ICU/Critical Care RN available for questions.

[Boker]

Awhile back, Ken opened a thread to assist with legal matters. He was able to help me with some stuff, so in return I'll start a similar thread. While being a nurse is no where as cool as being a lawyer, someone might be able to benefit from what I know.

My back ground is primary in ICU/Critical Care. I have spent some time working Emergency Departments, but find ICU more suitable to my skill set. I started as an EMT-Basic worked my way to EMT-Paramedic then on to nursing school. I've been a RN for the last 8+ years.


Keep in mind I know more about ventilator setting/modes then I do about strange rashes. But fire away.

PMs are also acceptable if your question is of a private nature.

[mcgyver]

Although I have no pressing need, I would like to thank you for such a generous offer.
Good Karma has a way of making full circles.

[Rick]

I sure have to echo what McGyver said.

We have a lot of stickies on different subjects but none on first aid (I don't think). Since you have a "former" life as an EMT, you might consider making a post about what items are an absolute must to carry in a first aid kit, what first aid skills are a must know for the woods or how to reduce your health care costs with one phone call. Well, maybe not that last one. But the first two are just a couple of ideas that popped into my head. You might have some other ideas that are much better. Stickies are great tools for folks to refer back to time and again and also for the new folks that join.

Thanks again for the offer! Very generous!!

[2dumb2kwit]

That's a great offer....thanks!

[crashdive123]

I can only echo what others have said.

I can only echo what others have said.

I can only echo what others have said.

Thanks.

[your_comforting_company]

I have a request that pertains to an earlier thread regarding wilderness first aid remedies. I would like to see a post about basic field methods like compression bandages, sutures, what to do for concussion.. stuff like that. things that happen in the field. I have very limited medical knowledge, but I can wrap myself up, or sew up a gash, but it would be nice for someone with real training to tell us whats real.
Thanks in advance.

[Boker]

I have a request that pertains to an earlier thread regarding wilderness first aid remedies. I would like to see a post about basic field methods like compression bandages, sutures, what to do for concussion.. stuff like that. things that happen in the field. I have very limited medical knowledge, but I can wrap myself up, or sew up a gash, but it would be nice for someone with real training to tell us whats real.
Thanks in advance.

I'll write up something simple (or plagiarize) for methods to control bleeding. I'll try to make it adaptable to both the wilderness and 'town'. Sounds like a good first project.

[Old GI]

Thank you so much for this wonderful service.

What are your thoughts about non-med trained people keeping suture sets in their BOB?

[Ken]

Thanks, that's very kind of you!

Ya' know, WSF members have a tremendous amount of professional knowledge to share. I've received lots of excellent answers to questions I've raised here. It's great that we can share our "knowledge resources" with each other.

Thanks again!

[Mischief]

Great forum & fantastic members........Thank you

Mischief

[Pal334]

Uh, oh, one of those "If I am not careful, I may learn something useful" opportunities. Thank you for your offer and looking forward to your sharing

[pocomoonskyeyes]

I'm already grateful!! First aid (except for what the Army taught) Is probably my weakest point.

[Rick]

First aid (except for what the Army taught) Is probably my weakest point.

(snort, chuckle) First aid must be way down on the list then.

There are just way too many straight lines offered up on this forum........

[Boker]

Thank you so much for this wonderful service.

What are your thoughts about non-med trained people keeping suture sets in their BOB?

The keys to suturing really seems to be in the details. Its appears to be a 'monkey see, monkey do' type deal. Nurses in general don't place sutures, but I've seen it done. With that in mind, here are my thoughts and some concerns.

What are you suturing? Lets break wounds down to 3 types:

1. Too deep to suture.
2. Appropriate depth to suture
3. Too shallow to suture.

If you can tell the difference between the 3 types of wounds, a suture kit is a good idea. If not, then the potential for harm is greater than the benefit of the sutures (Risk vs Reward).

A brief example: If the wound is too deep, and you fail to clean it appropriately and a small fleck of anything is left in and you suture it close, an abscess could form.

You have transitioned from an opened 'clean wound' to a closed infected wound. From there the pathway of healing is compromised.

If there is interest we could probably expound on simple wound care to include wound management past the initial injury.

[Boker]

I sure have to echo what McGyver said.

We have a lot of stickies on different subjects but none on first aid (I don't think). Since you have a "former" life as an EMT, you might consider making a post about what items are an absolute must to carry in a first aid kit, what first aid skills are a must know for the woods or how to reduce your health care costs with one phone call. Well, maybe not that last one. But the first two are just a couple of ideas that popped into my head. You might have some other ideas that are much better. Stickies are great tools for folks to refer back to time and again and also for the new folks that join.

Thanks again for the offer! Very generous!!

Everything in life is negotiable. This include hospital bills. There are even services that you hire to do it for you....

[Old GI]

The keys to suturing really seems to be in the details. Its appears to be a 'monkey see, monkey do' type deal. Nurses in general don't place sutures, but I've seen it done. With that in mind, here are my thoughts and some concerns.

What are you suturing? Lets break wounds down to 3 types:

1. Too deep to suture.
2. Appropriate depth to suture
3. Too shallow to suture.

If you can tell the difference between the 3 types of wounds, a suture kit is a good idea. If not, then the potential for harm is greater than the benefit of the sutures (Risk vs Reward).

A brief example: If the wound is too deep, and you fail to clean it appropriately and a small fleck of anything is left in and you suture it close, an abscess could form.

You have transitioned from an opened 'clean wound' to a closed infected wound. From there the pathway of healing is compromised.

If there is interest we could probably expound on simple wound care to include wound management past the initial injury.

Thank you so much. You have generated a lot of thought on my part. I think PROPER wound care would make a good blog or something.

[Rick]

Actually....I was joking on the hospital bill. My humor seems to be lost when I have to explain it. First, there's.....oh......never mind.

[Barefoot]

i have the same background...icu/critical care rn....

same here boker. i know a lot about vent settings, drips and such. people always ask me about things about funny rashes and general illness stuff i know very little about.

i have about 5 yrs experience so between the two of us we should be able to handle some medical questions

[mcgyver]

OK,
Due to my recent question asked of:
a. my dentist
b. my doctor
c. the white coated person at the pharmacy counter
and getting no solid answer, let me throw this out here.
I'm sure I'm not alone here when it comes to self diagnosis & self care for a lot of things.
I keep a bottle of penicillin tablets in my freezer for that day I may need to kill a nasty.
My question is what is the shelf life of penicillin, and does the freezer prolong that? If so, for how long?

[Rick]

Does it have a current expiry date on it? If so it will let them know how much past that date the meds are. Remember, too, that you don't know how old the med was before the script was filled. It might have sat on shelves 2 weeks or 2 years.

Here is a link from the University of Iowa that addresses your question. Scroll to the last two items on the page and you'll find a discussion including a study conducted by the military.

http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/fami...r-Apr%2005.pdf

Finally, while penicillin is a great drug, it may not be the drug of choice for the particular "nasty" you come down with. Overuse has allowed some strains of bacteria to become resistant to penicillin while penicillin has never been affective for other strains. Antibiotics, in general, are only affective against bacteria, fungus and some parasites. And neither penicillin nor any other antibiotic is affective on viruses.

If you want to hold on to the penicillin for when SHTF, that's one thing but self prescribing the wrong antibiotic for an infection can wind up causing you more harm than good if it's the wrong med.