Hands-Only CPR: No More Mouth-To-Mouth

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA

You witness an adult collapse to the ground. What do you do? Would you just stand by and watch? Would you call 911??? Would you initiate CPR?

Research reveals that bystanders have been reluctant to perform CPR on a person who drops to the ground because they’re hesitant about putting their mouth on a strangera??s mouth.

Good newsa?|mouth-to-mouth isna??t required

Even without CPR training you can save the life an adult whose heart stops.?? You only need to push hard and fast on the victima??s chest.

Ita??s called a??Hands-Only CPRa?? for the layperson

Push hard and fast in the middle of the victima??s chest, with minimal interruptions.

This recommendation is based on evaluation of recent??scientific studies and consensus of the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Committee.

The American Heart Association encourages everyone, trained or not, to act immediately in such an emergency.

Health Professionals

As health professionals, wea??re trained in CPR and performing CPR is something we dona??t even think about.?? We respond automatically if a patienta??s coding in the hospital or if we encounter someone who suddenly collapses on the street or is unconscious.?? Our training is extensive.

For the layperson

For the layperson that has no training, it can be scary to think that all of a sudden you witness someone dropping to the floor and youa??re going to be pushing down hard and fast on their chest.

But think about this

By acting quickly and initiating Hands-Only CPR, the victim who lies motionless,?? could be someonea??s dad, mother, grandpa, grandma, brother, uncle, son, sister, aunt, daughter; someone who has a family to get back to.?? You can help literally save this persona??s life.

While it might be frightening, you can be in charge and initiate Hands-Only CPR right away.?? This person will have a greater chance of surviving because you started CPR before the professionals arrived.

Here are my tips to help you get started, and to help relieve any uncertainty you may have.

• Watch the video from the American Heart Association to help you understand a??Hands-Only CPR.a??


• Check out the clever a??Hands Symphonya???? to see how incredible hands really are


• Check out these useful sites.?? Handsonlycpr and American Heart Association


• For more info, call 877-AHA-4CPR

Now youa??re ready.?? If you witness an adult collapse, act fast, herea??s what you need to do:

Hands-Only CPR

CALL 911 and PUSH HARD AND FAST

• Call 911a??tell someone or call yourself


• Get directly over the victim


• Put the heel of one hand in the center of the chest, then put your other hand on top of the first


• Push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives


• Push at a rate of 100 beats per minute

Side note

The American Heart Association DOES NOT recommend Hands-Only CPR for:

• All infants (up to age 1)


• Children (up to age 8 )


• Adult victims who are found already unconscious and not breathing normally


• Any victims of drowning, drug overdose or collapse due to breathing problems.

Conventional CPR is used.

Bottom Line

Step out of your comfort zone.?? Learn about Hands-Only CPR.?? Ita??s easy to do and you can literally save someonea??s life.?? Youa??ll be the one in charge before professional help arrives.

So remember, call 911 or instruct someone else to call, and push hard and fast in the center of the victima??s chest.

Your Turn

Wea??d love to hear from you.?? Have you ever given CPR to someone who collapsed??? What was your experience like?

Image: iStock Photo

WAY2GO: New Online Health Assessment For Teens

The Wellness Assessment for Youth to Get Organized! (WAY2GO!) is an online survey for teens that asks questions about their nutrition, exercise, sexual, safety, substance use, emotional??and social health, and provides an immediate individually-tailored report with resources.

The report also links??teens to free Vive health coaching that teens can use to develop a personal wellness plan that includes regular messages sent to their computer or cellphone to support their health goals (e.g., remembering medication, packing a lunch, not using the computer for more than??an hour at a time, etc.)

The WAY2GO! is being pilot-tested in Santa Clara County and if you would like to participate in the testing of the first online assessment for youth, please follow the instruction below and feel free to contact me (brownn@pamf.org) with feedback.

Instructions:

1. health.org/HRA_EMP_ADMIN/Organization/Way2Go/Default.aspx" >WAY2Go Access Page

2. Select a??New Usera??

3. Enter Keyword = WAY2GO

4. Select a??I have read and accept the above practices.a??

5. Register a?? sorry this is a lot of information - remember this is confidential.

6. Select a??Take new WAY2GO!a??

7. In the Introduction tab a?? Please ignore a??Lab Informationa?? just read the introduction.

8. Complete each section and click a??Save & Continuea??

• Be honest a?? remember nobody knows and the report will only be accurate if you tell the truth.


