Welcome to Episode 26 of the MedicCast

Right click to download this episode or click the little arrow to listen here.

A podcast for EMT’s, Paramedics, and other medical providers of all kinds.Recharging the batteries and wrapping up my summer projects.

The MedicCast is a finalist for the 2006 Podcast Awards. You can now vote once per day for the MedicCast at the Podcast Awards site.

iTunes subscribers — I have moved the RSS feed. I regret to say you will have to re-subscribe here. Or click the button below. The new show is called MedicCast AAC and can be found on the iTunes site.

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Contact Me!
send me a note!
MedicCast Website
—- or —-
Leave up to a 2 minute message with your onboard microphone right through your browser by clicking the link below.

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News:

Carotid Stenosis and Depression

Missouri EMT’s OK to Deal in Death?

Multi Task Equals Poor Learning

Men and Risks of Recurrent DVT

Teens Sniff Mothballs
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Tip and Trick of the Week:

Organo-Phosphate Poisoning
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Med of the Week — Digitalis

Digitalis Medline Link

Digitalis Toxicity Medline Link
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Don’t forget to support the mediccast!
(Vote at the Podcast Awards Site, Click, Comment, Tell a Friend)

Thank you for listening in. If you want to get a show update email, send me an EMAIL with “Update” in the subject line

Check out the MedicCast News at the Podcaster News Network for EMS news updates during the week and check back here next week for the next Episode of the MedicCast.

The MedicCast is a proud member of the Blubrry Podcast Network. Check out Blubrry for all podcasting needs (listeners, podcasters, advertisers).

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Music from The Podsafe Music Network
This week
“Hear Me” by Caitlyn Smith

Check out Caitlyn Here

Let her know that you heard it here on the MedicCast!

Until next time, Scene safety, BSI!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. –>

You can now vote once per day for the MedicCast at the Podcast Awards site.

1. Just scroll down to the health and fitness category.
2. Click the radio button next to the MedicCast.
3. Go to the bottom and enter your info to verify your vote.
4. Click the link in the email you receive and your vote is counted.

Remember! You can vote once per day until August 11th!

Thanks,

Jamie, the Podmedic

Check out this article that determined that more drug overdose deaths occur from taking too many prescription drugs than from illegal drugs like heroin or cocaine. This points to people outside our stereotypical drug abusers.

People may overdose for a number of reasons: an elderly patient may take too many of their pills because they lost track of how many they have taken that day. A patient may take a relative’s drug because they have the same drug prescribed at home, but in a smaller dose.

All of which serves to remind us to work hard to avoid tunnel vision when working up a patient. Keep an open mind and be prepared to ask more questions if the path you’re headed down isn’t fitting right. You might have to back up and start your assessment over again to go in a different direction.

Catch you next time!

Jamie,

The Podmedic

You can now vote once per day for the MedicCast at the Podcast Awards site.

1. Just scroll down to the health and fitness category.
2. Click the radio button next to the MedicCast.
3. Go to the bottom and enter your info to verify your vote.
4. Click the link in the email you receive and your vote is counted.

Remember! You can vote once per day until August 11th!

Thanks,

Jamie, the Podmedic

I found this article on CNN about the need for spanish language interpreters at hospitals and clinics in the Southwestern U.S. I see a regular need for them here in the mid-atlantic area, too. It occurred to me that perhaps the medical establishment would be served by teaching a basic spanish language class as part of medical training. Just the necessary phases and words to assist in taking a history and explaining injuries.

Could this be on the horizon for upgraded standards? Probably not, but it stands to reason that we should all bone up on our spanish or at least buy one of the field guides that has the page of emergency spanish language phrases in it. It doesn’t matter where you fall on the immigration issues, spanish speaking patients are going to continue to be seen by us and in all likelyhood increase in volume as the time passes.

I found for a site for medical spanish including phrase books and lessons on CD and tape. I’m sure that there are others out there. Maybe the next time your training officer is chatting with you, you could bring this up as a topic for a series of classes.

Jamie,

The Podmedic

If you haven’t filled out a survey for my listeners. You can do so by clicking on the graphic below.

Good news for children infected with HIV. Those who remained on their antiviral medications were able to fight off the opportunistic infections like TB and pneumonia that plague AIDS patients. The therapy called Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy or HAART is very effective at reducing the viral loads in children.

