Dealing with Angina Pectoris & Heart Attack..

Angina Pectoris

A condition where the coronary arteries, which supply the heart muscles with blood, become narrowed and cannot carry sufficient blood to meet the increased demands during exertion or excitement.

An attack forces the casualty to rest; the pain should ease soon after.

Signs & Symptoms

o Gripping chest pain, often spreading to the left arm and jaw
o Pain or tingling in the hand
o Weakness, often sudden and extreme
o Lips may become blue.
o Casualty may be short of breath.

Management

o Help casualty to sit down and support his back and place padding his knees
o Reassure casualty. Advice him to rest.
o Loosen tight clothing around neck, chest, and waist.
o If symptom persist, arrange removal to hospital.
o Nitro-glycerine/GTN tablets are prescribed to persons subjected to angina attacks. This can be placed under the tongue at the onset of episode.

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Heart Attack

A heart attack is most commonl caused by a sudden obstruction of the blood supply to part of the heart muscle for example, because of a clot in a coronary artery.\

The main risk is the heart will stop beating

Drugs like aspirin and other medications that dissolve the clot are used to limit the extent of damange to the heart muscles.

Signs & Symptoms

 Sudden crushing pain in the centre of chest sometimes described as severe indigestion. This may spread to arms, throat, jaw, abdomen or back and does not subside with rest.
 Sudden giddiness causing casualty to sit downs or leans against a wall.
 Skin may become ashen.
 Lips and extremities may become blue (cyanosis).
 Profuse sweating may develop.
 Breathlessness may occur.
 Fast pulse, which may become weaker and irregular.
 Symptoms and signs of shock.
 Unconsciousness may develop.
 Breathing and heart may stop.

Management

 Rest and Reassure
 Be ready to resuscitate (CPR) if casualty becomes unconscious
 Urgent removal to hospital

Do browse through this website for a better understanding...

http://www.medhelp.org/tags/show/299/Heart-Attack

Epilepsy...Seizures...Fits...

Epilepsy – Abnormal and uncontrollable surge of electrical activities in the brain

Minor Epilepsy

How to recognize?

o Sudden “switching off”/in daydream.
o Slight twitching movements of lips, eyelids or head.
o Strange “automatic” movements – lip smacking, chewing, making odd noises, fiddling with clothing.
o On recovery casualty may have lose track of what he/she was doing.

How to manage?

o Help casualty sit down.
o Remove possible sources of harm.
o Talk calmly and reassuringly.
o Do not pester with questions.
o Stay with casualty until he/she has recovered.
o Advise to see doctor.

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Major Epilepsy

How to recognize?

· Some casualty may experience brief period of “aura” – a strange feeling, a particular taste or smell.
· Sudden loss of consciousness, often letting out a cry.
· Observe the phases of epilepsy

After the Fit (<5mins)

· Muscles relax.
· Breathing becomes normal.
· Recovers consciousness.
· Feel dazed and confused.
· Behave strangely – “automatism”.
· May be followed by deep sleep.

How to manage?

· Support falling casualty.
· Clear space around.
· Loosen clothing around neck.
· Place something soft under neck.
· When convulsions cease, place in recovery position.
· Stay with casualty until completely recovered.
· DO NOT lift or move casualty unless in immediate danger.
· DO NOT use force to restrain him/her or put anything into mouth.
· Note time and duration of fit.
· If unconscious for more than 10 minutes, call for ambulance.
· If casualty unaware of his/her condition, advise to see doctor.

Here's a video by Doctor Hillary explaining on Epilepsy for your further understanding.. =)

Ccramp Cramp Cramp!!!

Cramp is an involuntary, painful contraction of the muscles which produce a hard, bulging muscle. Cramps can be caused by cold, shortage of oxygen and build up of lactic acid where muscles going into spasm.

The causes of cramping:

· Hyper flexion
· Inadequate oxygenation
· Dehydration
· Extreme cold and chilling

Management of cramp in the foot

Aim: To help relieve the spasm and pain.

