Safety First - Think Twice!

HEART ATTACKS

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A patient of mine who stayed at home all night while having a mild heart attack, and finally came to the Emergency Department (not Emergency Room) in the morning wanted me to put the following advice into print:

If you have chest pain, even if it is mild, and it radiates to both arms, go to the ED immediately.

Most people worry more if they have symptoms in their left arm along with chest discomfort. Radiation to the left arm may or may not increase the risk. However, if the symptoms radiate to BOTH arms, the chance that the discomfort is due to a cardiac condition becomes very high, regardless of symptom intensity.

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Can a flu shot prevent more than the flu? Possibly. As of October 1st, flu shots are available. Ask your doctor if you should have one.

How many hours should you sleep each night for optimum cardiac health? Click here for the answer provided by a recent study

Daylight savings time and Halloween are coming. Here are some important safety tips for trick-or-treaters and their parents.

Be Crosswalk Safe: When holding a child’s hand crossing the street make sure you are holding their hand rather that the other way around. If they are holding your finger or part of your hand, they could let go. If you have your hand around theirs, then you are in control and they are safer. A little life could depend on it.

Be Street Safe: Avoid dark costumes. Choose light colors or add reflective material to costumes. Carry flashlights. Avoid masks that obscure peripheral vision or teach your children to keep the masks tipped up and back until they ring the doorbell. Stay out of the street except for crosswalks and even then be very careful.

Be House Safe: Check your property yearly, if not more often, for tripping hazards, poor lighting or low branches that could injure a running teen or child. What better month to do this than in October, when on the 31st many strangers may be walking up and back from your front door? Also make sure your pets are not going to put anyone at risk. We see as many injuries from dogs causing trips and falls as we do from bites.

Be Fire Safe: Try to use battery powered lights rather than candles. Avoid costumes with low hanging material or that are not flame-resistant. Teach your children how to “Stop-Drop-and-Roll” (Dropping is the most important part of this)

Be Food Safe: Prepare a large wholesome meal so your family doesn’t overindulge. Inspect candy before your children eat it. Allergies to unfound peanut products are the number one cause of ER visits from halloween candy.


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SKIN SAFETY

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Summer is coming to a close, but protecting your skin from the sun needs to be a life-long habit. 1 in 5 Americans will get skin cancer during their lifetime and 1 in 33 will get melanoma. One American dies of melanoma every 65 minutes. Protecting yourself and your family prevents skin cancer and premature aging of the skin.

SUNSCREEN:

Make sure your sunscreen protects against both UV-A and UV-B rays.

Look for the American Academy of Dermatology’s “AAD Seal of Recognition”. This is new. So far they like Aveeno Continuous Protection. Consumer Reports’ top picks include Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 45 and No-Ad Sunblock Lotion SPF 45.

Apply sunscreen generously and re-apply every 2 hours or sooner if you sweat or swim.

Avoid combo products that contain insect repellant.

OTHER PROTECTION:

Seek shade, especially between 10am and 4pm.

Wear a hat, sunglasses and as much clothing as comfortable.

Use extra caution near snow, water or sand as these surfaces reflect sunlight well


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HIKING SAFETY

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HIKING ESSENTIALS:

Any time you go hiking in the wilderness, you should be prepared to spend the night in case you get lost or the weather suddenly changes and pins you down. Here are 10 essential items to have with you. Everything but the food, water and clothing should fit into a small kit.

1. Extra clothing (layers)
2. Water & Food
3. Flint, matches or a lighter
4. Compass & Map
5. Flashlight
6. Knife
7. Signaling mirror
8. 50 ft. of nylon chord
9. Poncho or small tarp
10.Whistle


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LIGHTNING SAFETY

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OUTDOOR TIPS:

Seek shelter: if you can hear the thunder within 30 seconds of seeing the lightning then the storm is close enough to put you at risk.
Stay low: Avoid being the tallest thing around. Squat or lie down under shrubs or smaller trees with your heels together.
Avoid tall trees: Don’t stand next to the tallest thing around either. You can be hit by a side flash if you are under a tall tree.
Stay out of the water.

