scolifugae – camel spiders, wind scorpions, sun spiders, solifuges
Opiliones – harvestmen (daddy longlegs)
Amblypygi – tailless whipscorpions and whip spiders
Palpigradi – micro whipscorpions
Pseudoscorpion – pseudoscorpion, bookscorpion, or false scorpion
Ricinulei – ricinuleids or hooded tick spiders
Schizomida – schizomids or shorttailled whipscorpion
Thelyphonida – whiptailed scorpion, vinegaroons, uropygids
Read more
Japanese Encephalitis
/in Bites and Stings, Disease, Immunizations, Infection, Japanese Encephalitis/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
Travel Immunizations
Japanese Encephalitis
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is more correctly known as Japanese B Encephalitis.
It is a virus in the family Flaviviridae.
The reservoirs in nature that harbor the JE virus are pigs and herons.
The vector for JE is the mosquito – Culex tritaeniorhynchus & C. vishnui.
JE is not contagious, in that it cannot be transferred from human-to-human. It has to be spread by the Culex mosquito vector.
The incubation period from mosquito bite to symptoms is 5 – 15 days.
The vast majority of those infected are asymptomatic.
Only 1 in 250 cases develops into encephalitis.
Still JE is the leading cause of encephalitis in Asia with 30,000 – 50,000 cases per year.
One in four patients that develop JE encephalitis will die. There is a 25% fatality rate caused by brain damage.
Read more
AUVI-Q
/in Allergies, Medications/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518 Volume 26 Number 3
A NEW PRODUCT FOR TREATING ANAPHYLAXIS
AUVI-Q
By Frank Hubbell, D.O.
INDICATIONS:
Auvi-Q is an autoinjector that contains epinephrine (adrenalin) for the use in severe Type 1 allergic reactions – anaphylaxis.
Epinephrine is a non-selective alpha and beta-adrenergic receptor agonist. The results of an IM or SC injection are bronchodilation, vasoconstriction, and an increase in heart rate.
An acute, severe Type 1 allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, is caused by too great a release of histamines, via degranulation from the MAST cells, resulting in bronchoconstriction, vasodilation, and an itchy, urticarial rash. Thus, epinephrine is the perfect drug to counteract the effects of the histamines.
Remember, that you are taking advantage of the side effects of epinephrine in counteracting the potentially life-threatening effects of the histamines. But, the effects of epinephrine only last 20 – 30 minutes and then the acute allergic reaction can return.
The cure for the over-abundance of histamines is to give an antihistamine. So, remember that regardless of how the epinephrine is administered, it has to be followed with an oral antihistamine such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) 50 mg by mouth every 4 hours for 24 hours (Benadryl 50mg po q4h x 24h).
What makes Auvi-Q unique is that it speaks to the individual administering the autoinjector. Designed to fit in a pant’s pocket so when needed it is readily accessible. The cap is removed, and the autoinjector will then talk you through the process of giving the shot.
You can go on their website, auvi-q.com, and watch a demonstration of its use.
DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS:
Adult: greater than or equal to 30kg (66lbs)
0.3mg: 0.3mg/0.3ml of 1/1000 epinephrine.
Pediatric: 15 – 30kg (33 – 66lbs)
0.15mg: 0.15mg.0.15ml of 1/1000 epinephrine.
Contraindications:
NONE
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS:
Read more
THE WORLD OF VENOMOUS SNAKES
/in Bites and Stings, Neurological, Poisons, Respiratory System/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
THE WORLD OF VENOMOUS SNAKES
By Frank Hubbell, D.O.
SNAKE BITE STATISTICS:
It is impossible to accurately count the number of venomous snakebites worldwide, simply because most occur in rural and remote areas where access to medical care is limited, statistics are not kept, and snakebites are not reported.
Worldwide:
There are reportedly 421,000 envenomations per year with 20,000 deaths.
But, snakebites and deaths from snakebites are grossly underreported.
It is estimated that the real numbers could be as high as 1,841,000 envenomations with 94,000 deaths per year.
United States:
Approximately 8000 venomous snakebites are reported each year with 5 – 10 deaths per year.
SNAKES ARE:
– elongated
– legless/limbless
– carnivorous reptiles
– lack eyelids
– lack external ears
– ectothermic (cold-blooded)
– most are amniote vertebrates (lay eggs that contain amniotic fluid, suitable for the terrestrial environment), some snakes do have live births
– covered in overlapping scales
– most kill by swallowing their prey whole or death by constriction
– of the 3,400 species, 300 are venomous and use their venom to kill, subdue, and digest their prey
Kingdom – Animalia
Phylum – Chordata
Class – Reptilia
Order – Squamata
Suborder – Serpentes
Family – 20 different families
4 families are venomous
Genera – 500 different Genera
Species – 3,400 different species
3,100 are nonvenomous
300 are venomous
Interestingly enough, venomous snakes can be divided into different families based on their dentition and types of fangs, not as you might suspect, by the type of venom they possess. The rest of snakes are fangless, aglyphous.
Read more