To do:-
· Help the casualty to stand with her weight on the front of her foot.
· Massage the affected area of the foot.

Management of cramp in the calf

Aim: To help relieve the spasm and pain.

To do:-
· Straighten the casualty’s knee and support the foot.
· Flex the foot towards the shin and then massage.


Management of cramp in the thigh

Aim: To help relieve the spasm and pain.

To do:-
· Help the casualty to lie down then raise the leg and straighten the knee.
· Support the leg and massage the affected thigh muscle gently but firmly.

Sprain vs Strain..

SPRAIN

o A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments. A ligament is a thick, tough, fibrous tissue that connects bones together.

o Excessive stretching can cause injury to the ligaments.

o The ligaments can have tears in it, or it can be completely torn apart.

o Signs and Symptoms

- Pain
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Loss of functional ability
- Deformity
- Redness
- Inflammation
- Feel a pop or tear when injury happens

STRAIN

o A strain is caused by a twisting or tearing of muscle or tendon that attach the muscles to the bones.

o By pulling too far on a muscle can also damage small blood vessels, causing local bleeding and pain.

o Signs and Symptoms

- Sudden sharp pain
- Muscle spasm
- Muscle weakness
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Loss of muscle function
- Redness
- Inflammation

Management of Strain and Sprain

REST
To avoid further injury and also to reduce increased blood flow

ICE
Use a cold pack, or ice to help limit the swelling. Be careful not to apply too long to avoid tissue damage

COMPRESSION
Compress the area with an elastic wrap or bandage

ELEVATION
Elevate the injured part to give gravitational aid and help prevent and limit swelling

Treating Burns and Scalds..

Treating minor burns and scalds

Place injured part under cold running water for at least 10 minutes. If water is not available, any cold harmless liquid eg. Milk (gassy drinks are not recommended)

Gently remove any jewellery, watches, belts, or constricting clothing from the injured area before it begins to swell.

Cover injured with clean, sterile and non-fluffy material.

DO NOT break blisters.
DO NOT apply adhesive tape to the skin.
DO NOT apply lotions, ointments, or fats to the injury.

Treating Severe Burns and Scalds

o Lay casualty down. Protect the burned area from contact with the ground if possible.

o Douse the burn with plenty of cold liquid at least for 10 minutes, but must not delay the removal to hospital.

o While cooling the burn, watch for signs of difficulty in breathing.

o Gently remove any rings, watches, belts, shoes, or smouldering clothing from the injured area, before it begins to swell.

o Carefully remove burned clothing, unless it is sticking to the burn.



o Cover the injury with a sterile dressing.
o Reassure the casualty and treat for shock.


o Monitor and record breathing and pulse rates.
o Call 999 for an ambulance.

What is wound?

Breaks in the skin or the body surfaces or other tissue which allows blood to escape

· Open wound – Allow blood and other fluids to be lost from the body and enable germs to enter
· Close wound – Bleeding is confined within the body tissue

What are your priorities?

• Control blood loss by applying pressure over the wound and raising the injured part.


• Take steps to minimize shock, which can result from severe blood loss.


• Cover any open wound with a dressing, to protect it from infection and promote natural healing.


• Pay attention to hygiene, so that there is no spread of infection between the casualty and yourself.

How to manage minor bleeding?

1. Wash hands thoroughly, and put on gloves if available

2. Rinse wound lightly with running water, if available, until it is clean.


3. Dab gently to dry
4. If there is bleeding, apply direct pressure on the wound
5. Elevate and support injured part

6. Pat dry and dress wound with adhesive dressing


How to manage severe bleeding?

1. Wash hands thoroughly, and put on gloves if available
2. Apply direct pressure over the wound with your fingers, preferably over a sterile dressing or clean pad
3. Lay casualty down to minimize shock

4. Elevate the injured part
5. Bandage it in place firmly, but not so tightly as to allow the circulation.

6. If bleeding seeps through the dressing, bandage another firmly over the top.

What are the precautions to be taken to prevent cross infection?

· Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water
· Put on a pair of disposable glove
· Cover cuts/grazes with waterproof dressings
· Wear a plastic apron/glasses – large quantities of body fluids
· Avoid contact with wound
· Try not to breathe, cough or sneeze over a wound while treating
· Take care not to prick/cut with needle/glass on or near a casualty
· Dispose all waste safely – biohazard bag

What are your aims?

· Stop bleeding
· Take care of hygiene
· Prevent from shock
· Obtain medical help if necessary

Do visit this link for more details. =)

http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/first-aid-advice/wounds-and-bleeding/bleeding.aspx

Fainting

Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness caused by a temporary reduction of the blood supply to the brain.

Fainting may be a reaction to pain, exhaustion, lack of food, or emotional stress. It is also common after long periods of physical inactivity such as standing or sitting still especially in warm atmosphere which causes blood to pool in the legs, reducing the amount of blood reaching the brain.

For recognition:

· A brief loss of consciousness that causes casualty to fall on the floor.
· A slow pulse
· Pale, cold skin and sweating

What to do???

-Lay the casualty down, raise and support her/his legs. You may support her/his ankle on your shoulder.

-Lossen tight clothing and make sure she/he has plenty of fresh air, open windows if
necessary and ask any bystanders to stand clear.

-As she/he recovers, reassure her/him and help her/him to sit up gradually.

Raising casualty legs to improve blood flow to the brain.

When Someone is Choking..

What is choking?

A foreign object that stuck at the back of the throat may either block the throat or induce muscular spasm.

Signs and Symptoms

Casualty may point to the throat or grasp the neck.

Casualty unable to:
· Speak
· Breathe
· Cough

Treatment

Conscious Casualty
1) Ask the casualty “Are you choking?”
2) Back Slaps x 5
3) Perform Heimlich Maneuver x5
4) Continue Himlich Maneuver until casualty fall unconscious

Unconscious Casualty
1) Support casualty and place casualty to a full spinal position
2) Open airway, remove foreign object if possible
3) Check breathing, give 2 blows if breathing not present
4) Continue perform 30 chest compression, if signs of life not visible

A video on how to perform Heimlich Maneuver...

CPR - Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation

What is CPR?

• When there is no pulse, meaning that the heart has stopped beating, an artificial circulation(chest compression) takes place.
• CPR – A combination process of chest compressions with artificial ventilation.

The Resuscitation Sequence

CHECK FOR DANGER
Look for any potential danger around you and the casualty

CHECK FOR CASUALTY’S RESPONSE
Tap the shoulder and try to get a response by asking questions or gently shaking him

OPEN THE AIRWAY
Perform head-tilt, chin-lift to open the airway

CHECK BREATHING
Check for breathing. Look, listen and feel

BREATHE FOR THE CASUALTY
If the casualty is not breathing, keep the head tilted back, pinch the nostrils closed, and give two breaths of mouth-to-mouth ventilation

CHECK FOR SIGNS OF LIFE
Monitor for signs of life (any movements or speech) for up to ten seconds. If there is no sign of recovery, begin CPR

COMMENCE CPR
Alternate 30 chest compressions (push hard and fast) to 2 breaths of artificial ventilation

Here's a video to make things clearer..

Go to this page for a more detail explaination mates! ;)

http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/first-aid-advice/life-saving-procedures/cpr-for-adults.aspx

Let's talk First Aid!~

I've been learning about first aid since the age of 13, so I thought of sharing some simple first aid skill in my blog for the month of May.. So peeps,

Featured topic for May would be "First Aid" =)

As an introduction...

What is First Aid?

First aid is the first assistance or treatment given to someone injured or sudden taken ill before the arrival of an ambulance, doctor or other qualified person.

