“Resuscitation for the Citizen”
Seventh Edition March 2006Resuscitation Council (UK) Trading Ltd.
5th Floor, Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square
London WC1H 9HR
www.resus.org.uk
Price 1-49 copies £4.00 per copy (p&p included for UK)
40 pages Broshure 8.25” x 8.25”
Reviewed by M Veshengro Smith
This booklet is based on the Resuscitation Guidelines 2005 but is aimed at the lay rescuer and, I would say, the standard, dare I use that term, First Aider at Work, the Occupational First Aider, as that was once know at.
The brochure covers the essential skills needed to maintain life in an emergency situation and as it is fully illustrated throughout “walks” the reader thru the scenarios.
Aside from CPR the booklet deals with placing an unconscious but breathing casualty into the correct recovery position, as well as with choking and heart attack, etc.
In my view this brochure is useful booklet to have to hand as a memory jogger – but please do not try to use it when faced with the situation – for those those who are not called upon on a regular basis to use those skills.
© M V Smith, March 2007
P.S. This review copy was kindly provided for us as a gift by the London Ambulance Service
By Medicine Man
Green Beret - Combat Medic - Paramedic
What are burns?
We all wonder what to do for someone who has been burned. What do we do to lessen the pain? What do we do to stop the ‘burning’. What do we do the help the burn heal more quickly.
Burns can be caused by many things. Exposure to the sun (sunburn), exposure to radiated heat (a pot-bellied stove), exposure to open flame such as from a candle or stove burner, exposure to hot water more than 106Fº/41.1ºC in temperature, exposure to steam, exposure to hot metal, exposure to electrical current and exposure to chemicals (acids or bases). There are thermal burns (from heat), chemical burns and radiation burns (from ionizing and non-ionizing radiation).
Burns happen when the skin comes in contact momentarily with something that is hot, or, as in the case of sunburn, a long enough exposure to the (ultraviolet) rays of the sun. We, as humans in our infinite wisdom, have decided that there are three degrees or levels of burn in relation to live skin, tissue and muscle. There are first degree, second degree and third degree burns.
First degree burns show up as a ‘reddening’ of the skin. The best and most common example is a sunburn. They are surface burns affecting the first layers of skin.
Second degree burns show up as blisters surrounded by reddening of the skin. The blisters will contain ‘water’. The ‘water’ is actually the clear liquid (or serum) part of the blood and tissues. They are burns affecting the first and second layers if skin.
Third degree burns show up as black and charred or white (blanched) skin. They are burns that cause damage to at least the first, second and third layers of skin and many times go much deeper to damage the muscle tissues and bone. Third degree burns are not, contrary to common thought, painful. They are not painful because the nerve endings, which feel pain, are found in the third layer of skin and when the third layer of skin is destroyed, so are the nerve endings. Hence, no pain. Around any third degree burn are second degree burns and first degree burns.
First degree burns happen when the skin comes in contact momentarily with something that is hot. The normal reaction (reflex) is for the body to pull away (recoil) from the offending object. If it (the reaction) is not quick enough, a burn results. It is painful; remember the last hot pot you picked up. In my experience, it doesn‘t take long to look at a hot pot!
Second degree burns happen when the skin comes in contact for a longer period of time (sometimes only a matter of fractions of seconds to seconds) with something that is hot. It is long enough to cause damage to the first and second layers of skin. The body rushes fluids to the affected area and the pressure created causes serum to invade (leak into) the area between the first and second layer of skin causing blisters. This burn too, is painful.
Third degree burns happen when the skin is in contact with open flame, hot/boiling water, steam, or radiated (thermal) heat long enough to kill the cells in the first, second and third layers of skin.
Ultraviolet rays can cause burns that resemble burns caused by thermal energy (heat). Again, we are all painfully aware of the consequences of spending too much time in the sun. I do not recall ever having seen or heard of third degree burns resulting from exposure to the sun. This does not say, though, that it is impossible.
Ionizing radiation includes alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays, neutrons, X rays and other atomic particles. The burns received from these rays and particles are different from the other sources. The end result, however, after a period of time may resemble the appearances of thermal burns. That is about all I will be saying about this topic.
How do we treat burns?
In a word... Carefully.
If you chance to talk with fourteen different people, you will come away with at least nineteen different opinions. How do we cut through all the fecal matter? Let me tell you what not do. Let me take you back to mom’s cookbook and make a very simple comparison. Then I will walk you through some procedures I have both witnessed and utilized in treating various types of burns. I apologize that my methods are not holistic in that I do not know of herbs and poultices that are used in treating burns. I base some of my treatment on having trained and worked as a State Certified Paramedic in the State of Arizona, USA for eight years. And, I base some of my treatment on acquired knowledge from others that I have used successfully on myself, my family members and others.