Check out the article here.

This is great news and is hoped to be the beginning of a truly effective long term treatment that will decrease transmission rates and improve the longterm lifestyle outlook for HIV infected patients.

What this means for those of us in the EMS community? Well, first of all, reduced risk of transmission to us and other healthcare providers. Also, the advances against the HIV virus have advanced all anti-viral treatments and mean improved outlooks for patients with Hepatitis C and other diseases which plague the healthcare industry. Make yourself aware of advances like this and make sure you know enough to point your patients toward treatments that they need.

We are the first line (and sometimes only line) of treatment and medical advice for some patients, especially those without medical coverage. In areas where this is the case, pre-hospital providers need to be educated in preventative medicine treatments, at least to the awareness level to better provide advice for our patients.

I report on this and other EMS news in the most recent episode of the MedicCast News at the Podcaster News Network.

Jamie,

The Podmedic

Great News Gang! Thanks to all of you for your nominations to the Podcast Awards for this year. The MedicCast has been selected by the panel over hundreds of others to be one of the Finalists for the Health and Fitness category. I’d also like to thank Stacey Leung, who helped design the site and wordpress theme, for all of her hard work. Site design was considered in the review process.

The voting opens to the public on Friday the 28th of July and closes on the 11th of August. Everyone can vote once per day for the entire 15 day period. I’m up against some stiff competition (no offense to the Sex is Fun podcast, one of my co-nominees).

It’s very simple, visit the site once per day and vote. You’ll get an email to confirm the vote with a clickable link. Click it and you’re done. Let’s vote the MedicCast podcast to the top of it’s category and win the Podcast Awards 2006 for Health and Fitness podcasts.

Thanks for your support!

Jamie

The Podmedic

In an article from the medical journal, Lancet from the U.K., a doctor describes a patient in kidney failure following numerous complications from taking a traditional chinese herbal supplement to “treat” his liver.

This doesn’t mean that all herbal remedies are bad, just that their effectiveness should be tested by scientific method before they are used for human consumption. Also, we should not discount the impact on patient health that supplements have. Include all supplements and vitamins when noting patient medications during transfer of care. There may be a clue or a warning sign there that the doctor needs to treat or advise the patient.

Just a tip for you to use out there.

Don’t forget to fill out a podcast survey.

Thanks,

Jamie

The Podmedic

Welcome to Episode 25 of the MedicCast

Right click to download this episode or click the little arrow to listen here.

A podcast for EMT’s, Paramedics, and other medical providers of all kinds.Recharging the batteries and wrapping up my summer projects.

Help the MedicCast out! Fill out our Survey!

iTunes subscribers — I have moved the RSS feed. I regret to say you will have to re-subscribe here. Or click the button below. The new show is called MedicCast AAC and can be found on the iTunes site.

————————-

Contact Me!
send me a note!
MedicCast Website
—- or —-
Leave up to a 2 minute message with your onboard microphone right through your browser by clicking the link below.

——————————–

News:

Paramedic Charged in Crash

Lyme Disease Compound Dangerous

Energy Drink Doesn’t Awaken

CPR Vital for Hypothermic Patients

Blood Test Predicts Sickle Cell Severity

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Tip and Trick of the Week:

What is Sickle Cell Anemia
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No Med of the Week this week
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Don’t forget to support the mediccast!
(Vote, Click, Comment, Tell a Friend)

Thank you for listening in. If you want to get a show update email, send me an EMAIL with “Update” in the subject line

Check out the MedicCast News at the Podcaster News Network for EMS news updates during the week and check back here next week for the next Episode of the MedicCast.

The MedicCast is a proud member of the Blubrry Podcast Network. Check out Blubrry for all podcasting needs (listeners, podcasters, advertisers).

————————————————
Music from The Podsafe Music Network
This week
“Married on Monday” by Gentlemen Losers
Check out Gentlemen Losers Here

Let the band know that you heard it here on the MedicCast!

Until next time, Scene safety, BSI!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. –>

Tom Reynolds, a London EMT, often posts some real gems from his travels as an EMS provider in the U.K. This is one of his best about his partner’s “assumption” about a patient and her companion. Check it out.

Random Acts Of Reality : Faux Pas

Jamie
The Podmedic

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