(April 19) — Millions of young children continue to be injured from choking-related accidents, and death rates are “surprisingly high,” according to a new report.

“The aspiration and ingestion of foreign bodies presents a potential lethal threat to infants and children,” states the report, published this week in the Archives of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery.

Researchers at the Children’s National Medical Center and the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington reviewed information from a national database of children’s hospitalizations in 2003.

In a single year, 2.7 million pediatric patients, with an average age of 3.5, were admitted with airway obstructions because of a foreign body. Forty-two percent of the choking culprits were food items, with the rest classified as “inorganic” products, mostly toys.

Toddler playing with toy blocks
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In 2003, about 42 percent of children taken to hospitals with airway obstructions were choking on food. The rest were choking on toys and other inorganic objects.
The hospital visits that ensued were often lengthy and expensive. Kids were admitted for an average of 6.4 days, costing an average of $34,652.

Around 2,000 children, or 3.4 percent of all those admitted, died from the obstruction. To Dr. Rahul Shah, a pediatric otolaryngologist at the Children’s National Medical Center, and the study’s co-author, that’s unacceptable.

“The death rate, to me, is unbelievable,” he told AOL News. “It just shows that choking is absolutely not a benign health issue, but an extremely serious one.”

The study doesn’t indicate which foods were most often responsible for choking emergencies, but Shah said that parents should be wary no matter what’s on the table.

“If every time parents fed their child, they kept in mind what could go wrong, I think we’d be a lot better off,” he said. “We’ve simply become too complacent about this.”

SOURCE: aolnews.com

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Avian First Aid is a comprehensive presentation designed to teach owners how to properly handle a pet bird emergency.

It is written and presented by Dr. Greg Burkett a Board Certified Avian Veterinarian with 17 years experience in avian medicine. The presentation discusses how to recognize and prepare for an emergency, how to capture and restrain a bird, and gives a complete list of items needed to assemble an avian first aid kit. Dr. Burkett also describes how to set up a home hospital cage, and discusses in detail the common emergencies and describes the first aid needed in each situation. Emergencies discussed include Animal attacks, Bleeding, Burns, Egg binding, and many others.

Every bird owner needs to be aware of these potential emergencies and be familiar with how to stabilize their bird, and this DVD can help prepare bird owners for these situations.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS DVD

Dental Emergencies

Injuries to the mouth may include teeth that are evulsed (knocked out), extruded (forced inward or outward), or fractured (broken). Such injuries may be accompanied by lacerations (cuts) of the lips, gums, or cheeks. Individuals who have oral injuries are usually in pain and should be seen by a dentist as soon as possible.

Evulsed Teeth

When an emergency occurs with an evulsed tooth you are advised to do the following:

Extruded Teeth

If the tooth is extruded or displaced (inward or outward), it should be repositioned with very light finger pressure to its normal alignment. Do not force the tooth into the socket. The tooth should be held in place during transportation to the dentist using a moist tissue or gauze. Again, it is vital that the injured individual be seen by a dentist within 30 minutes.

Fractured teeth

The treatment of a fractured tooth is dictated by the extent of the injury. Regardless of the damage, an individual should always be seen by a dentist. Minor fractures can be smoothed by the dentist with a sandpaper disc or simply left alone. Another option is to restore the tooth with a composite restoration. In either case, you should treat the tooth with care for several days. Moderate fractures include damage to the enamel, dentin and/or pulp. If the pulp is not permanently damaged, the tooth may be restored with a full permanent crown. If damage to the pulp does occur, further dental treatment will be required. Severe fractures often mean a traumatized tooth which has a slim chance of recovery. Injuries to the soft tissues of the mouth Injuries to the inside of the mouth include tears of the cheek, puncture wounds, lacerations of the tongue, and severe lacerations of the lips. Immediate attention should be given to cleaning the wound and transportation to the emergency room for the necessary suturing and wound repair. Bleeding from a tongue laceration can be reduced by pulling the tongue forward and using gauze to place pressure on the would area. The individual should be taken immediately to the emergency room for examination and proper care.

SOURCE:  centralcoastds.org

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Avoid Thanksgiving Accidents
Tips to Avoid Fire Accidents During Thanksgiving Feasts
Experts recommend people prevent their holiday from turning into an emergency by following a few precautions

In anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday, many cooks are busy stocking up on ingredients and perfecting family recipes. But before they mash the potatoes or roast the turkey, they will want to take precautions to ensure that their kitchen doesn’t end up in flames.

“Thanksgiving is a day filled with food and family, but it is also a day that presents many hazards to your home,” said Rick Isaacson, executive vice president of Servpro Industries, Inc. “With multiple tasks taking place in the kitchen at once, it is all too easy for cooks to get distracted and for accidents to take place.”

Isaacson says that by adhering to the following tips, provided by the NFPA, people can lessen their chances of a fire ruining their Thanksgiving feast:

* Be present – Fires often start when items cooking are left unattended, so always stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, baking or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the oven or stove.

* Dress accordingly – Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking. Loose clothing can easily catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner.

* Keep kids out – Enforce a “kid free zone” of three feet around the perimeter of the stove. If kids are present in the kitchen, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible and turn pot handles inward to reduce the risk that pots with hot contents will be knocked over.

* Clean, clean, clean – Be sure your stove top and oven are free of grease, which can easily catch fire. Additionally, keep all combustible cooking accessories, such as pot holders, oven mitts and wooden utensils, away from the stove top.

In the event of damage caused by a residential fire, SERVPRO offers an assortment of services to help people quickly recover and restore any damaged property.

Source: http://www.nfpa.org/index.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1

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MEDIC FIRST AID accepts some credentials issued by other organizations whose programs are evidence-based. We also recognize some forms of medical and other experience in combination with teaching certification. Please see the chart below for a list of our standard reciprocity arrangements

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Reciprocal Instructor Credential MEDIC Instructor type
AHA ACLS & PALS Instructor Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
AHA ACLS Instructor Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
AHA BLS Instructor initially certified after 01 June 2006 CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor
AHA BLS Instructor initially certified before 01 June 2006 CPR/AED Instructor
AHA Heartsaver Instructor CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor
AHA PALS Instructor Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
ARC HIV/AIDS Instructor Bloodborne Pathogens Instructor
ARC Lay Responder First Aid and CPR/AED Instructor CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor
ARC Lifeguard Instructor CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor
ASHI ACLS INSTRUCTOR Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
ASHI Advanced Wilderness Instructor Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
ASHI Bloodborne Pathogens Instructor Bloodborne Pathogens Instructor
ASHI BLS & First Aid Instructor CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor
ASHI BLS Instructor CPR/AED Instructor
ASHI CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor
ASHI CPR/AED Community Instructor CPR/AED Instructor
ASHI First Aid Instructor First Aid Instructor
ASHI First Responder Instructor Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
ASHI PALS Instructor Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
ASHI Wilderness First Responder Instructor Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
NSC Bloodborne and Airborne Pathogens Instructor Bloodborne Pathogens Instructor
NSC CPR/AED Instructor CPR/AED Instructor
NSC First Aid Instructor First Aid Instructor
NSC Pediatric First Aid, CPR AND AED Instructor CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor
NSC Standard First Aid, CPR AND AED Instructor CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor
EMS Instructor Advanced First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor
Instructor TRAINER (AHA, ARC, ASHI, or NSC) Instructor Trainer