• Please do not look at other peoplea??s answers a?? respect privacy!

9. Review your answers a?? click a??edit sectiona?? if something is wrong.

10. Select a??Save my answers and review reporta??

11. Yes a?? opt in - I understand and agree to havea?|

12. Select a??click here to see report.a??

13. Review each section of your report If you click off to see resources, remember to come back to report

14. Note the links to Vive under nutrition section do not work a?? sorry!

15. Now go back to HOME (top left) and select Go to VIVE

16. Welcome to Vive! To get started, check out our starter packages to help you get started with a few scheduled activities!

• To view starter packages go to the “Activities” tab where it says “For a one-click boost, check out some Activity Package,” and click the link. Add and/or edit the starter package of your choosing!


• If you want to edit your reminder message preferences after adding a starter package (right now they are set up for text message and email), go to “Activities”, edit the activities you want to change, and fix your reminder preferences (email, text message, or no reminder at all).

17. If you want to get started on your own, go to the “Activities” tab, browse through our various health activity categories, and add 3 or 4 activities that you’ll actually do (don’t add too many!). Set up your activities with a goal, then decide if you need a text message or email reminder to actually get the activity done.

18. If you’ve chosen to receive health tips and reminders via text message or want to use Vive-it on your cell phone, go to “Account” then “Profile,” enter your cell phone number, hit “Create Profile” (at bottom of page), and then respond to the Vive verification text message once you get it!

19. Go back to your homepage and your health activities will appear in your Game Plan where you can check them off and enter data for them as you go!

20. Check out our health challenges on the right side of the home page if you want to compete with other users in a fun, social week- or month-long health challenge!

Feedback welcome here: Evaluation - WAY2GO!

Stay Healthy!

This post, healthline.com/blogs/teen_health/2010/04/wellness-assessment-for-youth-to-get.html" >WAY2GO: New Online Health Assessment For Teens, was originally published on
healthline.com/" target="_blank">Healthine.com by Nancy Brown Ph.D..

Google’s Approach To Serious Health Searches

Now that Google has become a near-universal information provider for many people, it’s finding itself answering questions that need a little more of a nuanced approach.

Apparently prodded by a mother who was looking for poison control contacts in an emergency, Google is now providing relevant phone numbers at the top of search results for a few specific queries.

Whether you’re looking for how to commit suicide or dealing with someone’s possible attempt at one, Google now helps you get in touch with the right people by??first listing the phone numbers of the institutions or emergency services??appropriate to your search.

More at Search Engine Land…

The State Of U.S. Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issues an annual report on the state of health in the United States. The 33rd edition is out and has some surprising findings, especially about the use of procedures, tests and medical technology.

The life expectancy in the United States is now 77.9 years. Are you over that age? If so, congratulations — you beat the odds.

Mortality from heart disease, stroke and cancer continue to decline but the leading cause of death for people age 65 and older is still heart disease. The leading cause of death for people age 1 to 44 is unintentional injuries. I think that includes war, which always takes the young men.

Here are some findings that show how hard it will be to rein in healthcare costs:

• The use of MRI, CT and PET imaging soared, especially in physician offices and outpatient departments.


• Knee replacement surgery for people age 45 and older rose 70% in the last decade. Partial hip replacements increased by 60%


• Drug-eluting stents were used in 75% of angioplasties. Everyone who has angioplasty seems to get a stent nowdays.


• Assisted reproduction doubled during the past decade, especially on women over age 40.


• The use of diabetes drugs for people age 45 and older increased by 50% and statins soared tenfold.


• Outpatient upper endoscopies rose by 90% and colonoscopies tripled.

Mental illness was the 2nd leading chronic condition in adults age 18 to 44. Since serious mental illness like schizophrenia is not on the rise, could it be that our lifestyles and stress of modern living are affecting our emotions?

