Carbon monoxide poisoning

 

Overview

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when carbon monoxide builds up in your bloodstream. When too much carbon monoxide is in the air, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide. This can lead to serious tissue damage, or even death.

 

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by burning gasoline, wood, propane, charcoal or other fuel. Improperly ventilated appliances and engines, particularly in a tightly sealed or enclosed space, may allow carbon monoxide to accumulate to dangerous levels.

 

If you think you or someone you're with may have carbon monoxide poisoning, get into fresh air and seek emergency medical care.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include:

 

Dull headache

Weakness

Dizziness

Nausea or vomiting

Shortness of breath

Confusion

Blurred vision

Loss of consciousness

Carbon monoxide poisoning can be particularly dangerous for people who are sleeping or intoxicated. People may have irreversible brain damage or even die before anyone realizes there's a problem.

 

When to see a doctor

The warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning can be subtle. But the condition is a life-threatening medical emergency.  As stated above, if you think you or someone you're with may have carbon monoxide poisoning, get into fresh air and seek emergency medical care.

Causes

Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by inhaling combustion fumes. When too much carbon monoxide is in the air you're breathing, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide. This prevents oxygen from reaching your tissues and organs.

 

Various fuel-burning appliances and engines produce carbon monoxide. The amount of carbon monoxide produced by these sources usually isn't cause for concern. But if they're used in a closed or partially closed space — cooking with a charcoal grill indoors, for example — the carbon monoxide can build to dangerous levels.

 

Smoke inhalation during a fire also can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

Risk factors

Exposure to carbon monoxide may be particularly dangerous for:

 

Unborn babies. Fetal blood cells take up carbon monoxide more readily than adult blood cells do. This makes unborn babies more susceptible to harm from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Children. Young children take breaths more frequently than adults do, which may make them more susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Older adults. Older people who experience carbon monoxide poisoning may be more likely to develop brain damage.

People who have chronic heart disease. People with a history of anemia and breathing problems also are more likely to get sick from exposure to carbon monoxide.

Those in whom carbon monoxide poisoning leads to unconsciousness. Loss of consciousness indicates more severe exposure.

Complications

Depending on the degree and length of exposure, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause:

 

Permanent brain damage

Damage to your heart, possibly leading to life-threatening cardiac complications

Fetal death or miscarriage

Death

 

Prevention

Simple precautions can help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

 

Install carbon monoxide detectors. Put one in the hallway near each sleeping area in your house. Check the batteries every time you check your smoke detector batteries — at least twice a year. If the alarm sounds, leave the house and call 911 or the fire department. Carbon monoxide detectors are also available for motor homes and boats.

Open the garage door before starting your car. Never leave your car running in your garage. Be particularly cautious if you have an attached garage. Leaving your car running in a space attached to the rest of your house is never safe, even with the garage door open.

Use gas appliances as recommended. Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. Use portable gas camp stoves outdoors only. Use fuel-burning space heaters only when someone is awake to monitor them and doors or windows are open to provide fresh air. Don't run a generator in an enclosed space, such as the basement or garage.

Keep your fuel-burning appliances and engines properly vented. These include:

 

Space heaters

Furnaces

Charcoal grills

Cooking ranges

Water heaters

Fireplaces

Portable generators

Wood-burning stoves

Car and truck engines

Ask your utility company about yearly checkups for all gas appliances, including your furnace.

 

If you have a fireplace, keep it in good repair. Clean your fireplace chimney and flue every year.

Keep vents and chimneys unblocked during remodeling. Check that they aren't covered by tarps or debris.

Make repairs before returning to the site of  a carbon monoxide  incident. If carbon monoxide poisoning has occurred in your home, it's critical to find and repair the source of the carbon monoxide before you stay there again. Your local fire department or utility company may be able to help.

Use caution when working with solvents in a closed area. Methylene chloride, a solvent commonly found in paint and varnish removers, can break down (metabolize) into carbon monoxide when inhaled. Exposure to methylene chloride can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

When working with solvents at home, use them only outdoors or in well-ventilated areas. Carefully read the instructions and follow the safety precautions on the label.

 Jan Ricks Jennings, MHA, LFACHE

Senior Consultant

Senior Management Resources, LLC

Jan.Jennings@EagleTalons.net

JanJenningsBlog.Blogspot.com

412.913.0636 Cell

724.733.0509 Office

March 20,2022   

                                                                                  

Plague

 

Overview

Plague is a serious bacterial infection that's transmitted primarily by fleas. The organism that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, lives in small rodents found most commonly in rural and semirural areas of Africa, Asia and the United States. The organism is transmitted to humans who are bitten by fleas that have fed on infected rodents or by humans handling infected animals.

