Want to protect your families health when immediate medical attention may not be available? Of course, we all do. For the best chance of survival from Sudden Cardiac Arrest caused by Ventricular Fibrillation, a defibrillator should be used within 5 minutes. Yet, less than 1 in 20 people survive largely because a defibrillator does not arrive in time. For those with the means (under $1,500) and especially with a risk of heart problems, a home defibrillator should take its place right next to the fire extinguisher, security system and carbon monoxide detector.
Be prepared for the unexpected.
When sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) strikes, the electrical system of the heart short circuits, causing the heart to quiver rather than pump in a normal rhythm. It typically results in the abnormal heart rhythm know as ventricular fibrillation (VF). It usually happens without warning and the majority of people have no previously recognized symptoms of heart disease. And it most often happens at home. For the best chance of survival from SCA caused by VF, a defibrillator should be used within 5 minutes. Yet, less than 1 in 20 people survive largely because a defibrillator does not arrive in time.
Both these models provide simple instructions and automatically determine if a shock is needed, prompting you to press a button if it is. (A shock is only useful in cases of ventricular fibrillation and could cause injury in other cases.)
Philips HeartStart Home Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Home Automated External Defibrillator (AED) with FREE soft carry case - Great Sale Price!
Holiday cooking and holiday eating mean the danger of food poisoning. General rules to remember include washing food thoroughly, cooking meat to at least 180 degrees, keeping hot food hot and cold food cold, avoiding foods with raw eggs and using pasteurized products whereever possible. When it comes to turkey and stuffing:
Turkey and stuffing: Cook stuffing and turkey separately. The bird cooks from the outside and the inside. When you stuff the bird, it reduces the heat penetration. If you choose to cook them together, make sure the temperature reaches at least 180 degrees F. in the innermost part of the thigh, while the center of the stuffing inside the turkey reaches 165 degrees. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that hasn’t reached that temperature.
And, of course, if holidays are a time to indulge in alcohol, drink in moderation and don’t drive.
Source: The Register-Herald–Child safety expert warns of holiday food dangers
The latest FDA recalls since October 25:
Golden Eagle Smoked Foods Inc. Recalls Smoked Salmon Because of Possible Health Risk (November 2, 2005)
Drug Labeling Safety Information: Avinza (morphine sulfate extended-release capsules) (October 2005)
Salus Corporation dba ICP Medical Issues Nationwide Recall of Shampoo Caps (October 31, 2005)
Worthington Foods Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Egg And Milk in Worthington Choplets Vegetable and Grain Protein Patties (October 28, 2005)
Preliminary Public Health Notification: Vapotherm 2000i Respiratory Gas Administration Device (October 27, 2005)
Drug Labeling Safety Information: Zevalin (ibritumomab tiuxetan) (October 2005)
FDA Provides Important Safety Information on Blood Glucose Meters (October 26, 2005)
Source: Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
Following are the complete list of Class I food and drug recalls from the FDA from October 1 to October 24.
Hirzel Canning Company Recalls Prima Qualita Meatless Spaghetti Sauce Due to Undeclared Cheese (October 21, 2005)
Corrected Release: Home Made Brand Foods Inc. Issued Allergy Alert on Listeria in Classic Tuna Salad (October 21, 2005)
Public Health Notification: Boston Scientific ENTERYX Procedure Kits and Injector Single Packs (October 14, 2005)
Baroody Imports Inc. Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Sulfites in Baroody Dried Apricots (October 14, 2005)
Home Made Brand Foods Inc. Issued Allergy Alert on Listeria in Classic Tuna Salad (October 14, 2005)
Fortuna Sea Products, Inc. Recalls Frozen Cooked Clam Meat Because of Possible Health Risk (October 7, 2005)
Aurora Products, Inc Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Sulfites in Little Michael Dried Apricots (October 7, 2005)
Orca Bay Foods, Inc. Recalls Red King Crab Legs and Claws Due to Possible Health Risk (October 7, 2005)
BioMerieux Issues Worldwide Correction Recall of VeriCal® Calibrator Set (October 6, 2005)
Drug Labeling Safety Information — Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) (October 5, 2005)
Henretty’s Prime Meats Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Eggs in Crab Cakes (October 5, 2005)
The White Lily Foods Company Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Wheat Flour in Three Rivers Self-Rising Cornmeal (October 3, 2005)
FDA Issues Nationwide Health Alert on Dole Pre-Packaged Salads (October 2, 2005)
Full information on these and other FDA recalls can be found at the FDA website.
Flu season is just starting and now through November is the recommended time to get vaccinated. There is no flu vaccine shortage this year and the vaccine is available in the new FluMist nasal spray vaccine as well as the older shot. Neither form of this years vaccine is effective against the H5N1 virus that causes the avian or bird flu, but even the current strains of flu can cause serious illness or even death. With plenty of vaccine available, there’s no need to limit vaccination to “high risk” individuals.
On average five to 20 percent of the population in the United States gets the flu each year. More than 200,000 people require hospitalization, and 36,000 people die from the disease every year.
Source: MyMotherLode.com - Local News - Serving Tuolumne, Calaveras and Amador Counties
Unfortunately it’s quite common to call very minor illnesses “a touch of the flu”, so the very serious nature of actual influenza isn’t widely recognized. Here is some information from Wikipedia on the
Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and 1919.
The Spanish Flu Pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza Pandemic, the 1918 Flu Epidemic, and La Grippe, was an unusually severe and deadly strain of influenza, a viral infectious disease, that killed some 25 million to 50 million people worldwide in 1918 and 1919. It is thought to have been one of the most deadly pandemics so far in human history.
The maker of Tamiflu has pledged 3 million doses to the World Health Organization to deal with a possible pandemic, with 1 million doses available now and the other 2 million to be available in 2006. The Spanish Flu Pandemic killed at least 25 million people. The math is not complicated and neither is the obvious conclusion - don’t rely on public health officials to protect your family.
Emergency Contact Network is a service which provides a call center to relay messages to family members in an emergency. Each family member is given a special ID card. If they are injured and unable to contact family themselves, emergency workers can contact the call center and ECN will then contact all appropriate people. They also provide for relaying member messages during hurricanes, earthquakes and other disasters.
Here’s a bit of what they have to say about themselves:
The Emergency Contact Network (ECN) was developed to give people the opportunity to stay connected to their loved ones during emergency situations. There are too many statistics and stories about people being brought to Emergency Rooms without their family or friends knowing what have happened to them for hours sometimes even more than a day. Because the IDs we commonly carry (drivers’ licenses, student IDs and passports) have no contact information on them i.e.: phone number, cell phone, email, there is no way for hospitals to call us or our loved ones during emergency situations.
A survey of chicken for sale in the UK found a significant presence of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics. Thorough cooking and proper preparation are even more important with the potential for untreatable food poisoning.
Superbugs found in chicken
Of the British-grown chickens analysed, over half were contaminated with multi-drug resistant E.coli which is immune to the effects of three or more antibiotics.
More than a third of the 147 samples, which included overseas and UK produced chicken, had E.coli germs resistant to the important antibiotic Trimethaprim which is used to treat bladder infections.
Food Reference provides some tips on chicken safety including thorough cooking, proper thawing for frozen chicken, dealing with marinades and not “pre-stuffing” for later use as well as storage tips.
Household Products Database: Health and Safety Information on Household Products
What’s under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room? Learn more about what’s in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling.