If you think about it, lifestyle changes can really impact our lives and our health. Eating healthy, exercising, relaxing, meditating, doing yoga or other activities have been proven over and over to be the antidote to modern illness. Stop the wars and put that money into education, school lunches, and fun physical education. I know it’s utopia, but I’d like to see this report in the future if we could accomplish that.

Watch Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” on ABC. This guy is trying to save America.

What Can Diet And Exercise Actually Help Do?

First, an article in the New York??Times talks about whether exercise can actually help you lose weight. Short answer: Probably not, but it may help you keep the pounds off. Click here to read the article.

Second, Ia??ve done a podcast about my post on whether diet can be used??to control??blood pressure long term. Each week Razib Khan, Kevin Zelnio and I discuss an article wea??ve covered on one of our blogs, and it was my turn. Click here to listen to the podcast online, or??click??here??if youa??d like to subscribe to the podcast. You can also visit iTunes and search??on a??ResearchBlogCast.a??

Breast Cancer Prevention: Komen And KFC?

I must say I was surprised (astounded) when I first saw the KFC commercial touting their Buckets for the Cure.??It’s a partnership between KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.??KFC donated 50 cents for each bucket purchased.

This, after the recent addition to KFCa??s menu of the Double Down Sandwich!??It’s my opinion that KFC doesn’t have anyonea??s health as their goal.

I want to encourage anyone who wants to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure or other breast cancer groups to simply bypass KFC and donate directly to the group.??

Benefits of donating directly include:

• You get the tax write off, not KFC.??


• You might avoid a heart bypass procedure by eating healthier at home or elsewhere.

Ia??m not the only one who feels this way.??Check out the article by Jennifer LaRue Huget??in the Washington Post, which states:

A 10-piece bucket of KFC fried chicken (including the sides) costs about $20. If you’re really interested in supporting Komen for the Cure’s efforts, why not just mail them a check directly?

Most Primary Care Doctors Using Wrong Colon Cancer Screening Test

A recent article found that primary care doctors the United States are providing sub-standard care when it comes to colon cancer screening.

In the Journal of General Internal Medicine, researchers found that 25% of primary care doctors used in-office stool testing to screen for colon cancer. Specifically, doctors do a rectal exam and then swipe the rectal contents off their gloves onto a stool-testing card. A positive test result indicates the presence of blood, which can be invisible to the naked eye.

The in-office stool testing has not been the standard of care for at least a decade. More importantly, it also misses 95% of advanced colorectal cancers. The study found that doctors most likely to do the in-office stool testing were those in solo practice.

To confuse matters even further, another??50% of doctors did both in-office stool testing as well as home testing. This means that essentially 75% of primary care doctors are using the wrong screening test.

If one is to screen for colon cancer correctly and wishes to use stool-card testing, then it must be done by the patient at home, not in the office by the doctor.

If the stool test revealed occult blood, the recommended followup is a colonoscopy. A repeat stool test is not suggested. A sigmoidoscopy is also not recommended for a positive stool test result.

Disappointingly, 17.8% of doctors recommend repeating the stool test. If the second stool test was normal, 28.8% recommended no further workup. This is not only wrong, but now falsely assures the patient that everything is fine. Researchers found doctors most likely to recommend a repeat stool test were those who graduated from medical school before 1978, who were not board-certified, and who were in solo practice.

Though this study surveyed doctors from September 2006 to May 2007 and researchers noted that there was slight improvement in colon cancer screening from 2000, (more doctors did not choose sigmoidoscopy after a positive stool test) the results are still quite disturbing.

The correct options for colon cancer screening for Americans at average risk for colon cancer beginning at age 50 include the following:

Fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) — stool testing which is done at home, not in the office. Done annually.

or

above with flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years

or

colonoscopy every 10 years

The authors of the article were too kind when they subtitled their article a??serious deviations from evidence-based recommendations.a?? In 2000, when a colleague of mine and I during residency polled our??22 other family medicine residents and interns, every one correctly knew that in office stool testing was not the standard of care.

The article concludes that a??many physicians are continuing to use inappropriate implementation methods [and that] intensified efforts to inform physicians of recommended technique and promote the use of systems for tracking test completion and follow-up are needed.a?? In other words, if we continue educating doctors perhaps one day they will all do what the standard of care has been for the past 10 years.