 

Known as the Black Death during medieval times, today plague occurs in fewer than 5,000 people a year worldwide. It can be deadly if not treated promptly with antibiotics. The most common form of plague results in swollen and tender lymph nodes — called buboes — in the groin, armpits or neck. The rarest and deadliest form of plague affects the lungs, and it can be spread from person to person.

 

Symptoms

Plague is divided into three main types — bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic — depending on which part of your body is involved. Signs and symptoms vary depending on the type of plague.

 

Bubonic plague

Bubonic plague is the most common variety of the disease. It's named after the swollen lymph nodes (buboes) that typically develop in the first week after you become infected. Buboes may be:

 

Situated in the groin, armpit or neck

About the size of a chicken egg

Tender and firm to the touch

Other bubonic plague signs and symptoms may include:

 

Sudden onset of fever and chills

Headache

Fatigue or malaise

Muscle aches

 

Septicemic plague

Septicemic plague occurs when plague bacteria multiply in your bloodstream. Signs and symptoms include:

 

Fever and chills

Extreme weakness

Abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting

Bleeding from your mouth, nose or rectum, or under your skin

Shock

Blackening and death of tissue (gangrene) in your extremities, most commonly your fingers, toes and nose

 

Pneumonic plague

Pneumonic plague affects the lungs. It's the least common variety of plague but the most dangerous, because it can be spread from person to person via cough droplets. Signs and symptoms can begin within a few hours after infection, and may include:

 

Cough, with bloody mucus (sputum)

Difficulty breathing

Nausea and vomiting

High fever

Headache

Weakness

Chest pain

Pneumonic plague progresses rapidly and may cause respiratory failure and shock within two days of infection. Pneumonic plague needs to be treated with antibiotics within a day after signs and symptoms first appear, or the infection is likely to be fatal.

 

When to see a doctor

If you begin to feel ill and have been in an area where plague has been known to occur, seek immediate medical attention. You'll need treatment with medication to prevent serious complications or death.

 

In the United States, plague has been transmitted to humans in several western and southwestern states — primarily New Mexico, Arizona, California and Colorado. Worldwide, plague is most common in rural and semirural parts of Africa (especially the African island of Madagascar), South America and Asia.

 

Causes

The plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis, is transmitted to humans through the bites of fleas that have previously fed on infected animals, such as:

 

Rats

Mice

Squirrels

Rabbits

Prairie dogs

Chipmunks

Voles

The bacteria can also enter your body if a break in your skin comes into contact with an infected animal's blood. Domestic cats and dogs can become infected with plague from flea bites or from eating infected rodents.

 

Pneumonic plague, which affects the lungs, is spread by inhaling infectious droplets coughed into the air by a sick animal or person.

 

Risk factors

The risk of developing plague is very low. Worldwide, only a few thousand people develop plague each year. However, your plague risk can be increased depending on the area where you live and travel, your job, and your hobbies.

 

Location

Plague outbreaks are most common in rural and semirural areas that are overcrowded, have poor sanitation and have a high rodent population. The greatest number of human plague infections occur in Africa, especially the African island of Madagascar. Plague has also been transmitted to humans in parts of Asia and South America.

 

In the United States, plague is rare, but it has been known to occur in several western and southwestern states — primarily New Mexico, Arizona, California and Colorado.

 

Job

Veterinarians and their assistants have a higher risk of coming into contact with domestic cats and dogs that may have become infected with plague. People who work outdoors in areas where plague-infected animals are common are also at higher risk of getting plague.

 

Hobbies

Camping, hunting or hiking in areas where plague-infected animals reside can increase your risk of being bitten by an infected flea.

 

Complications

Complications of plague may include:

 

Death. Most people who receive prompt antibiotic treatment survive bubonic plague. Untreated plague has a high fatality rate.

Gangrene. Blood clots in the tiny blood vessels of your fingers and toes can disrupt blood flow and cause that tissue to die. The portions of your fingers and toes that have died may need to be removed (amputated).

Meningitis. Rarely, plague may cause inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

Prevention

No effective vaccine is available, but scientists are working to develop one. Antibiotics can help prevent infection if you're at risk of or have been exposed to plague. Take the following precautions if you live or spend time in areas where plague outbreaks occur:

 

Rodent-proof your home. Remove potential nesting areas, such as piles of brush, rock, firewood and junk. Don't leave pet food in areas that rodents can easily access. If you become aware of a rodent infestation, take steps to control it.

Keep your pets free of fleas. Ask your veterinarian which flea-control products will work best.

Wear gloves. When handling potentially infected animals, wear gloves to prevent contact between your skin and harmful bacteria.

Use insect repellent. Closely supervise your children and pets when spending time outside in areas with large rodent populations. Use insect repellent.

