Necrotizing Fasciitis Treatment Information

Necrotizing fasciitis commonly known as “flesh-eating bacteria.” The syndrome may be caused by a variety of agencies, and often is actually a combination of several infection germs attack at a time. Many types of bacteria can cause necrotizing (eg Group A Streptococcus, Vibrio vulnificus, Clostridium perfringens, Bacteroides fragilis), whose Group A streptococcal (also known as Streptococcus pyogenes) is the most common cause. Necrotizing fasciitis is extremely rare, but serious. There are between 90 and 200 cases per year in Canada. There are many symptoms categories associated with invasive strep infections.A person may have pain from an injury that cut by more than 24 to 36 hours and then suddenly becomes worse. Other symptoms may include fever, chills and nausea and vomiting or diarrhea. The skin becomes red, swollen commonly, and warm to the touch. If the infection is deep in the tissue, these signs of inflammation may not develop right away. The symptoms often develop abruptly (over a period of a few hours or a day), and the infection can spread rapidly and can quickly become life-threatening.The supportive care for shock, kidney failure and breathing problems is often necessary. Treatment of necrotizing is more effective.The antibiotics and surgical removal of dead tissue are required. Initial treatment often includes a combination of intravenous antibiotics, including penicillin, vancomycin and clindamycin. Broad-spectrum beta-lactam drugs such as imipenem cover aerobic, including Pseudomonas species. There is no vaccine to prevent the flesh-eating disease. Take good care of minor wounds and cuts. Wash the affected area in hot, soapy water, and keep it clean and dry with a bandage. Amputation of the affected organ(s) may be necessary. Repeat explorations usually need to be done to remove additional necrotic tissue. Necrotizing Fasciitis Treatment and Prevention Tips1. Wash your hands always.2. Keep it clean and dry with a bandage.3. Take good care of minor wounds and cuts. 4. Always keep cuts, scrapes, burns, sores, and bites clean.5. Intravenous antibiotics including penicillin, vancomycin and clindamycin.

The Healing Power of a Simple Bath

Water is well known as a source of life. Without it many living things including human being will die. But not many people know that it can be used to heal and ease a variety of ailments. It may be used in a number of different ways. The healing properties of water have been recognized since ancient times, notably by the Greek, Roman and Turkish civilizations. You most probably are aware that a hot bath can relax the body, relieving muscle aches and stiffness. Hot water or steam causes blood vessels to dilate, opens skin pores and stimulates perspiration, relaxes limbs and muscles. Where as a cold bath or shower acts in the opposite way and is refreshing and invigorating, especially on a hot humid day. It causes blood vessels in the skin to constrict and blood is diverted to internal tissues and organs to maintain the core temperature of the body. A hot bath is commonly used to ease muscle and joint pains and inflammation. Various substances such as seaweed extract can be added to the water to help in healing of some skin conditions or minor wounds. Very often after child-birth, frequent bathing in warm water added with mild antiseptic ca help to heal skin tears.Spending 5 minutes immersing in a hot bath with temperature between 98 degrees F and 104 degrees F is very useful for muscle relaxation. You may spend as long as 10 minutes in it as long as you do not feel weak or dizzy. It is important to realize that a brief hot bath has quite a different effect from a long one. In fact there are no additional benefits by prolonging a hot bath. Immersion in hot water acts not only on the surface nerves but also on the autonomic nervous system as well as hormone-producing glands, particularly the adrenals, which becomes less active. Therefore do not stay too long immersing in a hot bath as the effect can go the opposite way.Cold baths are used mainly to improve blood flow to internal tissues and organs and to reduce swellings. You may sit for a short while in shallow cold water and have some splashes of water to your exposed skin. Swelling of inflamed, painful parts can be reduced by immersing them in cold water. But remember not to allow yourself to become chilled. This sort of treatment is not suitable for persons who cannot dry themselves rapidly with a warm towel. It is also not advisable for people with serious conditions or the elderly or the very young.The above are just two common ways of using water for healing. In fact there are more ways than these such as steam bath, sitz bath and neutral bath. So now you understand that a simple hot or cold bath does have its healing capabilities and using it correctly will put you in better health.

A Look at Scar Removal

Most people are no stranger to scars. The majority of us carry around souvenirs of childhood wounds in various places on our bodies. While some people are very prone to scarring and result in scars from minor wounds, others may experience little to no scarring at all. This is due to biological factors and can vary greatly from person to person. Though some scars are small and blend in with the skin, others are a nightmare to live with. Extremely bad scarring can be enough to cause a real problem with day to day life. The laser removal of scars is now a realistic everyday option for sufferers. Living with scar tissue can be a painful reminder of an unfortunate accident or other unwanted memory. Scars can be caused by anything from cuts to acne and the reasons to remove it differ among patients. Consulting with a practitioner skilled in laser removal will make a world of difference when it comes to making such a committed decision. Rushing into any form of surgical procedure whether invasive or not is never recommended. It’s essential to be informed about all aspects and details associated with the treatment for your own well being. As unfortunate as it is, not everyone can successfully utilize the laser treatment. People with dark skin pigment are not usually considered prime candidates for laser scar removal. Also those who experience dermatological problems such as psoriasis or eczema often cannot undergo the procedure. Of course this is exactly why a consultation is so necessary. Everyone’s skin varies greatly and it’s impossible to guess what may or may not work for you. Never take unnecessary risks when it comes to something as precious as your skin. It’s the only set you’ve got and all measures should be taken to ensure its health and vitality. Depending upon the type of treatment required different lasers will be used. For example, a procedure to reduce severe acne scarring would employ a C02 laser whereas the PDL laser is used in cases that treat keloid scars. The licensed practitioner of your choice will evaluate your scar and decide which laser would be most beneficial to your particular situation. The length of the procedure depends greatly on the scar being removed. As little as a few minutes or as much as an hour or two can be required to effectively treat the scarred area. It’s considered to be out patient surgery due to the non-invasive nature of the procedure and often only a local anaesthetic is used. Following a laser surgery the doctor will provide you with all of the post treatment information that you will need. Some patients may be prescribed antibiotics or topical cream to aid in the prevention of infection and assist healing though it’s rarely required. It’s extremely important to follow all instructions closely to avoid any delay in the skin’s healing. Avoiding direct exposure to the sun is often a key component of healing within the first few days as the sun can alter the skin’s pigment. Take care of your skin and always have full knowledge of what you are doing to it.

