Kathy was scheduled for surgery at 9 a.m. As she was being wheeled into the operating room, the nurse smiled and assured her the surgeon would do a wonderful job with her hysterectomy.
Kathy shrieked and sat bolt upright. Hysterectomy?! She was scheduled for gall bladder surgery! The nurse showed her the paper work that called for a hysterectomy.
Kathy immediately dressed and fled. She found a new physician and a new hospital and had her gall bladder successfully removed two weeks later. Two years later, she gave birth to her third child.
While estimates vary, every year tens of thousands of people die or are harmed in hospitals due to preventable incidents. And while incorrect surgeries make the headlines, infections and drug interactions cause most problems. Here are some tips to protect yourself.
Prepare Yourself
* Look for a board certified doctor. The American Board of Medical Specialists’ “Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists” is available at many libraries, or 866-ASK-ABMS, or visit their website.
* Be sure hospitalization is necessary, and you understand the diagnosis, options, and potential problems.
* Be direct when talking to a doctor. Don’t minimize or trivialize your problems. Bring someone along on an important visit with a doctor.
* Read up on your disorder to become more knowledgeable. Write your questions in advance, and use a notepad or take a recorder.
* Get an opinion from a doctor with no connection to the first one.
* Learn as much as you can about your doctor, either informally, or through professional groups.
* Ask tough questions, such as how many of these surgeries he has performed, and his success rate. Will he do the operation, or an assistant? Call the hospital to verify the numbers.
* Get the hospital’s success rate for the procedure you will receive, particularly for major surgery.
* Ask your surgeon about the optimal timing for surgeries and preventive antibiotics, and about options for transfusions and pain control.
* Plan your recovery, including home care you will need.
* For more help, get the booklet “Having Surgery? What You Need To Know” from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Call 800-358-9295, or visit their website for the e-mail address.
Monitor Your Medications
* Ask your doctor to help you compile a list of additional drugs you’ll probably need including nonprescription drugs. Include the name, dosage instructions, color, number, and shape of pills.
* Discuss allergic reactions you have had well in advance.
* Bring the pill containers for all the medications you are taking, including over-the-counter drugs.
* Give your medications to your anesthesiologist, along with your complete medical history.
* Be sure your medications are recorded on your medical chart.
* Make sure your name and any allergies are correct on your wristband. Nurses should check it each time before administering a drug.
* If a drug appears different, get an explanation from the doctor or pharmacist before taking the drug.
During Your Stay
* Be certain you understand forms you are asked to sign. Get copies before going to the hospital.
* Ask the surgeon to mark the surgery site while you are awake.
* Have someone stay with you the first 24 hours following surgery, and as much as possible afterwards.
* You should expect reasonable pain control. If you are not comfortable, notify your doctor.
* Request that doctors and medical personnel wash their hands before touching you.
* Only let a Registered Nurse (RN) perform the following procedures: inserting IVs, catheters or gastric tubes; changing sterile dressings or treating damaged skin; giving shots; or caring for a tracheotomy or giving tube feedings.
* Discuss your treatment plan in advance, and question your doctor about unexpected treatments.
* Appeal your discharge if you don’t feel you are ready to go home.
* Have a thorough review with your surgeon before you leave the hospital. Know what warning signs to look for during recovery and possible side effects from medications.
John Myre is the author of the award-winning book, Live Safely in a Dangerous World, and the publisher of the Safety Times Reproducible Articles..
How To Avoid Insect Stings
Liz and seventeen-month-old Cade had a wonderful day at the zoo. When they returned to the car, Liz strapped the toddler into the child safety seat, which unfortunately also held some food crumbs.
As Liz drove away, Cade began screaming uncontrollably. Liz tried to calm him, but nothing would work, so she wisely headed directly to the doctor’s office.
It didn’t take the doctor long to discover the problem – Cade had been stung inside his diaper by a bee lured through the open windows of the car by the sweet smell of food.
After the stinger was removed, and a few more tears were shed, Cade was once again the bubbly, enthusiastic boy that everyone loved.
Stinging insects! We can’t live without them, so we’d better learn to live with them. Here are a few tips.
What To Wear, Where To Be
* When you might be exposed to stinging insects (mainly bees, yellow jackets, hornets and wasps), dress in long pants, a lightweight, long-sleeve shirt, and a hat.
* Do not wear bright-or dark-colored clothing, flowery prints, or shiny jewelry. Dull white, khaki, and solid light colors are best.
* Avoid floral-scented sprays, deodorants, cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, powders, and perfumes.
* Avoid places where stinging insects congregate, such as: gardens with blooming flowers, garbage areas, stagnant pools, seldom-used buildings, and junk piles.
* Keep your yard clean and mowed, and free of standing water.
* Don’t go barefoot in the grass.
* Don’t reach into a space you haven’t looked into.
* When cooking outdoors, cover food and beverages.
* Fill in potential nesting sites such as tree cavities and wall cracks.
* Seal food scraps in a plastic bag and put it in a tightly closed garbage can that is lined with a garbage bag.
* Insect repellents do not repel stinging insects, such as bees.
* When drinking sweetened beverages outdoors, use a cup or a plastic cover with a straw.
* If a stinging insect lights on you, brush it away. Do not slap it against your body. That will trap it and give it the chance to sting.
* If you stumble on a nest, don’t wave your arms and hands to swat the insects away. Instead, get up slowly and walk away calmly, taking any food or drink with you.
