Everything you wanted to know about Defibrillators: Part 1

 

Everything you wanted to know about Defibrillators: Part 1

Defibrillators are also referred to as Automated External defibrillators (AED). These portable medical devices can generate an instant electrical shocks to the heart when its rhythm becomes perilously irregular or fast.  Once the shock is delivered , the heart rate and rhythm can be immediately restored back to normal. Time is of essence because any delay in administering the shock can lead to permanent damage to the heart, and result in death. When the heart rhythm is not restored within 4-6 minutes, the prognosis is poor.

The sooner the heart rhythm is restored, the better are the chances of survival without any permanent organ damage. Each minute is critical and the chances of survival dim with each passing minute.

Defibrillators can be used with in the home, business setting or in a hospital setting. Today defibrillators are carried by police, ambulance crews, and are also available on planes, sport arenas, shopping malls, casino and hotels.

Automatic external defibrillators have been approved by the FDA. The only automatic defibrillator available without a prescription for home use is the Phillips Heart Start Home defibrillator. The HeartStart defibrillator can be used on children as young as 8 years in age.

There are many types of AED on the market.

The Cardiac Science device delivers life saving defibrillation therapy without having to push any buttons. The Welch Allyn and HeartStart Onsite Defibrillators are fully automatic and can even guide you through the CPR process. The automatic defibrillators also have a voice program which explains what needs to be done during a cardiac arrest. 

Once the pads have been applied, the AED automatically analyses the individual's heart rhythm and determines if a shock is required. If this is so, the machine will either sound an alarm or may announce the need. The user must stand back and press a button to deliver the charge. The process can be repeated 2-3 times until the 911 emergency crew comes over.

All AEDs are simple to use with minimal training. The current defibrillators will even make a determination as to whether a shock should be administered. The defibrillators come with a manual and instructions on how to use them. Accessories to the defibrillators include pads, batteries, paddles and battery chargers and these come with the AED.

Weight loss with green tea

Can I lose weight with green tea?

For the one millionth time, green tea or any other tea beverage is nothing more than a scam. If you think you are going to lose weight by just drinking green tea, you are sadly mistaken. There is nothing in green tea that can induce weight loss or curb your appetite. The green tea maniacs, like the vitamin D maniacs, have now gotten everyone to buy their bogus products for only reason- money. Green tea is a great social beverage but it has no magical powers. You can drink it, shower in it, have an enema with it – you still will not lose weight.  Every single clinical study has shown that tea beverages for weight loss are useless- you may as well drink your own piss.

The green tea business is a multi-billion dollar scam with lots of false promises to desperate people who want to lose weight. The only way you can lose weight with green tea is by just drinking this beverage and not eating anything- and that is not realistic. If you want to lose weight, stop buying tea beverages as the only thing you will get is disappointment. To lose weight, eat less and walk more- free and no hassles.

Gabapentin for fibromyalgia

Does gabapentin work in patients with fibromyalgia?

Wow, this is a difficult subject. Patients with fibromyalgia are complex and have many comorbid disorders including a terrible personality; they are always blaming everyone else for their medical problems and are extremely negative. They are some of the most difficult patients to treat and I avoid them-chiefly cause I am a surgeon and have little interest in non-surgical disorders. 

However I have post graduate training in pharmacology and know a fair bit about medications. As far as gabapentin is concerned, it is a widely used drug to treat neuropathy. It does work in some diabetics and in patients with shingles and post herpetic neuralgia. As far as fibromyalgia is concerned, the drug does not always work. The evidence to support its use in fibromyalgia is weak. However, some patients with fibromyalgia have found the drug useful. The only way to know if gabapentin will work in fibromyalgia is to try it out for at least 2-3 weeks. Beware the drug has many adverse effects including weight gain, sedation and swelling of the extremities.

Topiramate for diabetic neuropathy?

Does topiramate relieve pain in neuropathy?

Topiramate is an anticonvulsant which is also used to treat migraine. It is sometimes prescribed by doctors to treat peripheral neuropathy. Unfortunately evidence to support its use in diabetic neuropathy is weak. At the moment, the drug should be considered experimental as there is little or no evidence to indicate that it works in diabetic neuropathy. However, it is a great drug for people with migraine.

Vitamin D for pain relief

Can vitamin D be used to treat pain?

The vitamin D maniacs get up every morning and starting blogging about the virtues of vitamin D. In the last year alone, these maniacs have published millions of blogs indicating that Vitamin D can cure almost every disorder under the sun.

Now to the facts- the majority of anecdotal reports on vitamin D are published by morons who do not have grade 2 education. These blogs are often written on social media sites like Facebook, which has now become the encyclopedia of medicine- most of the advice is bogus and borders on stupidity.

Second vitamin D is classified as a fat soluble vitamin and NOT as an analgesic (pain killer).  Thirdly, vitamin D is never used in any healthcare setting to treat pain.

Over the past few years, there have been some reports indicating that vitamin D may be used to treat chronic painful disorders in adults. Vitamin D is produced in the skin after exposure to sunlight and perhaps it may module pain sensation.

So does vitamin D relieve pain?

Countless studies have been done assessing the benefits of oral and topical vitamin D in people with all types of pain syndromes. The results indicate that you may as well drink your PISS. It does jack shit.

There is not a single study which has unequivocally shown that vitamin D can relieve pain. The few studies which show that vitamin D can relieve pain have been done by doctors who were paid by the manufacturers and these data have not been reproducible by independent investigators.

So if you have weak or thinning of bones, you can take vitamin D but if you have pain, then you will have to try something else. Vitamin D is not a pain killer and is not classified as an analgesic. You can use vitamin D as a pill, lotion, potion, enema, inhaler, suppository or shower with it- it will provide no pain relief – all it will do is bring you more disappointment for being a sucker.

Does TENS work for pain relief?

Does TENS provide pain relief?

There is so much stuff written on TENS that it is difficult to know what is true or false. The people who make this device have tons of great reviews about the various TENS machines and their benefits. On the other hand, consumers with pain who use TENS indicate that the device does not always work and the pain relief is not sustained.

In fact, the majority of reviews on TENS by people with pain indicate that the device sucks. In one recent large review, the overall feeling is that TENS is just another gimmick designed to scam patients. The pain relief in most cases is minimal and you can get the same relief by massaging the area with a dildo.

So if you have the money, save it and use it for something else. If you do not have money to buy a TENS machine, do not worry, you are not missing out on anything. Remember medicine is a business and the name of the game is to sucker desperate patients with a lot of crappy devices. If people who had pain stopped going to doctors, more than 60% of doctors would become unemployed.

Results after bariatric surgery

Are the results after bariatric surgery permanent?

Weight loss surgery when done right can lead to dramatic weight loss in some lucky individuals. However, to ensure that the weight loss is sustained, you will need to change your lifestyle. There are countless reports of people who lost significant weight after bariatric surgery and regained it within 2-5 years.

If you want the results of weight loss surgery to last, you will need to change your lifestyle dramatically. That means never ever going back to your poor eating habits and exercising regularly. Individuals who do not change their life style quickly regain the weight. So even if it is your birthday, avoid the cheesecake