It appears that the jury is still out on whether or not the individuals charged with cleaning up the BP oil spill are adequately protected or even trained to undertake the task.

There are countless websites that attack BP and it’s training processes, even harking back to Exxon Valdez and the safety hazards during that spill. The fact remains clean up is necessary and employing displaced Gulf fishermen and other waterman is an effort to increase stability in the region. This effort should not go unnoticed and while the general public is enraged, it is important to think about where the anger comes from.

Traditional media protocol is to excerpt the most dramatic pieces of the story and run with it, knowing that the average reader/listener/viewer isn’t going to track down the full report and take a look for one self.

It has been reported that clean up workers are falling ill due to pollutants from the oil spill. Most of these complaints were of symptoms that cleared quickly resulting from exposed chemicals, very similar to the affects of cleaning one’s bathroom at home. The symptoms were mild.

The idea that BP public relations officials are instructing workers to not use respirators as to not draw attention to the significance of the spill/pollutant is preposterous. The public is very aware of how disastrous this spill was and there is certainly no hiding this fact. This sort of speculation makes sense considering the internal BP memos that have been leaked to the public, however if this is truly the case BP needs to fire these PR consultants immediately because they are failing the company.

BP’s best response to this disaster is to take care of their workers and take on accountability, responsibility and most importantly prevention. The proactive approach would be to give workers respirators and encourage their use. Regardless of the mild symptoms, safeguard the company from worker health issues down the line.

Get workers care and training. Be sure they are equipped to do their job properly and safely. Arm them with safety and health related equipment. A LifeGuard30 would be an ideal tool for workers to communicate with physicians or relay any past medical issues that may need to be addressed. Considering many of these cleanup workers may speak a foreign language, the LifeGuard30 would be an ideal tool for them to use on the scene as well as to ensure proper medical care based off of their personal medical record.

Reversing public perception of BP and it’s policies is going to prove a tough job, however the beginning and most obvious direction is worker care and regional rejuvenation. Currently BP has the first step by employing displaced watermen to clean up, however the next logical step is to show those workers, and the public that you care about their health, safety and well being.

Just scanning Twitter or WebMD there is almost an overabundance of medical information. For example, what kind of medical devices to purchase, what ailments are lurking around the corner, professional studies and opinion articles. What is all this information doing to us? Is it making us educated medical consumers or flooding us with bad information?

The overabundance of information is both helpful and harmful. An article’s headline the other day was “Is It a Cough or Throat Cancer”; this article had great merit as far as addressing what kinds of coughs (i.e. if you’ve smoked for twenty plus years) are warnings for throat cancer. In the sea of medical information the headlines that get attention are those that seem the most extreme. This kind of brief medical “scare” can’t be good for waiting room lines and doctor office telephone lines. So how does one filter this kind of panic?

The first key to filtering out erroneous medical information is to check your browser. If you are not on a trusted site or you are reading an opinion piece, take the information with a grain of salt. Just because the author’s title is Dr. doesn’t mean the information is valid. Read the author’s credentials. How long has the author practiced medicine, what are his/her specialties? Don’t trust titles or sites without doing your research.

Secondly, check multiple trusted sites. Its common to get second opinions in medicine and highly encouraged so why would medical research be any different? Read a lot and familiarize yourself with your research especially if you have a concern you’d like to take to your doctor.

The bottom line is to take all information with a grain of salt and be sure you are reading trusted sources. With the influx of medical information on the Internet it is imperative that consumers use common sense to filter out the good information from the bad.

Communication is at the heart of all the recent health care discussions, doctors and hospital systems are busy implementing EHRs, digitizing records and adopting software systems for better and faster communication. Except it isn’t working. Communication breakdowns are happening in hospital systems on the same network and even in the same hospital. Ask yourself how many questions you repeated the answer to during a hospital personnel shift change? How are the Nation’s hospitals going to battle the communication breakdown with new software solutions when the existing hospital systems can’t even communicate within the same network or even the same hospital?

