Medical Urban Legends

[Guest guest]

People using Quickclot for a shallow cut, especially when UK forces find it

hard to get hold of.

[Guest guest]

While in Iraq I observed one particularly gung ho shooter who placed those

nice one handed tourniquets on all four extremities in stand by mode just tight

enough to stay in place. I actually thought it was kind of silly. And then

just yesterday the maker of my favorite work clothing line (5.11) introduced

pants with an integrated tourniquet in each leg!!!! Amazing..

Derrick

<sumoparamedic@...> wrote:

To the group,

I got an email today regarding the " tampon for gunshot wounds "

theory that was oh so popular in Iraq a few years ago. Because we

all know that gunshot wounds are always 2 inches deep, and 1/2 inch

wide right? I find no end to the comedic value of the drop-legs

walking around with that " what are you talking about,I don't take

steroids " look on their face, and a flowered tampon wrapper jutting

out of their PALS webbing. Guys...its a blob of compressed cotton...

not a magic wand.

This led me to thinking about some other popularly reported

medical myths, or exaggerations. I was wondering if anyone had other

interesting " medical urban legend " type stories to share. Conversely

some off the wall trick they tried (personally not anecdotaly) that

actually worked. Trauma in particular seems to be full of these crazy

ideas.

Maybe I will start re-packaging tampons in tan or black. Even

make different widths to cover all the popular calibers. I could

sell the rights to NARP, and make a fortune. $10 bucks for a big

tegaderm with a glove finger glued to it? Asherman you are a genius!

Discuss.

[Guest guest]

To all,

What a wonderfull topic? I hope it would answer some questions that

have puzzled me with the abovementioned. With greatest apology, I

would also like to query an interesting topic too?

How long does it take a British member of the public to qualify as a

paramedic? That is, from the start, with the hours included, and the

time of study? I have been informed, that if you do the RONIN course

of 6 weeks you are qualified a a paramedic. Is this true?

Then to the person who started the topic, I would like to invite you

to a trauma hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa and then we can

test all these intelligent methods? By the way,its for free to come

over and test your discussed trauma methods. Remember not in Cape

Town, Joburg. We might just invent some new products.

All stay well and be safe.

Regards

" OPS MEDIC "

PS: Please Brits do not feel offended, its for a buddy of mine, whom

is a Brit, and he wants to become a paramedic

> To the group,

> I got an email today regarding the " tampon for gunshot wounds "

> theory that was oh so popular in Iraq a few years ago. Because we

> all know that gunshot wounds are always 2 inches deep, and 1/2 inch

> wide right? I find no end to the comedic value of the drop-legs

> walking around with that " what are you talking about,I don't take

> steroids " look on their face, and a flowered tampon wrapper jutting

> out of their PALS webbing. Guys...its a blob of compressed

cotton...

> not a magic wand.

>

> This led me to thinking about some other popularly reported

> medical myths, or exaggerations. I was wondering if anyone had

other

> interesting " medical urban legend " type stories to share.

Conversely

> some off the wall trick they tried (personally not anecdotaly) that

> actually worked. Trauma in particular seems to be full of these

crazy

> ideas.

>

> Maybe I will start re-packaging tampons in tan or black. Even

> make different widths to cover all the popular calibers. I could

> sell the rights to NARP, and make a fortune. $10 bucks for a big

> tegaderm with a glove finger glued to it? Asherman you are a genius!

>

> Discuss.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Rise to the challenge for Sport Relief with for Good

>

>

[Guest guest]

I used and have used a finger off of a rubber glove.......................

if its stupid and works it aint stupid!