 

 

Jan Ricks Jennings, MHA, LFACHE

Senior Consultant

Senior Management Services, LLC

Jan.Jennings@EagleTalons.net

JanJenningsBlog.Blogspot.com

412.913.0636 Cell

724.733.0509 Office

March 17, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                               

 

 

Overview

Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea — the clear, dome-shaped tissue on the front of your eye that covers the pupil and iris. Keratitis may or may not be associated with an infection. Noninfectious keratitis can be caused by a relatively minor injury, by wearing your contact lenses too long or by a foreign body in the eye. Infectious keratitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

If you have eye redness or other symptoms of keratitis, make an appointment to see your doctor. With prompt attention, mild to moderate cases of keratitis can usually be effectively treated without loss of vision. If left untreated, or if an infection is severe, keratitis can lead to serious complications that may permanently damage your vision.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of keratitis include:

·         Eye redness

·         Eye pain

·         Excess tears or other discharge from your eye

·         Difficulty opening your eyelid because of pain or irritation

·         Blurred vision

·         Decreased vision

·         Sensitivity to light (photophobia)

·         A feeling that something is in your eye

When to see a doctor

If you notice any of the signs or symptoms of keratitis, make an appointment to see your doctor right away. Delays in diagnosis and treatment of keratitis can lead to serious complications, including blindness.

Causse of keratitis include:

·         Injury. If any object scratches or injures the surface of your cornea, noninfectious keratitis may result. In addition, an injury may allow microorganisms to gain access to the damaged cornea, causing infectious keratitis.

·         Contaminated contact lenses. Bacteria, fungi or parasites — particularly the microscopic parasite acanthamoeba — may inhabit the surface of a contact lens or contact lens carrying case. The cornea may become contaminated when the lens is in your eye, resulting in infectious keratitis. Over-wearing your contact lenses can cause keratitis, which can become infectious.

·         Viruses. The herpes viruses (herpes simplex and herpes zoster) may cause keratitis.

·         Bacteria. The bacterium that causes gonorrhea can cause keratitis.

·         Contaminated water. Bacteria, fungi and parasites in water — particularly in oceans, rivers, lakes and hot tubs — can enter your eyes when you're swimming and result in keratitis. However, even if you're exposed to these bacteria, fungi or parasites, a healthy cornea is unlikely to become infected unless there has been some previous breakdown of the corneal surface — for example, wearing a contact lens too long.

Risk factors

Factors that may increase your risk of keratitis include:

·         Contact lenses. Wearing contact lenses — especially sleeping in the lenses —increases your risk of both infectious and noninfectious keratitis. The risk typically stems from wearing them longer than recommended, improper disinfection or wearing contact lenses while swimming.

Keratitis is more common in people who use extended-wear contacts, or wear contacts continuously, than in those who use daily wear contacts and take them out at night.

·         Reduced immunity. If your immune system is compromised due to disease or medications, you're at higher risk of developing keratitis.

·         Corticosteroids. Use of corticosteroid eyedrops to treat an eye disorder can increase your risk of developing infectious keratitis or worsen existing keratitis.

·         Eye injury. If one of your corneas has been damaged from an injury in the past, you may be more vulnerable to developing keratitis.

Complications

Potential complications of keratitis include:

·         Chronic corneal inflammation and scarring

·         Chronic or recurrent viral infections of your cornea

·         Open sores on your cornea (corneal ulcers)

·         Temporary or permanent reduction in your vision

·         Blindness

Prevention

Caring for your contact lenses

If you wear contact lenses, proper use, cleaning and disinfecting can help prevent keratitis. Follow these tips:

·         Choose daily wear contacts and take them out before going to sleep.

·         Wash, rinse and dry your hands thoroughly before handling your contacts.

·         Follow your eye care professional's recommendations for taking care of your lenses.

·         Use only sterile products that are made specifically for contact lens care and use lens care products made for the type of lenses you wear.

·         Gently rub the lenses during cleaning to enhance the cleaning performance of the contact lens solutions. Avoid rough handling that might cause your lenses to become scratched.

·         Replace your contact lenses as recommended.

·         Replace your contact lens case every three to six months.

·         Discard the solution in the contact lens case each time you disinfect your lenses. Don't "top off" the old solution that's already in the case.

·         Don't wear contact lenses when you go swimming.

Preventing viral outbreaks

Some forms of viral keratitis can't be completely eliminated. But the following steps may control viral keratitis occurrences:

·         If you have a cold sore or a herpes blister, avoid touching your eyes, your eyelids and the skin around your eyes unless you've thoroughly washed your hands.

·         Only use eyedrops that have been prescribed by an eye docto                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

·         Washing your hands frequently prevents viral outbreaks.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                             

Jan Ricks Jennings, MHA, LFACHE

Senior Consultant

Senior Management Resources, LLC

 

Jan.Jennings@EagleTalons.net

JanJenningsBlog.Blogspot.com

412.913.0636 Cell

724.733.0509 Office

March 14, 2022