Medical Questions I'd Like Answered...

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:05 am

Shiritai wrote: First, cardiac arrest survival rates with defibrillation are around 30%, which isn't quite as bad. .

Defibrillation doesn't work on flatlines. Shocking the heart resets the rhythm, but that doesn't help if there is no rhythm at all. Asystole is treated with CPR and drugs. Asystole has a survival rate of about 11% if it occurs in a hospital 2% if it doesn't.

erik · Post by **erik** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:05 am

hyzmarca wrote:
Shiritai wrote: First, cardiac arrest survival rates with defibrillation are around 30%, which isn't quite as bad. .
Defibrillation doesn't work on flatlines. Shocking the heart resets the rhythm, but that doesn't help if there is no rhythm at all. Asystole is treated with CPR and drugs. Asystole has a survival rate of about 11% if it occurs in a hospital 2% if it doesn't.

Ah, okay, now I feel justified in rejoining.

So, in going with the 2% survival rate outside of a hospital you're suggesting that people should be getting cardiac bypass in a non-clinical setting- Basically you're asking why don't EMT teams use portable bypass machines?

Best reason why that doesn't happen that I can imagine is that the tech isn't there yet. Cardiohelp was the most notable vendor I saw for portable bypass, and their website is tragically 2 years abandoned. I've found a 1990 study where they concluded it wasn't any more useful in an EMT setting (i.e. almost everyone died). Here is what a 2010 paper offered on the subject:

We report the use of out-of-hospital extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in cardiac arrest. We treated a 9-year-old girl with cardiac arrest after warm-water drowning with percutaneous venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) using a new portable Mini-ECMO system. A beating-heart circulation was reestablished on ECMO, but, unfortunately, our patient did not survive. This case shows that Mini-ECMO support can be used to restore an effective circulation and gas exchange in the out-of-hospital setting.

That's the modern state of affairs.

It's not easy to set up, especially in a non-clinical setting, especially if you are not specially trained and do not do it often. Odds are if someone had asystole in a non clinical setting they're fucked regardless of what you do since you aren't going to be getting to them before they're suffering neurological damage. Asystole doesn't just happen. Typically you get there via VFib (which can be reversed via an AICD or AED if applied soon enough), trauma, temperature, lack of oxygen, something ingested/electrolyte imbalance, or the heart just shit the bed. Of those 2% surviving there was more going on than just a stopped heart. You only have so much ground you can gain.

We're probably on the cusp of it being slightly advantageous if you can get there in time with a sufficiently trained team. The tech may eventually get there, but it doesn't seem to be there yet. Currently your best bet from a heart attack is still getting someone to zap you ASAP, and it is almost certainly more effective to put resources into getting AED+CPR on the scene faster.

Whipstitch · Post by **Whipstitch** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:34 am

I know testicular torsion is often famously painful, but does it ever present as a relatively mild dull ache? Because, uh, my boys kinda hurt and I'm trying to assess whether this is a drop everything kinda deal.

Also, I hate how reluctance to go to the doctor about this kinda thing is always gets chalked up to embarrassment. I really don't give a fuck about that compared to the fact that I have no idea how I'd pay for any of that shit if it is a problem.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:56 am

Whipstitch wrote:I know testicular torsion is often famously painful, but does it ever present as a relatively mild dull ache? Because, uh, my boys kinda hurt and I'm trying to assess whether this is a drop everything kinda deal.

Also, I hate how reluctance to go to the doctor about this kinda thing is always gets chalked up to embarrassment. I really don't give a fuck about that compared to the fact that I have no idea how I'd pay for any of that shit if it is a problem.

Having had only one testicular torsion over 10 years ago, and no others, and not being a doctor, I would say:

If your "boys" have a dull ache it probably isn't a testicular torsion. If one of your boys has a dull ache and the other one feels fine, that could be a very early stage of a testicular torsion.

But if you have minor pain it is probably much more likely to be Epididymitis.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:07 am

I've observed a heart/lung bypass. It required cracking the chest open and paralyzing the heart with ice and an ion solution. It's not a quick procedure, and the idea of trying to do it in an emergency setting does not appeal.

-Username17

Meikle641 · Post by **Meikle641** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 9:35 am

Alternatively, a horrible ache in the balls can be a cyst cutting off the blood supply. Or so it was for me at age 10.

Count Arioch the 28th · Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:15 pm

Meikle641 wrote:Alternatively, a horrible ache in the balls can be a cyst cutting off the blood supply. Or so it was for me at age 10.

I have one of those. I saw a doctor about that, they did an ultrasound. Then the doctor's office had what sounded like a giggling teenaged girl tell me that my constant ball pain was "just fine" and it wasn't cancer. Good to know that it isn't anything severe but I do have severe and unceasing ball pain at all times...

Speaking of things slightly less gross but still disgusting, is excessive earwax buildup a symptom of something else? Also, what is a safe way to get rid of earwax? (I used to use hydrogen peroxide but I heard that's bad for you).

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:28 pm

Vegetable oil and warm water melt ear wax well enough. Do not under any circumstances do ear candles or any of that shit. There are things that can go tragically wrong with Q-tips, so doctors always go on record opposing them. I will as well. That being said, if you are very careful to neither crush your earwax into the back nor poke the Q-tip in hard enough to tear anything, they can clear an ear well enough. Using an ear bulb to squirt water in during a hot bath is safer and more effective, but I realize that a lot of people don't have access to these things.

-Username17

Meikle641 · Post by **Meikle641** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:53 pm

Count Arioch the 28th wrote:

I have one of those. I saw a doctor about that, they did an ultrasound. Then the doctor's office had what sounded like a giggling teenaged girl tell me that my constant ball pain was "just fine" and it wasn't cancer. Good to know that it isn't anything severe but I do have severe and unceasing ball pain at all times...