First how do we not treat burns and why?!
DO NOT!!!
Put oils (of any kind) on burns.
Put lard on burns.
Put butter on burns.
Put mayonnaise on burns (it has oils in it).
Warm or hot water on burns.
Why???
Oils, lard, butter and mayonnaise have will keep the heat in and allow the burn to worsen until removed. How do the doctors (and we) remove these things? They are removed with soap, water and a brush (OUCH!!!)
Mom’s cookbook tells us that after you have cooked your beef or pork roast, you should remove it from the oven and leave it set (untouched) for one-half hour. What does this have to do with burns, you ask? What is cooking a roast but controlled burning. But, say you, I still haven’t answered your question.
As they say in the King’s vernacular, “Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”, or words to that effect.
When you are burned by heat or electricity the temperature of the tissues is raised to a temperature that can cause them to ‘cook’. That cooking continues for approximately one-half hour, just like mom’s roast. What we need to do is bring the temperature of the tissues down below that cooking temperature and keep it there for the ‘magik’ one-half hour. How do we do that? We use large amounts of clean, cold water.
Standard treatment in hospital emergency rooms is to place ice in a basin or sink, fill the basin/sink with water and place towels in the ‘ice water’. The towels are loosely wrung out and placed over the burned area to keep it moist, cool it down and keep it cool. How long do they do it? Right you are, one-half hour or more. Now, not only does the water cool the burn area down it has another magical quality, it greatly relieves the pain in the burned area. Without the excruciating pain the victim can relax and not only physical, but also psychological healing can begin. And they didn’t have to scrub off that oily mess that some well-meaning idiot put on the burn.
After they cool the burn area for the right amount of time they cover it with a gauze (preferrable TELFA gauze) that has been swabbed with Silvadene Cream. Silvadene Cream is a prescription medication here in the U.S., elsewhere it may not be. It is extremely important to keep any open burn wounds clean and free of contamination.
If you are competent medical assistance is available to you and it is close by, you should get them rolling in your direction while you begin any First Aid treatment you intend to give.
Now I have for you a treatment for sunburn that will make it much more bearable in the first and second stages. I have suffered full-body sunburn (not including my genitalia) and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I have also suffered a bout of what I was told was ‘sun poisoning’, whatever that is. My ‘sun poisoning’ resulted in my being able to literally peel off ‘sheets of skin’ from the area of my shins. The peels were about 2 inches/4-5 cm. wide by 3-5 inches/7-12 cm. long and 1/32nd of an inch/0.8 cm. thick. Believe me, it was freaky.
My sunburn treatment is somewhat of a torture too (not really) to help the victim remember (as if he really needs any kind of reminder). Have you ever heard of Epsom Salts? Here in the states (U.S.) we can buy it in a waxed cardboard container similar to the one a gallon of milk can be found. The container weighs 4 pounds/1.81 kg. You take about one-half (2 pounds/.9 kg) and place it into a tub (bathtub) you can immerse your body in. Put enough warm/hot water into the tub to easily dissolve the Epsom Salts. Then, you fill the tub with enough water (cool to the touch) so the victim can fully submerge themselves (except, of course, their head). There is still that old problem of having to breathe.
The victim (cookee) enters the E.S. water where (s)he will stay for one-half hour, exit the water and dry off. Do not drain the E.S. water yet. In about one hour the cookee will again enter the water torture, um, tub and again soak for about a half hour. Don‘t drain yet. Still another half-hour dip to come in another hour. The first dip is to cool the burn and stop the skin from ‘cooking’. The second and third dips are for good measure and to treat the skin with the Epsom Salts. I can tell you what the Epsom Salts are (Magnesium Sulfate, MgSO4 • 7H2O) but, I can’t honestly tell you what it does. I can, however tell you what it does for the cookee.
We all know that the general symptoms of acute (bad) sunburn is intense pain all over your body and no matter what touches your skin (even the breeze) makes it hurt even worse. “Don ‘t touch me or I’ll kill you!”, comes to mind as a suitable epithet when someone has been foolhardy enough to get even a little bit too close. What the treatment appears to do is virtually eliminate the initial pain, tightness of the skin, burning sensation and overall physical distress of sunburn. If you’ve been sunburned badly enough to ultimately result in peeling, the treatment will not stop it from happening. Nor will it stop the accursed itching that happens as the little blisters are forming before the peeling starts.