It appears as though the chase is on to adopt new technology and furiously collect the overwhelming amount of stimulus money that is associated with these funds. Is this the correct thing to do when it clearly compromises patient care? The Nation is rushing to implement EHRs at the expense of patient safety. Nearly 100,000 Americans die each year from medical errors and the United States spends the most money on health care and ranks last among the seven industrialized countries. U.S. patients with chronic conditions are the most likely to report being given the wrong medication or the wrong dose of their medication, and experiencing delays in being notified about an abnormal test result. These patients visit their doctors regularly due to their chronic condition and trust that the doctor and/or hospital system has all of their records and medical information. Clearly this is a deadly assumption and one that even an electronic health record cannot address.

In February of 2010 Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) died after complications from a routine gallbladder surgery. This raised the question of whether his death resulted from a preventable medical error. According to research, only two percent of elective gallbladder surgeries result in death. Murtha died as a result of a surgical cut to his intestines that caused an infection and further complications. Murtha indeed died from a preventable medical error. According to Consumer Reports, “the dirty truth behind many errors and infections is that many are preventable by simply implementing a few basic practices, such as a checklist, better planning and communication”.

Taking the time to fix the communication problems that exist in current heath care systems will not only provide better patient care, but could lead technology in the correct direction for the most appropriate and comprehensive electronic health record adoption. Preventing medical errors can be as simple as the implementation of a checklist, so why are hospital systems rushing to implement EHRs? Until communication improves take it upon yourself as a medical consumer to research the surrounding hospitals and doctors to determine safety and quality. Enlist a family member to be your health advocate and help you ask the necessary questions and voice concerns. Finally, carry a copy of your medical record; do not trust that the hospital or doctor’s office will have your record or even communicate your health information to the next shift of personnel. Prepare to always be your own advocate and question everything as this is the only effective way to prevent a medical error from happening to you.

Travelling season is the best time of year. The weather is warm, people spend more time outside and the sun stays up long into the evening. Summer months are some of my favorite although they can also be very dangerous when it comes to your health. Dehydration, sunburns, allergies among other perils exist during these months. I've learned from experience to drink a lot of water and wear a lot of sunscreen, but equally as important is protecting yourself during travel by carrying your medical records.

Having your medical records available when you travel is essential for healthy travel. Your medical information such as prescriptions, medical conditions and allergies are important to have in an emergency situation and can potentially save your life. Medical records are difficult to get in your own town nevermind attempting to retrieve them remotely while on vacation. The LifeGuard30 system was developed in response to this very problem.

Our President, James' Grandmother was visiting from Florida when she fell and broke her hip. James and his family waited an excruciatingly long time for her medical records to arrive from her doctor in Florida. James was disturbed by the lack of efficiency and decided to search for something his Grandmother could carry to avoid this scenario in the future. To his dismay all of the “solutions” he found were not complete solutions. Some wouldn’t work in a national disaster and some wouldn’t even work in an emergency at all. Instinctually James knew that there had to be a better way and decided to develop an emergency medical record system that would encompass all possible emergencies.

The LifeGuard30 system, with its backup system called LifeSupport, functions with a series of redundancies to ensure delivery of your medical records no matter what emergency. At 24/7/365 call center, Internet connectivity and a text-back system ensures that EMS and ER personnel have multiple ways to retrieve your information.

Visit LifeGuard30.com today and keep you and your family safe on vacation and when travelling.

Tuesday was World Elder Abuse Day and prior to entering the medical field I had never heard of such a thing, but it is a grim reality and needs to be stopped. Elder abuse is not just physical abuse; it can include neglect and exploitation as well. The term elder abuse refers to any knowing, intentional or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. The specificity of laws vary from state to state, but broadly defined, abuse may be:

• Physical Abuse – inflicting, or threatening to inflict physical pain or injury on a vulnerable elder, or depriving them of a basic need
• Emotional Abuse – inflicting mental pain, anguish or distress on an elder person through verbal or nonverbal acts
• Sexual Abuse – non-consensual sexual contact of any kind
• Exploitation – illegal taking, misuse or concealment of funds, property or assets of a vulnerable elder
• Neglect – refusal or failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care or protection for a vulnerable elder
• Abandonment – the desertion of a vulnerable elder by anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care of custody of that person