Why is this study important?

The only people that can make the healthcare system better is doctors. When we fail, patients get inadequate care.

When healthcare reform proponents recommend patients be given more financial responsibility to get medical care, I wonder if they are too naive. The belief is that the public will choose more prudently when they have more monetary skin in the game. As a result, the thought is that as healthcare becomes more like other markets, consumer goods, purchasing other services, that the healthcare system will be more efficient and drive costs down further.

While I understand that patients should have some cost-sharing, this alone wona??t fix the healthcare crisis. Consumer driven healthcare advocates fail to realize that the degree of information needed to make patients truly smart consumers requires a medical degree and training.

Do we expect that patients should be able to recite what are the correct screening modalities for colon cancer screening when doctors cana??t do it consistently now even though guidelines have been around for years?

Will patients choose only board-certified doctors or choose quality of medical care based on bedside manner? The correct answer is they should find doctors who have both qualities. If one must choose between the two, patients should opt for board certification over bedside manner.

This research suggest that perhaps it might be better to find a doctor not in solo practice. Is it possible that doctors are smarter and up to date on the latest research findings because of conversations that occur between patients? Are two heads better than one?

Otherwise, patients have a difficult, but not impossible responsibility to educate themselves. That is why I wrote my book, so if our healthcare system truly becomes consumer-driven, at least there’s an easy reference to get everyone up to speed. You might need to pick up a copy for your own doctor to read.

Patients Are Happier When Doctors Sit

Patient satisfaction, as I wrote about previously, is being increasingly focused upon.

Doctors are often pressed for time, and appear rushed a?? which can potentially lead to unhappy patients.

I saw this small study showing that the simple act of healthclub/2010/04/should-doctors-sit-or-stand-.html" >sitting down while talking to patients can have a profound effect. Many doctors I know already do this, but now therea??s some data to support sitting.

According to the study performed at a University of Kansas hospital, a physician documented 120 visits, half of which he conducted while sitting and the other half while standing:

The researchers found that Arnolda??s [the researching physician's] standing visits lasted an average of 1 minute, 28 seconds. The patients, meanwhile, thought the appointment lasted an average of 3 minutes, 44 seconds.

When Arnold sat down, the average time spent seated was just over one minute, which was actually shorter than when he stood. But the patients thought he spent more than five minutes in the room.

Overall, patients thought Arnold spent 40 percent more time in the room when he sat down.

Furthermore, when patients were asked about the interaction, a??the ones who saw the seated doctor a??expressed greater satisfaction and a better sense of understanding of their condition,a?? than those who saw the standing doc.a??

So maybe, while doctors continue to lobby for more time to spend with patients, they can help themselves simply by sitting down in the exam room.

How To Track Epilepsy Online

Ia??ve written about several sites that let users track parameters related to their health management.

Here’s another example, SeizureTracker.com, that tracks seizure activity, appointments, and medication schedules through a simple calendar interface. You can download printable seizure logs or receive customized reports which include graphs comparing seizure activity and medication dosages.

SeizureTracker.com is dedicated to providing people living with epilepsy and their doctors with free comprehensive tools to help understand relationships between seizure activity and anti-epileptic medications.

Our hope is that this website will empower people with epilepsy to become active leaders in their own treatment, working hand-in-hand with doctors.

The reports generated by SeizureTracker.com become a valuable communication aid when meeting with doctors because all the necessary information is in one brief report.

How 3D TV Can Affect Your Health

I can’t read for any length of time in a moving vehicle — it makes me nauseous. This is because in order for the body to determine where it is at all times, the brain combines visual information, touch information, inner ear information, and internal expectations to judge its position in space.

Under most circumstances, the senses and expectations agree. When they disagree, there is conflict, and motion sickness can occur. In my case with reading in a car, my eyes that are fixed on the written page tell my brain that I am still. However, as the car goes over bumps and accelerates or decelerates, my inner ear disagrees resulting in my brain activating the nausea center and causing motion sickness.

Well, the same thing health/ct-biz-0425-phil-rosenthal--20100425,0,943900.column" >might happen with 3D TV.

