But The Family Said…DO NOT RESUSCITATE!

Posted on August 19th, 2010 by Roy Shaw

A student emailed in a great question and one in which can be a very tough one to answer!      It’s challenging enough to get bystanders to begin CPR.  But when we complicate the scenario with a person yelling; “They have a DNR, don’t do CPR or you’ll get sued!”   This can really complicate matters.  What do you do?   Stop CPR and hope that the withholding of potentially life saving CPR is legitimate?  Don’t stop CPR and continue to upset the people that are yelling stop in the first place?   Whoa! Tough spot to be in.

In this episode I’m going to do my best to explain the very complicated issue surrounding Do Not Resuscitate orders(DNR) when CPR is already in progress or about to begin.

Sample of Proposed DNR Guidelines From BENO-Ethics

Tags: Advance Directives, CPR and DNR, CPR Stopped for DNR, DNR, DNR Liability, DNR Orders, No Not Resuscitate, ProCPR, procpr.org, ProFirstAid, ProFirstAid.com, Roy Shaw, royonrescue, royonrescue.com, royshaw

How to Give CPR to A Ventilator Patient

Posted on August 17th, 2010 by Roy Shaw

This week a student asked:

“I take care of a child who has a trach and is on a ventilator when he sleeps.  Do you have a course for cpr involving a patient with a trach if we were out and did not have access to a vent?”

Though we don’t offer any specific ventilator training, I thought this would be a good time to do a royonrescue episode covering this topic.

I didn’t want to delay this reply any longer than necessary so as Jody Marvin and I were on the road discussing training issues for ProCPR.org, I thought we would take advantage of the drive time and answer this very good question.

It’s hard enough initiating CPR or rescue breathing for a person who doesn’t have any special needs, but then when it’s complicated with something like a tracheostomy, it can really become confusing.  I hope this video blog helps clear things up.  Keep the training questions coming I think it really helps everyone who’s concerned about rescue and saving lives.

Best Wishes,

Roy

Tags: CPR, cpr for trach patients, CPR for Ventilator Patients, mouth to tracheostomy, procpr.org, ProFirstAid.com, royonrescue.com

How to Hit Your Head on Pavement at 17MPH and Survive!

Posted on August 5th, 2010 by Roy Shaw

Imagine riding your road bike and as you near a curve in the bike trail hitting speeds of around 17 miles per hour your front tire instantly goes flat.  Now you’re trying to corner on a metal rim sliding across the pavement which has as much traction as an ice skating rink.   This is exactly what happened to Tom Monett, cycling enthusiast, big mountain skier, hiker and mountain climber.  As Tom’s bike slid out from underneath him, he didn’t have enough time to catch himself let alone think about what was about to happen.  As his head hit the pavement, and his ribs began to break, his wisdom to ride with personal protective equipment most likely made the difference between life and death.  Watch this episode of royonrescue to see the full interview and hear his story about surviving a high speed cycling crash.

Concussion

Warning!  Video contains graphic pictures of injuries and accidents.

Video Gallery of Actual Bike Accidents

Tags: bicycle crash, bicycle safety, bike helmet, bike helmets, broken ribs, Concussion, flat tires on bikes, head injuries, helmet law, hitting your head, injury prevention, ProCPR, procpr.org, ProFirstAid, ProFirstAid.com, ProHomeSafety, royonrescue, royonrescue.com, surviving bike accidents, traumatic injury

“Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes…”

Posted on August 2nd, 2010 by Roy Shaw

A student emailed a question regarding the Head to Toe exam.  Though this is normally performed as a secondary survey in a more advanced setting, I do think there are times where knowing how to check a person for other injuries is a good idea.  Take a look at the video blog and I hope this helps.
Best Wishes,
Roy

Tags: CPR, finding broken bones, finding injuries, first aid, head to toe exam, primary assessment, procpr.org, ProFirstAid.com, return to play, Roy Shaw, royonrescue, royonrescue.com, secondary assessment