How to survive a snake bite in the wilderness
Snake Bites in Kenya
AEIOU – A good reason to send your patient early for dialysis (not just for renal failure)
Severe methanol poisoning is also a good indication (I)
Has your patient swallowed JIK or other corrosive substance lately?
DO NOT… Panic (Doesn’t help the patient)… Induce Emesis (risk of mucosal injury and perforation) Insert NG Tube (may cause esophageal perforation and increase the risk of aspiration) Do Lavage (risk of damage to oesophagus and aspiration) Try to neutralise the substance (risk of heat production resulting from this exothermic reaction Administer systemic steroids You […]
The remedy for alcohol poisoning is more alcohol…
When your patient turns blue after you’ve infiltrated lignocaine around their wound…think Methaemoglobinaemia
MetHb level (%)  Signs and symptoms  1-3% (normal) None  3-15% Low pulse oximetry (<90%) Gray cutaneous coloration  15-20% Chocolate brown blood Cyanosis  20-50% Dizziness, syncope Dyspnea Weakness Headache  50-70% CNS depression, coma, seizure Dysrhythmias Tachypnea Metabolic acidosis  >70% Death Hypoxic injury
For all those organophosphate poisonings…
Physostigmine We recommend 1-2 mg (0.05 mg/kg, maximum initial dose of 0.5 mg in children) IV slow infusion over at least 5 minutes to reduce the risk of seizures. Dose may be repeated for incomplete response after 5 to 10 minutes up to a maximum of 2 mg in children and 4 mg in […]
It’s getting cold so here’s a review of carbon monoxide poisoning
“Symptoms are variable and physical exam and pulse-oximetry are unreliable. Maintain high level of suspicion with emphasis on historical factors. Start the patient on O2 as soon as the diagnosis is suspected.”