Samsung Australia offers these warnings about the potential health effects of 3D TV:

– Some viewers may experience an epileptic seizure or stroke when exposed to certain flashing images or lights contained in certain television pictures or video games. If you or any of your family has a history of epilepsy or stroke, please consult with a medical specialist before using the 3D function.

– If you experience any of the following symptoms, immediately stop watching 3D pictures and consult a medical specialist: (1) altered vision; (2) lightheadedness; (3) dizziness; (4) involuntary movements such as eye or muscle twitching; (5) confusion; (6) nausea; (7) loss of awareness; (8) convulsions; (9) cramps; and/or (10) disorientation. Parents should monitor and ask their children about the above symptoms as children and teenagers may be more likely to experience these symptoms than adults.

– Viewing in 3D mode may also cause motion sickness, perceptual after effects, disorientation, eye strain, and decreased postural stability. It is recommended that users take frequent breaks to lessen the likelihood of these effects. If you have any of the above symptoms, immediately discontinue use of this device and do not resume until the symptoms have subsided.

– We do not recommend watching 3D if you are in bad physical condition, need sleep or have been drinking alcohol.

– Watching TV while sitting too close to the screen for an extended period of time may damage your eyesight. The ideal viewing distance should be at least three times the height of the TV screen. It is recommended that the viewer’s eyes are level with the screen.

– Watching TV while wearing 3D Active Glasses for an extended period of time may cause headaches or fatigue. If you experience a headache, fatigue or dizziness, stop watching TV and rest.

– Do not use the 3D Active Glasses for any purpose other than viewing 3D television. Wearing the 3D Active Glasses for any other purpose (as general spectacles, sunglasses, protective goggles, etc.) may physically harm you or weaken your eyesight.

– Viewing in 3D mode may cause disorientation for some viewers. DO NOT place your television near open stairwells, cables, balconies or other objects that may cause you to injure yourself.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, since these issues with 3D TV are very reminiscent of problems experienced with virtual reality display units in the 1980’s. But as a recent Samsung TV customer and guy with my particular vestibular predilection, I was surprised to find that these health concerns are not published on Samsung’s US website.

This is not to say there aren’t websites out there with plenty of folks who have experienced motion sickness from 3D technology — there are. But we should not forget that there are many, many families outside of Australia who have children with epilepsy or a history of epilepsy and this technology is being actively marketed to children.

Granted, photosensitive epilepsy is relatively rare, affecting less than 5% of all people with epilepsy, but as the market reach of this technology expands, manufacturers should make these health issues of their technology known to the public, irrespective of the country in which they reside.

-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist.

Paying Medical Bills Without Drowning in Debt

Health Insurance & Debt

Most individuals know that present-day health insurance isn’t a protection against massive amounts of uncovered medical debt. The American Journal of Medicine reported the results of a random sample study in June. The results stated that in 2007, before the current economic downturn, an American family filed for bankruptcy every 90 seconds in the aftermath of illness even though three-quarters of them were insured. The study added that 60 percent of all bankruptcies in the United States in 2007 were driven by medical incidents.

One of the most damaging aspects of medical debt is that it may occur suddenly and pile up at lightning speed. An overnight hospital stay – depending on tests and treatments – may easily cost several thousand dollars.

The bottom line: Your health could be your biggest money issue.

Health Insurance Planning

Whether you’re facing a planned medical procedure or have to undergo treatment in an emergency, it pays to devise a battle plan to keep costs under control, and keep the person you’ve designated as your health power of attorney in the loop. A financial planning professional, health insurance agent or your employer’s human resource department might be good places to start a discussion about avoiding unnecessary costs during physician’s office visit or hospital procedures.

One of the main things all individuals should do if they have time before an exam or procedure is check whether their insurance covers it.

Medical Debt

But if you’re currently facing significant medical debt without insurance or after insurance refuses to pay a significant portion of your bill, here are some steps you can follow:

Relax first and then check for errors: Medical Billing Advocates of America, a Salem, VA organization of businesses that consult with individuals and companies to examine bills for mistakes and correct insurance mistakes, says that there are duplicate charges in almost every medical bill. Watch the bill closely, write down questions you have and then make an appointment with the doctor or hospital’s billing office to politely review those questions.