Some warning signs to look for when you suspect physical elder abuse are bruises, pressure marks, broken bones, abrasions and burns. Indicators of emotional elder abuse are unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, a sudden change in alertness and unusual depression. Exploitation can be detected by a sudden change in financial situations. Bedsores, unattended medical need, poor hygiene and unusual weight loss are indicators of possible neglect. Strained or tense relationships, frequent arguments between the caregiver and elderly person are also signs of abuse.

The best thing one can do if they suspect elder abuse is to stay alert to warning signs. Pay close attention to changes in personality or behavior. If you suspect abuse it is your duty to report your suspicions. Voice your concerns to your local adult protective services, long-term care ombudsman or the police. Please click here to locate state directories for elder abuse reporting.

In April the LifeGuard30 team traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana to attend FDIC, which is the largest firefighter training conference and exhibition. There our team trained thousands of firefighters and EMT personnel on how to use the LifeGuard30. We had an amazing time learning from and talking to all of our new FDIC friends.

Out of the thousands of attendees that signed up for the FDIC Prize Package and trained on the LifeGuard30 the Nashua Fire Rescue Training Division won the prize! The prize package consisted of a top of the line EMS rescue bag, a Motorola two-way radio and a Panasonic Toughbook. Nashua Fire and Rescue plan to use the Toughbook for their training/safety division to support their simulation training and ICS management function. The EMS bag will be used on the confined space rescue trailer to consolidate existing equipment and supplies and the Motorola two-way radio will be utilized by the Dive Team.

ViVre is happy to support the needs of Nashua Fire and Rescue with the FDIC Prize Package and had a wonderful time at FDIC. Thank you for all that took the time to speak with us about the LifeGuard30 and thank you to all fire and rescue personnel for putting their lives on the line daily to keep our communities safe. We are glad just to be a part of such important and heroic work.

In photograph, left to right: Captain Joe Freire, Training Asst. Chief Keith Anderson and DC Dan Cronin.

The LifeGuard30 system is your voice in an emergency. It provides your medical information available, on scene, for emergency responders to treat you faster and better. The LG30 mini-computer needs no power to function, yet an emergency responder can also retrieve the same information via 24/7 call center, internet and text-back feature. Purchase peace of mind for yourself and your family.

Civilized societies have long been adaptive to new technologies and include many of these new technologies as “must have” items. At what point do we need to put down our gadgets and concentrate on one thing at a time? Many people feel this is only a millennial problem or overstimulation only plagues young people, but studies show that 50+ individuals are just as distracted as their teenagers. How many meetings or dinners have we attended where the phone is ever present on the table? What would our grandparents say?

According to AARP those over 50 are most at risk for distraction. This development aptly titled “culture of distraction” or “information-fatigue syndrome” or simply “modern life” affects everyone. Those over 50 are much more susceptible because normal brain changes, including small blockages to the brain’s blood supply and drop in nerve-signaling chemicals, can make it harder to tune out distractions.

“We’re really facing the limit of human ability to cope with stimuli in our environment,” says Maggie Jackson, author of Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age. The stimuli is only growing too, University of California-San Diego researchers found on average, Americans hear, see, or read 34 gigabytes worth of information a day—about 100,000 words from TV, Internet, books, radio, newspapers and other sources.

Humans are continuously paying partial attention to every thing; we skim furiously hoping not to miss something. Ease stress levels by trying the following tips:

• Study your habits – ask yourself throughout the day if you are focusing on the appropriate things
• Limit your inputs – limit aimless web and channel surfing. Open ended/purposeless cruising can cause you to lose track of time and goals
• Exercise your “concentration muscles” – focused activities such as reading an engaging book or meditating will sharpen attention and relieve stress
• Leave a trail – when you think of something to add to your ever-present “to do list” or a web article that catches your eye, make a note of it and return to it later rather than shifting focus from the task at hand
• Go outside – it seems so simple, yet so hard at the same time. Unplug and meet a friend for coffee or take a walk (without the phone)

Understanding your media consumption habits will make you aware of the less important stimuli and make you a less stressed, more productive individual.  Take a week and keep a journal of your habits and use the following week to make changes in your habits for a healthier and more fruitful life.