Cheers

Tom G

@...: treetop_bay@...: Mon,

10 Mar 2008 11:38:16 +0000Subject: Medical Urban Legends

Well how about the large guage needle in the upper chest with the Condom

attached acting as a one way ar valve through a hole cut in the top...as older

type combat medics tended to use...!P <sumoparamedic@...> wrote:To the

group,I got an email today regarding the " tampon for gunshot wounds " theory that

was oh so popular in Iraq a few years ago. Because we all know that gunshot

wounds are always 2 inches deep, and 1/2 inch wide right? I find no end to the

comedic value of the drop-legs walking around with that " what are you talking

about,I don't take steroids " look on their face, and a flowered tampon wrapper

jutting out of their PALS webbing. Guys...its a blob of compressed cotton... not

a magic wand.This led me to thinking about some other popularly reported medical

myths, or exaggerations. I was wondering if anyone had other interesting

" medical urban legend " type stories to share. Conversely some off the wall trick

they tried (personally not anecdotaly) that actually worked. Trauma in

particular seems to be full of these crazy ideas.Maybe I will start re-packaging

tampons in tan or black. Even make different widths to cover all the popular

calibers. I could sell the rights to NARP, and make a fortune. $10 bucks for a

big tegaderm with a glove finger glued to it? Asherman you are a

genius!Discuss.---------------------------------Rise to the challenge for Sport

Relief with for Good

[Guest guest]

Paramedic Derrick J Barcombe wrote:

>

> While in Iraq I observed one particularly gung ho shooter who placed those

nice one handed tourniquets on all four extremities in stand by mode just tight

enough to stay in place. I actually thought it was kind of silly. And then

just yesterday the maker of my favorite work clothing line (5.11) introduced

pants with an integrated tourniquet in each leg!!!! Amazing..

>

> Derrick

The US Army has been toying with that idea; to integrate tourniquets

into the uniforms. I also know of a couple of US Army Rangers who were

fond of placing IV locks into their arms before going in where they knew

they'd have contact.

I think there's such a thing as too much medicine.

LT

[Guest guest]

I dont know, if that was me laying there with the life running out of me, i

would be glad for such thingsPATRICK BOLEN

@...: ltorrey@...: Mon, 10

Mar 2008 10:24:30 -0400Subject: Re: Medical Urban Legends

Paramedic Derrick J Barcombe wrote:> > While in Iraq I observed one particularly

gung ho shooter who placed those nice one handed tourniquets on all four

extremities in stand by mode just tight enough to stay in place. I actually

thought it was kind of silly. And then just yesterday the maker of my favorite

work clothing line (5.11) introduced pants with an integrated tourniquet in each

leg!!!! Amazing.. > > DerrickThe US Army has been toying with that idea; to

integrate tourniquets into the uniforms. I also know of a couple of US Army

Rangers who were fond of placing IV locks into their arms before going in where

they knew they'd have contact.I think there's such a thing as too much

medicine.LT

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Yep,

Some of the people in Poole went through a phase of this in the 90's.Maybe it

came from the " yeh I'm a Paramedic " (Patrol Medics) ...........

@...: ltorrey@...: Mon, 10

Mar 2008 10:24:30 -0400Subject: Re: Medical Urban Legends

Paramedic Derrick J Barcombe wrote:> > While in Iraq I observed one particularly

gung ho shooter who placed those nice one handed tourniquets on all four

extremities in stand by mode just tight enough to stay in place. I actually

thought it was kind of silly. And then just yesterday the maker of my favorite

work clothing line (5.11) introduced pants with an integrated tourniquet in each

leg!!!! Amazing.. > > DerrickThe US Army has been toying with that idea; to

integrate tourniquets into the uniforms. I also know of a couple of US Army

Rangers who were fond of placing IV locks into their arms before going in where

they knew they'd have contact.I think there's such a thing as too much

medicine.LT

_________________________________________________________________

Get 30 Free Emoticons for your Windows Live Messenger

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[Guest guest]

thats because HM goverment is more intrested in giving money illegal aliens to

go home or more police to arrest 3 years olds for assualt for throwing a banana

at another kid........................

Tom g

@...: ianadams06@...: Mon, 10 Mar

2008 10:43:40 -0400Subject: Re: Medical Urban Legends

People using Quickclot for a shallow cut, especially when UK forces find it hard

to get hold of.