Bad Beesness
* When bees are nearby, avoid rapid movements that may look like attacks. Bees usually don’t sting unless disturbed or angered. Stinging is their defense.
* Bees will respond to vibrations and exhaust from mowers, trimmers, and chain saws. Check for bees before using this equipment.
* If you are attacked by bees:
-run away, and try to get inside a car, building, or heavy brush.
-if possible, wrap your head. Leave an opening for your eyes.
Allergic Reactions
Over 2 million Americans can have serious reactions to insect stings and bites. The National Safety Council reports that bee stings kill 50-100 people each year.
If you are stung:
* Remove the stinger immediately because venom can pump into the body for up to 10 minutes. Gently scrape the stinger with a fingernail, credit card, or edge of a sterilized knife. Pinching the stinger squeezes venom into the wound.
* Use ice packs and sting-kill ointment for swelling and pain.
* See your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms: trouble breathing; wheezing; fainting or dizziness; hives or skin rash; nausea, abdominal pain, or cramps; rapid pulse; diarrhea; chills; facial swelling, or swelling beyond two joints.
* If you are stung in the mouth or throat, swelling of your airways can occur. Go to the nearest emergency room immediately, even if you are not allergic to insect stings.
* Anyone who has had serious reactions to insect stings should carry an insect-sting first-aid kit, and wear a medic alert bracelet. Consult your doctor for details.
John Myre is the author of the award-winning book, Live Safely in a Dangerous World, and the publisher of the Safety Times Reproducible Articles..
How To Protect Your Eyes
Andy was quite the swashbuckler, for a seven-year-old. Pirates beware! He could protect an entire coastal village with a loud shriek and a long stick broken off a tree.
It turned out, however, that his worst enemy was not Captain Hook, but his own youthful exuberance. In a wild sword fight with his pals, he accidentally jabbed himself in the eye with his stick, and Andy has spent his youth trying to protect his eye from permanent loss of vision.
More than 200,000 Americans each year are treated in emergency rooms for eye injuries, and nearly a million people have permanently lost some degree of their eyesight due to injury. Almost all of these mishaps could have been avoided.
In The Sun Or At Work
* Wear chemical safety goggles when handling household cleaning products that can splash or spill into your face or eyes.
* Wear safety goggles when using power tools, lawn equipment, fertilizers, and pesticides. Goggles that fit over glasses are available.
* Polycarbonate lenses are more impact resistant than other lenses.
* Anyone who enters your work area must use proper eye protection.
* Wear eye protection when jump-starting your car. Follow directions provided with the cables.
* For maximum eyewear protection, look for the ANSI Z87 logo. While all lenses must meet government standards for impact resistance, some do not provide protection for many strenuous impact hazards.
* Wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the UVA and UVB rays. The best colors for lenses are grays, green or brown. Other colors may distort color perception.
* In bright sunlight, a wide-brimmed hat blocks about 50 percent of the ultraviolet radiation that might enter the eye around sunglasses.
* Eyewear that wraps around the face also helps reduce the amount of harmful rays entering the eyes.
* For the sports-minded:
-Wear impact-resistant polycarbonate sports eyeguards for racquet sports and basketball
-Wear goggles to swim.
-Consult with an eye doctor if the participant has a visual impairment or eye condition that could be made worse if the eye were struck.
* NOTE: Young athletes and beginners are more prone to injuries than older persons. Consider protective eye equipment when your child is playing sports involving contact, balls, bats, sticks, and racquets.
You Can’t Makeup For Vision Loss
* Wash your hands thoroughly before using eye cosmetics. Bacteria on your hands can cause infection.
* Keep all applicators clean and in good condition.
* Keep cosmetics away from excessive heat and cold, which can break down preservatives and allow bacteria to grow.
* Use and discard mascara and eyeliner within three or four months. Preservatives lose their effectiveness over time.
* Do not save brushes or use old applicators with new containers.
* Do not use saliva, and do not add water to your makeup unless the instructions call for it. Water promotes bacteria growth.
* Never share makeup.
* Keep makeup containers free from dust and dirt.
* Disposable cosmetic applicators are the best to use.
* Never apply eye products from department store testers to your eyes. Test the shade on your hand.
* Avoid using “preservative-free” makeup. Bacteria may thrive in these products.
* Never sleep with eye makeup on. If you wear contact lenses, contact your doctor for precautions.
* Never separate lashes with a pointed object, or apply makeup while driving.
Start Young With Vision Care
* Children’s sunglasses should also block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays, and have shatter-resistant polycarbonate lenses.
* Check lenses and frames before buying kid’ glasses. Many can be a breakage or injury hazard, especially inexpensive, novelty types.
* Pad or cushion sharp corners and edges of furniture and fixtures. Remove items that cannot be protected. This also applies at grandma’s house and other homes.
* Avoid toys with sharp points or edges, shafts, spikes, or rods.
* Keep toys for older children away from young children.
* Keep nails, glue, and tools away from a child’s reach.
* Do not allow children to play with darts, BB guns, and games or toys with projectiles.
* Teach children not to run with pointed scissors, pencils, or other sharp objects. Keep the point end pointed toward the ground.
* Do not let children throw pointed objects, rocks, sand, or dirt; or play with firecrackers, matches, or flammable materials.
* For more tips, ask your eye doctor, or contact Prevent Blindness America at (800) 331-2020, or visit their website.
John Myre is the author of the award-winning book, Live Safely in a Dangerous World, and the publisher of the Safety Times Reproducible Articles..
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