What are the aims of First Aid?

To preserve life

To prevent condition from becoming worse

To promote recovery

That's all for an introduction!

signing off...

The Amazing Cucumber ~

This information was in The New York Times last year as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems. And i thought of sharing some of them with you people here in my blog.. =)

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, VitaminB6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassiumand Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick upa cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing acucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide asoothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in asmall pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. Thechemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scentundetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee thearea.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out orto the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problemarea for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause thecollagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducingthe visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slicesbefore going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumberscontain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essentialnutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both ahangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbershave been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, tradersand explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don'thave enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over theshoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not onlylooks great but also repels water.

9. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to thespa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that hasbeen shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students duringfinal exams.

10. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with yourtongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will killthe bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

11. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainlesssteel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want toclean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine,but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails whileyou clean.

12. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons andmarkers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Pass this along peeps! It's better and saferways to solve life's everyday problems.. ;)

Be cool, and use ME!
signing off..

Investment?? This is new to me!

All my life, anything to do with the economy had never been a concern to me, as i totally have not got even a single bit of interest on that, I know I should equipt myself with what is going on in the business world as it is the one that keeps the country going. Well, since I've been so ignorant, so I thought of doing some research on what investment is all about, why are there huge investment activities in countries such as China and India? And this is what I manage to compile... I'm impressed too.. =)

Investment as defined economically is the spending of a firm or a country on extra capital goods to increase output and inflow of revenue.

Well, everyone knows that investment is a very important activity in determining the country’s level of prosperity. This is rather true as the number of firms going international nowadays is rapidly growing. This came with motives of maximizing profits. As these foreign direct investments (FDI) grows, it has led to the trend of globalizations where it had been reflected by the U.S where it is one of the most popular destination for investment either abroad or as a host country. The reasons to this are because of the stable economy and the inexpensive dollars used as the international trade currency.

Investments by Multinational Corporation (MNC) in the developing countries started increasing since 1980’s which has helped stabilize and created a more prosperous economy for these countries. The FDI had in a way assisted these countries in facing hardships. The benefits of FDI to the host country are firstly reflected by the allowance of technology transfer where large capital is being introduced, promoting competition within local industries.

Secondly, there is a development of human capital with the retraining schemes provided. This had improved labour skills leading to an increase in salaries which cause a higher spending power and also a higher standard of living among the local citizens. Besides that, productivity level also rises, increasing the country’s export activities. The government had kept interest rates low to further attract FDI into the country. This is because the higher the revenue earned by this MNC’s, the more tax payable to the host country.

The reason behind these MNC investing in a foreign country is to be able to explore new markets, to obtain raw materials and human resources where in their home country there are limited resources to share with their local industries. The benefits of allowing FDI into a country is not solely gained by those MNC’s but it has in a way helped local industries of the host country. The allowance of FDI has assisted the growth of local industry. This is because government had implemented tax breaks to local industries but not to foreigners. Government business or contracts are also given priority to local industries giving them more experience and to be better able to compete with the foreigners. However those foreign companies that entered the country have a tendency to cause a foreign exchange loss. For example countries like China and India where there are large population will attract FDI into their country to produce for their local market and not for exports.

As a conclusion, the level of investment in a country is one of the critical issues that would help determine the status of the economy. However the benefits gained from foreigners investing into our country is that it adds on to the total capital stock and probably stock of technology and management as well. As local governments gain from the tax paid by the MNC’s there will be another round of spending by the government in improving education and health care to further improve the local citizens quality of life. In the pass we can see that most of the investing activities was located in the U.S, Europe, Latin America and etc.

But today we can see more of the East Asian countries actively involved in these investing activities for example Four Tiger of South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Not to forget also that Japan and China today is one of the two strong leading economies that had gained tremendous respect from all leaders around the world.
Now be proud that we are Asians! ;)

Just a lil' something to share..