The month of May is Asthma Awareness Month; this disease affects seven percent of the United States population and a total of 300 million people worldwide. It causes 4,000 deaths a year in the United States alone. Asthma is an extremely common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, airflow obstruction and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Increasingly this disease is becoming more prevalent in urban environments, affecting up to one quarter of urban children.

Asthma is clinically classified according to the frequency of symptoms and an attack can be attributed to many environmental asthma triggers as well as genetic factors. Some of the most common asthma triggers include secondhand smoke, dust mites, mold, cockroaches and other pests, household pets and combustion byproducts. Since Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, especially in more urban environments it is no surprise this disease is on the rise.

Management of asthma and asthma symptoms can be as easy for some as avoiding triggers of the attacks or as serious as allergy immunotherapy. Medications are available to try to suppress attacks due to inflammation. The only preventative way to control asthma is allergen immunotherapy, which is dangerous in severe asthma patients and in uncontrolled asthma and this only decreases asthma attacks by half.  Therefore the only real way to control this disease is trigger avoidance.

Avoiding the things that contribute to asthma attacks can prove difficult in everyday life. Some tips to avoid allergens and lessen attacks are:

• Increase levels of ventilation in both work and home and cold, dry air tend to exacerbate attacks. Purchase an air humidifier for the rooms that you reside in most
• Proactively monitor and manage symptoms, create a list of allergens and do your best to avoid scenarios that expose you to them
• Have a personal medical record that clearly states you have asthma therefore if you suffer an attack emergency personnel will know how to treat you
• Write down your treatment plan. Consult with your doctor and adjust your plan as your symptoms change
• Discuss medication options with your doctor and include this information in your personal medical record
• Discuss your treatment plan with your close friends and family so they can help you in the event of an attack

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America also has information on their site that expands on these tips. Asthma isn’t curable but it is controllable. Learn as much as possible about your symptoms and be your own medical advocate.

This week is National Emergency Services Week. ViVre Medical would like to take this opportunity to thank all emergency service workers for their tireless dedication to saving lives. Many emergency workers volunteer countless hours to be sure their communities are safe and prepared in the event of an emergency. The United States EMS system includes emergency medical technicians, 911 dispatchers, paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement officials, educators, nurses and physicians.

One of the most important parts of an emergency service worker’s job is to educate and prepare the public to act swiftly in an emergency. Here are some tips to help you handle an emergency and help EMS professionals as well.

1. Call 911 for help immediately if you think someone is in crisis. Do not delay. This includes shortness of breath, seizures, unconsciousness, chest pain, heavy bleeding, severe stomach pain, possible broken bones or poisoning
2. Stay on the phone with the dispatcher. They are trained to help in emergencies and will be able to help you stabilize the person until EMS arrives on the scene
3. Keep calm until the ambulance gets there. Try to stay level-headed and reassure the patient and keep their temperature comfortable
4. Talk to the patient and keep them reassured. Ask them questions about themselves to focus on something other than their injury/situation. Fear and emotional stress can worsen their condition. Talking will keep their attention directed away from the emergency
5. Make it easy for EMS to find you. Have a person stand on the nearest corner to flag the ambulance down. Turn on all the inside and outside lights if it’s nighttime. Attract as much attention to your location as possible.

Finally, be prepared for an emergency. Have emergency supplies on hand and in one place so you are able to react fast. Have medical records available for emergency workers so they may treat you based off of your medical history. This will enable them to treat you faster and better than they would be able to without medical records on scene. Visit LifeGuard30.com to learn more about mobile medical record systems and please feel free to comment or add suggestions below or on our Facebook page.