Make sure the insurer is dealing with the bill: If you undergo a hospital visit or a procedure, you may get a summary of fees from the hospital or the physician that say “not a bill,” which may lead you to put it aside and forget about it. Check in with your insurer to check the status of the claim before you get a surprise weeks later that they have refused to cover the bill. Make sure you’re watching every step of the process from the moment you leave the hospital or doctor’s office.

You can negotiate: If you are stuck paying out-of-pocket for a significant portion of the bill, see if you can negotiate that fee downward. Call the physician or hospital billing office to see if you can get a discount on the total bill, and see if there is a financial counselor at the hospital you can deal with.

Get help: A medical billing advocate generally works on major uninsured medical debts – ranging from the tens to the hundreds of thousands of dollars – and typically charges anywhere from 15 to 50 percent of the bill as a collection fee for negotiating with the hospital, physician or the insurance company. That’s a hefty price to pay for someone else’s expertise, but in certain cases, it can make sense. Failing that, many states have indigent care funds that offer some relief for individuals with substantial medical debt.

Keep Your Health Insurance Coverage Current During Life Events

Summer is a season of graduations and weddings. Life events like these often have an impact on the health insurance coverage of those involved. When a new person joins your family or a child is no longer deemed a dependent it can affect their eligibility under your health plan

Insurance Deadlines
Often times your plan will allow for a two week or one month window after the life event in which you can update their medical, dental, and vision benefits. My employer gives us 31 days from the date of the event to make the necessary changes.

New Baby or Job Changes
It’s not just weddings and graduations, bringing home a summer baby or a spouse’s seasonal job change are also considered life events. We had our son in the summer and I took three weeks off after he was born. When I got back to work I was swamped trying to catch up from being gone for so long. I didn’t realize I only had a week left to add him to my insurance plan and only discovered on the last day that I was almost out of time.

Update Your Benefits
Luckily I got him added under my benefits, if I hadn’t we would have been required to wait until the next open enrollment. He would have had to stay on my wife’s insurance plan which was much more expensive than mine. So if you have exciting family events happening this summer be sure to check with your Human Resources department to maintain your family members health insurance coverage.

What You Can Do to Maintain Your Health

What comes to mind when you think of taking risks with your health—driving recklessly, or maybe abusing alcohol or illegal drugs? Those behaviors are certainly risky. However, many people have less dramatic behaviors that are just as dangerous in the long run. Tobacco use, unbalanced nutrition (too many calories and/or too much of one food group and not enough of the others) and a lack of physical activity are some of the key risk factors for the most common causes of death.

How to keep healthy

What is the most important thing in the world? I think it is health. 

You can take away our money, house, car, or even our clothes and we can survive. But if our health was taken away, we would surely die. That is why we always try to eat in a healthy way and exercise regularly. 

In order to eat healthily, I usually avoid eating food high in fat, like French fries or cookies. I also eat little meat. I eat a lot of vegetables and fresh fruit which are full of vitamins. 

Taking exercise every day helps us build a strong body. Regular exercise is an important part of keeping me healthy. 

What's more, I think friends are an important part of one's health. Many studies show that people with a wide range of social contacts get sick less than those who don't. I always feel better when I am with friends than when I am alone. When I am with my friends, I always laugh. Laughing is also an important part of health. I like to laugh with my friends.

 

How to Keep Health

ealth is far more important than wealth and wisdom. Good health enables us to enjoy our life and achieve what we hope for in our career. On the contrary, poor health tends to deprive us of our interest in everything around us. How to stay healthy concerns everyone, though we have advanced medicine. When we discuss this, some fundamental principles should be brought in mind.

Firstly, it is very important for us to take more fruits and vegetables because they provide vitamins and they help in the process of digestion. Secondly, we have to keep a balanced diet and maintain regular eating habits. Proper nutrition is important for good health. Avoid food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein. Thirdly, wed better do morning exercise every day, do sports frequently to make our bodies strong. Besides, we have to avoid too much work pressure. Getting too tired all the time may definitely weaken our defense system, making us get sick easily. Finally, we have to get rid of those bad habits that damage our health, such as drinking and smoking.