Remember the hot pot I mentioned earlier in the story? Well, the next time you goof and pick it up wrong or touch it with your finger and wind up talking at god because of your mishap, try this little cure. Go to the refrigerator (American term) or wherever you can find an ice cube or small piece of ice. Pick up a small chunk of ice and hold it between the thumb and burned finger. You can wrap the ice in a paper towel so that two layers of the paper towel are between the burn injury and the ice. This will have the added benefit of keeping you from dripping water all over the place. Hold the ice against the burned area until it melts (the ice) and if it is not yet a half-hour get another piece of ice to hold. You will most likely not blister but will still have the characteristic ‘hard area’ at the site of the burn. You will have relatively little pain and you can go on about your business.
I haven’t gotten into electrical burns or chemical burns. The reason for that is that they should each be treated differently as well as separately as topics. The bottom line is, the best way to treat a burn is with care enough to avoid having one in the first place. If someone has second or third degree burns on the head, face, hands, genitalia or over more than 15% of their body surface they must be seen by competent medical help. If someone has burns to their facial area there is a very great probability that they will have burns in the mouth, throat and lungs.
In any emergency situation, you must keep your head about you and cause no additional injury.
By Chris Strohm, National Journal's Technology Daily
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Tuesday attempted to refute arguments that the U.S. government should ensure that every cargo container entering the country is physically inspected or scanned at a foreign port for radioactive materials.
Speaking to the American Association of Port Authorities, Chertoff emphasized the need for a balanced, layered security regime that can identify high-risk cargo containers. He noted the call for screening all cargo.
"How many here want us to do that?" he asked an audience of port employees, federal officials and contractors. Nobody replied, save for some who laughed.
Although Chertoff did not specifically mention it, legislation dealing with cargo security is pending in Congress.
More...
A new series of international events addressing the terrorist threats and homeland security challenges facing governments, police forces and businesses around the world has been launched by Reed Exhibitions Aerospace & Defence Group. ISNR (International Security National Resilience) has been created to promote a climate of understanding, knowledge-sharing and cooperation to help combat these situations.
The first event in the series will be ISNR London, a conference and exhibition at Olympia on 4 and 5 December 2007. This will be followed by ISNR Abu Dhabi, which will be held in the city’s International Exhibition Centre from 2-5 March 2008. More events are anticipated as the ISNR portfolio grows.
ISNR London is founded on the rationale that there’s a paramount need for an integrated approach to security issues. The concept has emerged out of Reed Exhibitions’ recent acquisition of the Air, Port and Terminal Security (APTS) exhibition and its co-located events, which include Counter Terror World.
Reed Exhibitions is broadening the scope of these existing events into a single platform that will cover the entire spectrum of the homeland security arena. This includes: intelligence and threat assessment, border & transport security, counter terrorism, critical infrastructure protection, crisis management and resilience, plus emergency preparedness and response.
ISNR Abu Dhabi will incorporate the former Security and Safety Middle East, Infosecurity and APTS Middle East exhibitions, in response to requests by exhibitors to streamline the region’s security events calendar.
Each ISNR event will consist of a high-level conference, practical workshops and an exhibition area supported by companies that specialize in high-end security technology, systems and services. ISNR London will be hosted in the UK but is a truly international event featuring speakers and other contributors drawn from around the world, in recognition of the international nature of the issues being discussed.
ISNR will provide a forum for current policies, practices and lessons identified by the international security community, as well as an opportunity to evaluate the latest security solutions and technologies. The event will also provide opportunities for networking with colleagues from across the spectrum of international government agencies and the private sector.
'Borderpol is dedicated to making borders safer and smarter the world over so as international communities increasingly work together to combat terrorism and threats to border security there's a huge need to be able to access cutting edge technology in this field as well as understanding how nations can put theory into practice. ISNR is the ideal forum to discuss homeland security doctrine and the training needs that lie behind the policy decisions in crucial areas such as critical infrastructure protection and emergency preparedness and response. It’s also an opportunity to learn about current and future potential of technology and systems that will help support these ideas,' said Les Bonnay, Business Development Director for Borderpol.
PRODUCT REVIEW
Toerags Untility Equipment T.R.U.E.