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INDOOR TIPS:

The best shelter: The best shelter is a building with plumbing, electric wiring or other metal in it. Other structures offer little protection.
A car offers protection: Roll up the windows and don’t touch anything metal though.
Don’t touch: Once indoors, wear insulating shoes and avoid windows. Also don’t use or touch any plumbing, metal, or electrical appliances, especially a non-cordless phone.



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TRAMPOLINE SAFETY

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Summer is upon us and with the extended daylight hours and outdoor activities we will be seeing more injuries in the ED. Drownings and pool safety, one of the top causes of accidental death in children, has been covered previously and is also a major topic in Think Twice and Don’t Try This at Home. Trampolines are another popular backyard summer activity - but jumper beware! The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended the elimination of trampoline use at home because of the number of injuries that occur with its use. Proper trampoline use should include supervision by a skilled instructor, one jumper on the trampoline at a time and no jumpers who are under the age of 6. To share your summer safety advice with readers, click on the subject title above the write a comment in the space below.


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SUPPLEMENT SAFETY

Avoid supplements without the “USP Verified” mark. All prescription and over the counter medications must meet quality standards set by the US Pharmacopeia. This is optional for supplements. Many supplements though “natural” can cause serious health problems, especially if they contain adulterants. The USP Verified mark means that a supplement contains what it says it does, is free of harmful contaminants, and will break down in the body properly so that it can actually be absorbed. For more information visit consumerreportsmedicalguide.org


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THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS & VIRTUES

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE…

Gluttony

Pride

Sloth

Greed

Lust

Wrath

Envy

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THE SEVEN VIRTUES ARE…

Faith

Hope

Charity

Fortitude

Prudence

Justice

Temperance


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EARTH SAFETY

April 22nd is Earth Day, but since I just saw the movie An Inconvenient Truth, I thought I would dedicate this month to safety on a larger scale. You really should see this movie. Basically global warming is not controversial as big oil would like us all to believe, it is already here. It is everyone’s job to pitch in and fix the problem. Are you doing your part? Click this link to find out (By the way, CostCo has some great fluorescent lights on sale right now. A 15 watter lights like 100 watt incandescent): START AT HOME

Check out www.ClimateCrisis.net for more information. Feel free to add your own comments (clickthe “comment” link below).


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TELL A FRIEND: Cut & paste this link into an email - GOTSAFETY.ORG

For health tips, safety tips and safety books to go to GOTSAFETY.ORG


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“If” by Rudyard Kipling

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If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)



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THANKSGIVING SAFETY

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FLU-SEASON STARTS NOW - PLAY IT SAFE:

Get your flu shot. Flu shot not only protects you, but it also protects your family and those around you. 20-30,000 US citizens die each year of influenza, and if there is an epidemic, the numbers could be much higher and the health care system in this country could be overwhelmed. Ask your doctor if a flu shot is right for you.

Keep your fingers away from your face. Unless you just washed your hands, they are a lot dirtier than they look. Anything you touch in public could have an infectious agent on it - every doorknob, every dollar bill, every button. Most respiratory infections are acquired when contaminated fingers enter irritated eyes or itchy noses. So to protect yourself, wash your fingers before and after.

Practice Respiratory Etiquette. Keep your germs to yourself. You could be contagious before you even know you are sick. If you have to cough, don�t do it in your hand, you’ll probably be opening a door with that hand soon. Instead cough into your elbow, or better yet down into your shirt. If you have to blow your nose, use tissue then wash your hands.

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THANKSGIVING SAFETY TIPS:

Know your family history. The NIH, the CDC and the Surgeon General have recently designated Thanksgiving as National Family History Day. What diseases run in your family? If you are like most people you don’t know the answer to this question. But the fact remains that you are at higher risk for conditions that affect other members of your family, and there are often things you can do to decrease that risk. So this Thanksgiving ask your siblings, parents and grandparents about their personal medical history and keep track of the answers. This knowledge may help your doctor tailor preventive health measures to your individual risk. For more information, go to www.hhs.gov/familyhistory.

stoveAvoid cross-contamination in the kitchen. E. coli on raw meat or Salmonella on uncooked poultry will be killed when these foods are properly cooked, but don’t forget that any plates, bowls, cutting boards or counter that they touched may remain a potential biohazard. Clean them immediately or put them in the dishwasher. If you forget and other foods touch them, you may be in for trouble.


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