[Guest guest]

Ahhh, here we go again! We were all playing nice, talking , getting along. Then

come the politics!!PATRICK BOLEN

@...: tom5255@...: Mon, 10

Mar 2008 15:42:41 +0000Subject: RE: Medical Urban Legends

thats because HM goverment is more intrested in giving money illegal aliens to

go home or more police to arrest 3 years olds for assualt for throwing a banana

at another kid........................Tom gTo:

@...: ianadams06@...: Mon, 10 Mar

2008 10:43:40 -0400Subject: Re: Medical Urban LegendsPeople

using Quickclot for a shallow cut, especially when UK forces find it hard to get

hold of.

[Guest guest]

Tom's been on the red meat, again!

Have to agree, though!

Re: Medical Urban

> Legends

>

>

>

>

> People using Quickclot for a shallow cut, especially when UK forces find

> it hard to get hold of.[Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

.....too much filter coffee?

@...: rod@...: Mon, 10 Mar 2008

15:51:12 +0000Subject: Re: Medical Urban Legends

Tom's been on the red meat, again!Have to agree, though! Re: Medical Urban >

Legends>>>>> People using Quickclot for a shallow cut, especially when UK forces

find > it hard to get hold of.[Non-text portions of this message have been >

removed]>>>>>>>>

[Guest guest]

wrote:

There's nobody older than you out there - Robbie has retired !

-----------------------------------------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

The following doesn't qualify as a " medical urban legend " but other

medics may find the following useful.

Precordial thump works!

I always wondered if this ACLS Class IIB (may be helpful, not harmful)

procedure would actually work. I witnessed a 50+ year old male

collapse literally at my feet on the flight line at DIA.

After verifying the absence of responsiveness, respirations and a

pulse (confirmed by a second paramedic traveling with the team) I

delivered a precordial thump to the patients chest. He immediately

regained a pulse and tried to sit up about 30 seconds later.

As we were on a shuttle bus at the time there was no defibrillator

available. An Ambulance arrived 12 minutes later and transported him

to a Dubai hospital where he was treated and released.

Has anyone else had a similar event regarding the use of a precordial

thump?

Cheers,

[Guest guest]

There always seem to be people who get agitated about the most

trivial perceived slight. I give up. My response is longer than the

original post. I will not bother in the future.

First- If it is stupid and it works, it works. No S***! Of course

your going to use it if it works. I thought that went without

saying, but apparently not.

My question is about the things that don't work, or don't work

any better than what we already carry, and yet are universally

accepted by people who don't know any better without any

justification other than some guy said so.

Also things that DO work, but you would never think to try because

they seem stupid. I once taped two tongue depressors together and

used them like a clothespin to pinch a bloody nose. Something that

had been passed to me by god only remembers who. You would have

thought I invented a new kind of porn from the excitement it

generated.

If tampons belong in every first aid kit then by all means

someone WHO HAS USED THEM TO TREAT BATTLE WOUNDS please comment. I

can come up with the BS theories all by myself. I have treated my

share of wounds here in Iraq,and on the streets. None of them have

resembled any vagina that I have had the good fortune of getting

close to. Give me a roll of kerlix, and an ace wrap any day of the

week, and twice on sunday. This is however only my opinion based on

my experience. I was hoping others would chime in with their

experiences. Some did, most did not.

Second- The biggest proponents of gadgets always seem to be people

who have never had to use them, or people drastically removed from

the point of use. We had a saying where I came up as a medic. " Skill

is inversely proportional to the amount of stuff you THINK you can't

live without " We have all seen it. As your experience broadens your

bag shrinks. I am not opposed to progress. If someone comes up with

a genuinely good Idea I am all for it. I will give out $90 Chitosans

without blinking. They work. They stop bleeding, saving limbs, and

lives.

Quick Clot was supposed to be the saving grace, and it wound up

doing way more harm than good. Not because it's an inherently bad

product, but because it was grossly over distributed, and misused by

people who were not properly trained. Anyone who uses it on an

extremity wound needs to have just one grain of it put in their next

shaving cut, then get back to me about how it feels. Try pouring it

on a piece of thawed steak, and watch what happens. Yet I still find

people carrying it who have not the slightest idea how to use it, and

but insist it as an essential part of their kit.