While my mind flew years back to when I was still a high school student, I recall the gloriest time of my school years, when my competition team won the St. John Ambulance Malaysia National First Aid and Home Nursing Competition. It was amazing! it was really really amazing. We used stand on the school benches singing the song "We Are The Champion" by Queen whenever we are too tensed up during our training. I laughed, thinking about how we sang so loudly to boost our confidence and spirit in the school pavilion. And trust me, we trained really really HARD, I don't know if the training is smart or not, or maybe sometimes it is smart but one thing for sure is that we trained really really HARD.. and Well, of course by winning the nursing cadet category in national level, we represented Malaysia in the Malaysia-Singapore Competition. Even though we did not manage to win that competition, winning the national level was a great achievement and a record breaking for the organisation unit in my school. All the sacrifice, cutting our hair into a mushroom-like-shape, all the holidays spent in school, all the free time spent, the torture we got from the seniore was all worth it..

And here's some photos I would like to share..

During footdrill..

During nursing (long case).. we nurse the patient after reading the condition and scenario given by the judges who are nurses and doctors from the army..

During first aid (short case)...we render first aid to the fake-up casualty, following the scenario given by the army doctors..

Although this achievement is nothing much, but it mean the world to my team and me. It may be a history, the memories remained fresh in my mind.. and I still smile thinking about it. =)

signing off..

The Planet Song

I was browsing through the Internet in searching for a theme song for the camp which me and my fellow mates from SJAM KSS were organising and I found this very funny song in you tube. Check it out peeps!

Cuuutte!!~ ;)

And in my time browsing through, I found out that Pluto is no longer consider a planet in the solar system anymore making the total number of planets in our galaxie to be 8 instead of 9. Am I a bit outdated on this? Maybe I am because Pluto was classified as "Dwarf Planets" in August 2006. It was demoted after scientists from around the world come out with a new definition for the term 'planet' at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Prague, in the Czech Republic in 2006. The IAU decides the official names of all celestial bodies.
The tough decision comes after a multiyear search for a scientific definition of the word "planet." The term never had an official meaning before.

According to the new definition, a full-fledged planet is an object that orbits the sun and is large enough to have become round due to the force of its own gravity. In addition, a planet has to dominate the neighborhood around its orbit.
Pluto has been demoted because it does not dominate its neighborhood. Charon, its large "moon," is only about half the size of Pluto, while all the true planets are far larger than their moons.
In addition, bodies that dominate their neighborhoods, "sweep up" asteroids, comets, and other debris, clearing a path along their orbits. By contrast, Pluto's orbit is somewhat untidy.

Poor Pluto, already it is so far away from all the other planets, now it not even consider a planet anymore. =(

signing off..

Welcome ME!!!

Hello people!!!!!!

Here I am, starting a blog. It had been long since I write, and my language is getting rusty.

So, please do forgive me for any grammar or spelling mistakes, alrite?

You see, I am currently in a mission to improve my mother tongue and bring it to perfection. Well maybe not to perfection but at least better than how I used to speak. Yes, with the improving, I only mean to the speaking part, not to the writing or reading part.

At least now my fren can go "Wow, you know how to use that word to eh? Your Mandarin is really improving Ying Huay!"

=) Thank you mates! Could not done without you girls. *I'm proud of myself too, keke!*

However, I think, the fact that I am actually improving in Mandarin, somehow in someway, my English is language is worsening, or shall I say its "Deteriorating" and it really shouldn't be! I can't figure out why tho, but i tend to forget the words I used to know which mean my vocabulary is getting worse, and my friend is correcting my grammar and this is really bad.. i mean real bad.

Well I guess I am not a language kind of person, or maybe the space located for language skill in my brain, is just too tiny. Yet, I still do think I shall doing something about it and blogging will in someway and I guess that's partly the reason I am here, writing.

And this post, is just me myself welcoming myself to the blogging world.

So,

Welcome to Me! =)