TU 05 "BELT KNIFE"
Toerags LTD
8a Wharfdale Road
Service Rd
Westbourne
Bournemouth
Dorset BH4 9BT
England
Tel: +44 (0)1202 766333
info@toerags.com
www.toerags.com
The term "Belt Knife" for this little 2-inch liner-lock folder with one-hand opening stud on the blade and steel clothing clip may be somewhat of a wrong and exaggerated term but, folks, I did not name it thus, the manufacturers did. The name, obviously, stems from the ideas that the knife would be attached by means of the clothing clip to a belt and worn thus via the clip, I find, being rather strong, works best on clothing, like the watch pocket of a pair of jeans, for instance.
First of I should also say that I did not receive this little blade from the manufacturer for review purposes but, actually, purchased it. This is no big deal really at only £6.99 in a store near my home. I had seen the T.R.U.E. range in their window display for some time and had intended for some time to buy one of those little blades just for the heck of it, so to speak. I am glad I did.
I cannot tell the reader where the blade and knife was actually made as no manufacturing country is given. All it says on the blade is "stainless". However, for the price it is a very well-made little piece of kit. The blade is a Bowie-style hollow ground that take a nice keen edge and it appears to sharpen up best on a steel than anything else. The handles appear to be brushed aluminum with rubber inlays. No rivets have been used throughout instead the blade pivots on a screw rivet that also holds the clothing clip, which means that it can be retightened should this be necessary, and the scales are held on also with small Hex screws recessed into the scales. There is no wobble in the blade and the liner lock holds very solid indeed. Seeing that the slots of the main screw rivet had the marks of a screwdriver having been used I would assume that those knives are actually hand-assembled and checked.
The knife comes in a cardboard "presentation" box with a 10-year warranty and I can only say that I am rather impressed, and I do not impress easily, with this little blade. I am currently putting it thru its paces in using it here and there at work and elsewhere. Already out of the box the edge on the knife was not bad at all but with a little help on a smooth carborundum stone and a an old style steel it got even better.
All-in-all, having now had the occasion to wear and use it regularly I can say that it is a useful little blade and comes in handy for many tasks, especially seeing its one-hand opening facility.
While this little knife probably was never intended – more than probably in fact – for the emergency service personnel market it, nevertheless, in my opinion, would be a useful little backup knife for a variety of tasks, though being a small knife one should really only use it – like in fact all knives – for cutting tasks and nothing else. After all a knife is no screwdriver, pry bar, or tool for a purpose other than what it was made for, namely cutting things.
© M Veshengro Smith 2007
LED Lenser V2 Triplex - A Product Review
With new light chip technology
Cloverleaf reflector system
3 high quality LED’s, in fact a high intensity LED light chip
Solid metal casing
Durable nylon pouch and lanyard included
Burn Time: Up to 10 hours from 1 AA alkaline battery.
Dimensions: 141mm x 37mm
Weight: 160gms
Power Supply: 1 x AA alkaline battery (Two sets of batteries included: 2 x AA)
The patented pure metal housing is ergonomic and extraordinarily smooth to the touch. The patented photon tube reflectors cause the high power diodes to shine with undreamed of brightness. Due to its low power consumption, 1 x AA alkaline battery will provide up to 10 hours of light.
Price: approx. GBP 24.99
Agents in the UK: Ledco Ltd. www.ledco.co.uk
Manufacturers: Zweibrüder Optoelectronics GmbH www.zweibrueder.com
Well, so much for the information from the manufacturer and UK distributor. However, I must say that I am most impressed, as as I have mentioned before on occasions, I do not impress easily, with the design and especially the light output from this little light. It is about the size of the so-called “Mini Maglite”, the one that uses 2xAA batteries as power source, but that is about where the comparison ends. The power source in this one that I have tested and am using is one single AA alkaline cell and considering that, the light output is awesome and then some more.
The light source is a three LED light chip in a cloverleaf pattern (see picture) and the diodes produce an extremely bright and intense white light.
As far as I understand this version of the flashlight is also available in Mossy OakTM camouflage.
The only drawback that could be mentioned is that the beam cannot be focused but, then again, there are others of the same manufacturer where this is indeed possible and I do hope to be able to review – should the manufacturer/agents be prepared to furnish me with the samples for review – some of their tactical flashlights, including the new one that is aimed at the law enforcement market. I have seen it and handled it already but have not been able to put it thru its paces properly, not having a review sample to hand.
All I can say is that this surely is a lot of light in a small package and don't let the price deter you. This is a solid little flashlight made of solid stuff and I am sure it will give many, many years of reliable service.
Reviewed by Michael Veshengro Smith ©