One of my biggest peeves is the universality of chest seals. I

tried them in a controlled setting when they first came out. On a

bilat needle decompression of a chest trauma (gas station attendant

run over by a car during a robbery) In the bus with no threat of

being mortared, shot, or stabbed, between the hair, sweat, and blood

they were basically useless. Yes I used the included 4x4 to wipe the

wound. Amazingly enough the wound continued to bleed, as wounds are

known to do. A minute and a half of the magic ten minutes wasted. I

gave them a second chance on a bilat decompression of a closed chest

trauma in Sept of 2002(17 YO F - jeep flipped and the roll bar

crushed her). They were quite good at sealing a needle hub on a

hairless dry chest in a controlled setting.

Now before that vein in your head pops out...My point is not to

defile the beloved chest seal, but simply point out it is not much

better at sealing a chest wound than the package it comes in, and yet

I watch them issued by the thousands at $10 a piece because the

overwhelming majority of people (who have never used them) swear by

them. In defense of the chest seal concept, when talking to SOIDC's

who used the originals, I have been told the currently marketed

product is substantially different. The original was supposedly much

thicker, and had a glue similar to hydrogel that stuck better over

hair and other wound detritis. I am not opposed to chest seals. I am

opposed to people demanding them for no reason other than they are

cool. The glove finger on needle pops. The plastic off a bandage

package, or IV bag over wrap for open wounds. This is how most of us

were taught, and it still works just fine. You're likely to already

be carrying it, and bonus IT'S FREE!

It seems anyone can throw something in a tan shrink wrap,

slap an NSN on it, and people will kill themselves to get it whether

it works or not.

So now I have quite certainly pissed off even more people. I

likely have a team suiting up to assassinate me for criticizing a

SeAL invention I will happily sit back and wait for the attacks.

Don't be disappointed if I don't reply to you.

Stay Safe. PBL

Every human should have to run for their life at least once, So they

can learn that: milk doesn't come from the market, safety doesn't

come from the police, and news isn't something that only happens to

other people

-- R. Heinlein

[Guest guest]

Derrick,

I think i saw that guy with the tourniquets on his legs in the

Defac at Victory a couple of years back, made me stop eating my ben and Jerry's

ice cream, but only for a short while.

Keep writing paul, i always enjoy the response.

[Guest guest]

,

Yes, I have myself on two seperate calls some years apart, used the precordial

thump and had return of pulses with decent BPs. In the most striking case, the

patient was alert and talking to me, experienced the arrest, got the thump and

awoke to ask " what happened " .

This happened twice more enroute to the hospital. (Yes, I had the defib ready

from the onset but had to reach across the patient to grab the paddles....long

before the days of hands free pads...so I just thumped him " on the way " so to

speak...and Yes, he had his max dose of Lidocaine prior to ER arrival and still

arrested again on them). The receiving staff obviously didn't believe the

" ambulance driver " untill they had to shock him three more times themselveds.

Ever more outrageous was that after each of the thumps or shocks the man would

become fully alert. Due I can only guess to the rapid response and success of

the thump or shocks. Had another lady go into VF and have a return of pulses

with decent BP after a thump. Have also only had one patient have a return of

pulses/BP with CPR only...no drugs...no electrical therapy. Downtime was short

and without a precordial thump. This was witnessed by myself and my partner

and not the common hysterical or drunk

bystanders that insist someone was in arrest " and they saved them " and got a

heartbeat back prior to our arrival.

Mike S.

" firepup.rm " <lewisal@...> wrote:

The following doesn't qualify as a " medical urban legend " but other

medics may find the following useful.

Precordial thump works!

I always wondered if this ACLS Class IIB (may be helpful, not harmful)

procedure would actually work. I witnessed a 50+ year old male

collapse literally at my feet on the flight line at DIA.

After verifying the absence of responsiveness, respirations and a

pulse (confirmed by a second paramedic traveling with the team) I

delivered a precordial thump to the patients chest. He immediately

regained a pulse and tried to sit up about 30 seconds later.

As we were on a shuttle bus at the time there was no defibrillator

available. An Ambulance arrived 12 minutes later and transported him

to a Dubai hospital where he was treated and released.