In my case, they removed the cyst and kicked me out a couple hours later, stitched up with superglue. If they had explained that they weren't trying to castrate me, I probably would have submitted peacefully before that.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Fri Jul 18, 2014 3:37 am

Count Arioch the 28th wrote:Also, what is a safe way to get rid of earwax? (I used to use hydrogen peroxide but I heard that's bad for you).

Get a dog. They'll lick your ears clean, free of charge.

Count Arioch the 28th · Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:43 am

Koumei wrote:
Count Arioch the 28th wrote:Also, what is a safe way to get rid of earwax? (I used to use hydrogen peroxide but I heard that's bad for you).
Get a dog. They'll lick your ears clean, free of charge.

I'm not really a dog person. Cat tongues seem like they'd be too scratched in the aural canal, and spiders do not have tongues at all.

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:18 pm

And so the quest for a diagnosis for my wife continues. We went to an internal medicine doctor, who felt lumps in her throat and wondered if she had thyroid concerns. The ultrasound and battery of blood tests came up with nothing, but her constricted throat and hurting stomach started feeling better with Nexium/Prilosec.

She then got an MRI of her head and an EEG, and those came up perfectly normal. The neurologist prescribed some anti-seizure medicine as a potential aide, but we're trying to switch them out because they turned out to be too large to swallow (label says not to crush/break); our current plan is once she gets some she can take, to take some for a few days and then try out an elevator to see if it helps.

Otherwise, we're feeling pretty stressed with the fact we still don't have any clue for the cause and the doctors have largely been pretty flippant of her condition.

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:07 pm

What are the potential consequences of an antbite to the urethra (common ant, not fireant)

erik · Post by **erik** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:53 am

Like a nibble at the tip? Since otherwise the urethra is not really exposed for biting.

Discomfort.
Ants-in-my-pants dancing.
Erratic driving if applicable.
Unpleasant sexual experience at time of event.
Embarrassing moment when you post a question about it on an online forum.

That's about it.
I advise against having sex with ant-hills, not because it is dangerous, but still. C'mon.

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 1:08 am

erik wrote:Like a nibble at the tip? Since otherwise the urethra is not really exposed for biting.

Discomfort.
Ants-in-my-pants dancing.
Erratic driving if applicable.
Unpleasant sexual experience at time of event.
Embarrassing moment when you post a question about it on an online forum.

That's about it.
I advise against having sex with ant-hills, not because it is dangerous, but still. C'mon.

I have ants in my house. Sometimes they get in my clothes. Recently, I discovered ants in my pants the hard way. But not Ant. He wasn't in my pants. Nor was he anywhere near my home.

DSMatticus · Post by **DSMatticus** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:55 am

I am now remembering the time I put on pants with a wasp in them, and thinking exactly how much worse that could have gone.

Count Arioch the 28th · Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:16 am

DSMatticus wrote:I am now remembering the time I put on pants with a wasp in them, and thinking exactly how much worse that could have gone.

I found out I was nearly immune to wasp stings through a similar event. One had crawled into my shirt and stung me several times (not sure how many), I thought I had a staple or pin in my shirt and it was poking me. Eventually I just took my shirt off and a wasp flew out...

I know that tarantula bites hurt like holy fuck but aren't that bad either...

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:48 pm

I heard some stuff about blue light suppressing melatonin and messing up sleep cycles and about amber sunglasses preventing this. Would buying amber sunglasses and putting them on a few hours before going to bed significantly improve sleep efficiency?

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 2:54 pm

radthemad4 wrote:I heard some stuff about blue light suppressing melatonin and messing up sleep cycles and about amber sunglasses preventing this. Would buying amber sunglasses and putting them on a few hours before going to bed significantly improve sleep efficiency?

That sounds like magic talk to me. Some amber sunglasses are rated well for UV light protection and some are not. But in general, sunlight exposure helps reinforce your sleep cycle, and not the other way around.

Jogging helps with sleep. Good old fashion physical fatigue makes it easier to sleep.

-Username17

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:07 pm

They're meant to be worn at night, not during the day. The idea is to reduce the impact of artificial melatonin suppression from artificial light, e.g. smartphones, monitors, fluorescent lights, etc. by blocking the blue end of the spectrum.

Wikipedia wrote:It is principally blue light, around 460 to 480 nm, that suppresses melatonin

The citation leads here.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newslette ... dark-side/

Yeah, it does sound like magic which is why I figured I'd bring it up here for confirmation.

Sidenote: What are some good indoor alternatives to jogging? It's often raining and/or night when I'm free.

Grek · Post by **Grek** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:53 am

Jog in place or do knee lifts.

fectin · Post by **fectin** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:16 pm

These folks are credentialed enough to be worth reading, and cite sources:
http://www.sunsprite.com/doc/whitepaper.pdf

Frankly, their description sounds magical to me to, but "sounds magical" doesn't actually disprove anything.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:14 pm

Grek: Thanks.

Okay, it sounds like light most likely affects circadian rhythms. Don't know if amber sunglasses would actually help though. I don't usually have trouble falling asleep (just avoiding interactive electronic devices after a certain time of night helped immensely with that), but if the sunglasses can help me sleep better (I still feel like crap whenever I wake up, even if I slept for 8 or 9 hours) they might be worth a shot.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:40 pm

@rad - Check your blood sugar. If you're like most people and don't have a meter, try eating low carb (at least at night) for a week and keep track of how you feel in the morning.

radthemad4 · Post by **radthemad4** » Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:30 am

I got a full body checkup a few months ago. My blood sugar is probably on it somewhere. I'll take a look when I get home. I'll try easing up on night carbs. Thanks.