Has anyone else had a similar event regarding the use of a precordial

thump?

Cheers,

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Regards

The Remote Medics Team

[Guest guest]

I am surprised that the precordial thump is no longer

in the European ALS Guidelines - every time I have

used it in anger it has brought back a spontaneous

functioning cardiac out put as well as a happy

patient!

Rgds to all

BZ

--- " firepup.rm " <lewisal@...> wrote:

> The following doesn't qualify as a " medical urban

> legend " but other

> medics may find the following useful.

>

> Precordial thump works!

>

> I always wondered if this ACLS Class IIB (may be

> helpful, not harmful)

> procedure would actually work. I witnessed a 50+

> year old male

> collapse literally at my feet on the flight line at

> DIA.

>

> After verifying the absence of responsiveness,

> respirations and a

> pulse (confirmed by a second paramedic traveling

> with the team) I

> delivered a precordial thump to the patients chest.

> He immediately

> regained a pulse and tried to sit up about 30

> seconds later.

>

> As we were on a shuttle bus at the time there was no

> defibrillator

> available. An Ambulance arrived 12 minutes later and

> transported him

> to a Dubai hospital where he was treated and

> released.

>

> Has anyone else had a similar event regarding the

> use of a precordial

> thump?

>

> Cheers,

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________________

Sent from .

The World's Favourite Email http://uk.docs./nowyoucan.html

[Guest guest]

Its the Basics done well that saves lives not fancy must have tools.

Then again there was the Air Stewardess who saved the Premature Baby with

Ventilation with a Biro pen and straw. She won a Pride award for it as well.

[Guest guest]

Throughout my career I've heard about the non-traditional use of some

item that worked once for a particular incident. But that is

what people need to remember. These little " tricks of the trade " are

more often one time affairs. What is lost, is not that the item

worked but that some resourceful medic made it work for that

particular incident. So unfortunately the incident becomes gospel!

(Too often for those without experience and then is further

perpetuated by those wishing to make a buck.) Very few items work

100% of the time. Most great tools, I would say work in the 80-90%

range, but too often those other " special " tools are only useful less

then 2% of the time and the cases managed just as well with a little

brain power and quick action. But what drives me nuts and makes

matters difficult, is that some people will claim these items

essential and worse case, claim that if you don't have them, your

unprepared!! Until of course the ### hits the fan and all

those " cool tools " are discarded for a little common sense.

(Hey , got any rabies vaccine :-))))))

>

> To the group,

> I got an email today regarding the " tampon for gunshot wounds "

> theory that was oh so popular in Iraq a few years ago. Because we

> all know that gunshot wounds are always 2 inches deep, and 1/2 inch

> wide right? I find no end to the comedic value of the drop-legs

> walking around with that " what are you talking about,I don't take

> steroids " look on their face, and a flowered tampon wrapper jutting

> out of their PALS webbing. Guys...its a blob of compressed

cotton...

> not a magic wan

> This led me to thinking about some other popularly reported

> medical myths, or exaggerations. I was wondering if anyone had

other

> interesting " medical urban legend " type stories to share.

Conversely

> some off the wall trick they tried (personally not anecdotaly) that

> actually worked. Trauma in particular seems to be full of these

crazy

> ideas.

>

> Maybe I will start re-packaging tampons in tan or black. Even

> make different widths to cover all the popular calibers. I could

> sell the rights to NARP, and make a fortune. $10 bucks for a big

> tegaderm with a glove finger glued to it? Asherman you are a

genius!

>

> Discuss.

>

[Guest guest]

I have heard of instant mashed potatoes used as a blood clotting agent

in place of something like quick clot, but as I said, I have only

heard of it.

>

> Its the Basics done well that saves lives not fancy must have tools.

> Then again there was the Air Stewardess who saved the Premature Baby

with

> Ventilation with a Biro pen and straw. She won a Pride award for it

as well.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Skin from boiled potatoes (microwave in clingfilm if available)) applied to

first and 2nd degree burns works a treat, just the brown skin, pull it off and

place it over the burnt area, cover with light gauze, acts as painrelief within

1/2 hour, reduces scarring/infection.

Re: Medical Urban Legends

I have heard of instant mashed potatoes used as a blood clotting agent

in place of something like quick clot, but as I said, I have only

heard of it.

>

> Its the Basics done well that saves lives not fancy must have tools.

> Then again there was the Air Stewardess who saved the Premature Baby

with

> Ventilation with a Biro pen and straw. She won a Pride award for it

as well.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, your great aunt was correct....the skin on burns I had the pain

and pleassure(AND stupidity...being blond has it's bad days) of using

twice on the same day...burnt the side of my hand and wrist badly

when I opened the bonnet of a overheated car and the radiator-cap

blew off, extreme pain as you'll know from a steam burn, some-one

gave me the advice and I tried it with almost immediate, and lasting

painrelief results, that night I made pasta-sauce (one-handed as my

other one was bandaged) the sauce starting boiling over and I grabbed

the pothandle to get it of the stove, dipping the side of my hand in

the boiling sauce....back to the potatoes!! O.K, so that was the

long version. The fact is it is commonly used in India apparently,

that is where I got the rumour from, and it does work!!

Raw potato peels put flesh side down into bedsores, covered with

Tegaderm and left to " rot " a few days also has remarkable results in

tissue regeneration and fighting slough. I hope some potato farmer

sends me a couple of dollars for advertizing!!

Barbs

> > >

> > > Its the Basics done well that saves lives not fancy must have

> tools.

> > > Then again there was the Air Stewardess who saved the Premature

> Baby

> > with

> > > Ventilation with a Biro pen and straw. She won a Pride award

for

> it

> > as well.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

I guess clingfilm is probably just as sterile ( or not) as boiled potato peel. I

have also come across studies supporting the use of boiled potato peel in 1st &

2nd degree burns.

Kishore

Re: Medical Urban Legends

Apply the clingfilm alone and it'll reduce the pain, put something

cold on the outside of the clingfilm and it'll reduce it further.

Take me to receive treatment from someone who believes that potato

skins are for eating and my anxiety will be reduced... likewise my

risk of scarring and infection...

> >

> > Its the Basics done well that saves lives not fancy must have

tools.

> > Then again there was the Air Stewardess who saved the Premature

Baby

> with

> > Ventilation with a Biro pen and straw. She won a Pride award for

it

> as well.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

read Nivans first autobiography-the moons a

ballon.

he explains how his first visit to a whorehouse, had

him washing his willy in a potassium permanganate

solution-its an antiseptic and anti fungal.

apparently usual practice in pre second world war

days.

Fraser

--- nomad_medic <nomad_medic@...> wrote:

> Well there are the old 'Butter on a burn to stop the

> pain' and 'Put a

> wallet in the mouth of a seizing patient so they

> don't bite their

> tongue off'

>

> Not sure if this qualifies but one of the other guys

> here and I had a

> shared patient (crew change) that read that Lysol

> spray had

> antibacterial properties so he used it to self treat

> THE CLAP!

>

> Also had what appears to be common knowledge to all

> Ukrainians is that

> if you put 'a few' crystals of Potassium

> Permanganate into 'about 2L'

> of water so it is 'a little purple' then drink this

> as quick as you

> can, it will induce vomiting and cure all stomach

> ailments. There was

> something more about using it as a douche but I

> can't remember the

> details.

>

> NM

>

>

__________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Barbara I highly doubt either of our careers are in jeopardy.

,

Wow. Jeez. Where do I even begin. Okay here goes.

Thus Begineth the lesson

While empiric studies are the gold standard, anecdotal reports are a

valid, recognized source of information when they come first hand

from a knowledgable, reliable source and are taken in context with

appropriate reservation.

Studies are only as foolproof as the fools who wrote them.

Remember Rescue ny flipping the caps off his " Amp of Bicarb "

BristaJet? Studies showed Bicarb as a first line cardiac arrest

drug. Right up to when more studies showed that it was ensuring a

dying heart would become a dead heart. What about the routine

practice of high volume crystaloid fluid resuscitation that is now

shown to be exactly the WRONG thing to do? Research that came about

from a retrospectives analysis done because of ANECDOTAL reports of

high survivability rates in British wounded during the Falklands

war. There was once an excellent study that recommended prophylactic

thalidimide to pregnant women, and then anecdotal reports of birth

defects. Can I get a round of applause from the flipper babies for

Anecdotal Evidence? Anecdotally people on Rogaine for high blood

pressure grew hair. Anecdotally Wellbutrin aided in smoking

cessation. They were both studied to find out...Tadaah! The

anecdotes reported by experienced clinicians were validated by

analysis.

Okay, so lets look at the other side of the coin. If it hasn't been

studied it must be VooDoo? Let's see. The Mayans taught their

children to chew a certain kind of tree bark to releive pain. I doubt

the Mayans ever did a study on it. The acid refined from this bark

is commonly called aspirin...The cardiac benefits would be realized

much later...Andean indians were certain that chewing coca leaves

gave them energy. They must have had a paper on the subject...The

Nightclubbing benefits would be realized much later...(Leatitia in

case you didn't catch it that was a joke) The Chitosan dressings that

are all the rage are made from ground up seashells. Maggots are used

to debride wounds just as they were in ancient times. Leeches were

reviled by medics of the " scientific age " right up to when they

realized ...oooh that works to stimulate blood flow to vascularly

compromised tissue...In asia medics would make potions from poppies

to releive pain. I wonder how they designed their double blind

clinical trials? Nightshade elixers were used to treat cardiac

conditions long before anyone refined digitalis, or even really knew

how the heart worked. They just knew the nightshade worked. No

anabolic steroid has never been formally studied for the promotion of

hypertrophic muscle growth. Better cancel the next Arnold Classic.

None of those biceps are really there. How many times in your 20

years have you injected Lidocaine into a cardiac arrest patient? Now

try and find the original human clinical trials that put Lidocaine

into the ACLS protocols. You will be looking for a long time. Should

I keep going?

So grandma was wrong about the butter. Let it go. Are all home

remedies valid? No, of course not. That is why we consult..TRAINED

PROVIDERS as to what has worked for them instead of the old women at

the sewing circle...Hi Aunt Emma! I am eating my potato skins!..

(Aunt Emma who incidentally was a physician, BU Med class of '39 the

only woman in her class)

If nothing else, what happened to the placebo effect? The efficacy

of placebos have been well studied. If the patient beleives it will

work, and it will not do harm then why not?

Studies are a nice boat to float in, but sometimes we find ourselves

in situations where there is no choice but to swim. When the shit

really hits the fan who would you rather have with you, a quick

thinker, or an accurate citation quoter?

Also remember your shore/offshore background, and truly remote work

are two different animals. On remotes you may not always have

helicopters on call, fancy burn dressings, or even a nice roll of

cling film. The hallmark of a good practitioner is to always be

questioning and refining your methods, keeping your mind open to all

the possibilities of the world, and if possible backing them up with

a well designed study.

Every single treatment you use in the ER or on the Oil Rig started

out as one guy saying to another... " you know what I found works well

for that? "

So spake Sumo

Thus endeth the lesson-

In the future try to use the bathroom before we leave the house.

These stops are really taking the joy out of the trip.

God forgives all of your mitakes

Society forgives some of your mistake

Evolution forgives none of your mistakes

-???

Something useful!!!! Potato skins on burns….

Does anyone else out there want to seriously reduce their chances of

future employment by posting one of these nuggets of research based

clinical efficacy that I somehow missed in my 20 odd years in

healthcare positions?

Working in U.K A/E departments and in the oil and gas industry

internationally I've seen lots of patients present with `alternative'

dressings and first aid measures ( including the already mentioned

butter on burns; it's a pity those fats do like to retain heat… shame

it seemed such a lovely idea) which have included toothpaste on

burns, tobacco, curry powder, flour, dried herbs and numerous other

everyday items in wounds and I've spent many an hour having to clean

them out of burns and open wounds and trying to re- educate the

patients. I really don't expect to find people recommending them on

a site like this. Anyone got a research paper on the use of horse

s**t poultices handy ...there seems to be a lot of it about?

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