Although, the most frequently used piece of first aid equipment, by far the most readily available, the chances are you’ll never have read the instructions that come with it and its highly unlikely you’ll have been shown how to use it on a first aid course. Yes… the humble adhesive bandage, or more commonly known in the UK as a sticking plaster, or Elastoplast RM or just plain and simple plaster, in Canada and the United States the generic name, Band-Aid™ is most commonly used.

Regardless of the name, most adhesive bandages are used to dress minor wounds that do not require a conventional bandage, their primary functions are to protect the wound from further damage and keep out dirt, and in doing so, aid in the healing of the wound.

Simple adhesive bandages consist of dressing normally, a woven gauze type material, which is fastened to a form of sticky tape in such a way that the dressing can be held in place over the wound, but designed in such a way that the dressing and the sticky tape do not actually stick to the wound.

No one really gives much thought to sticking plasters. It’s something everyone has lying around the home and hopefully in the first aid kit at work. Most people would be surprised to know the sticking plaster has been listed amongst the top ten modern day essential inventions, alongside the battery, ballpoint pen, cats eyes, bar codes, ring pull, post it note, (diy) work mate, micro wave oven and the some what less popular parking meter.

Earle Dickson, an American, who was employed as a cotton buyer with Johnson %26 Johnson, invented the sticking plaster. In 1920, the recently married Dickson was concerned that his young bride, Josephine would regularly suffer cuts and burns whilst carrying out her domestic tasks. At that time the only options available were a standard bandage with dressing, or to cut a small piece of woven cotton gauze and secure it to a wound with sticky tape. As both of these methods were bulky and clumsy when working, and knowing how difficult it was to apply a bandage or dressing to your own hand or arm, Mr Dickson set about preparing dressings for his wife that she could apply herself when he was out at work.

Dickson made his first adhesive bandages by unrolling a length of adhesive surgical tape, placing a series of small folded pieces of gauze along the centre of the tape and then place a strip of crinoline along its length to prevent the adhesive tape sticking to itself. The tape was then rolled up in such a way Mrs Dickson could unroll and cut off the required strip as and when needed, and then apply the dressing herself with out any further assistance.

As a result of the success at home, Dickson was persuaded to demonstrate the idea to the management of Johnson %26 Johnson who at the time were a major manufacturer of cotton and gauze bandages supplying hospitals and the military. The ability to self apply the dressing impressed Johnson %26 Johnson who soon began producing the adhesive bandages which were sold under the now name famous brand name Band-Aid™.

The original handmade Band-Aid™ were not an immediate success and it is recorded that in the first year of production only $3000 worth were sold. The lack of success may well have been due to the originals being in strips 2 ½ inches wide and 18 inches long. A major turn around in sales came following the mass distribution of free samples to Scout groups across the US, this resulted in their widespread use, and by 1924, sterile sticking plaster were being mass produced in various sizes. Earle Dickson later became Vice President of Johnson %26 Johnson, and at the time of his death in 1961, more than $30,000,000 worth of Band-Aid™ adhesive bandages were being sold every year.

Today there are many manufactures of sticking plaster throughout the world making them readily available for use in every country. They have been developed to meet the changing needs of modern society and now bear little resemblance to the early prototypes made in the Dickson home.

Modern day sticking plasters are mostly manufactured from plastic or latex and coated with adhesive and have an absorbent pad, which in some cases contains antiseptic. State of the art plasters have tiny strands of silver woven into them that is proven to shorten healing times and reduce the risk of scarring.

Decorative plasters using bright colours and images of cartoon and novelty characters have been designed to appeal to children, but this in itself is not a new idea as the first decorative Band-Aid™ were produced as early as 1951.

Plasters specifically designed for food handlers make use of far stronger waterproof adhesives and are made to withstand wear and tear, frequent hand washing and to prevent them falling off. They are produced in bright colours- normally blue- in order they can be easily spotted if they fall into food and are manufactured in such a way as to make them easily detectable by the specialised machines, used in the food processing industry, designed to check food for foreign bodies prior to it reaching the retailer.

More advanced sticking plasters incorporate a pad impregnated with various medications, which is designed to be released in a controlled dose through the skin, the most common being HRT patches and nicotine patches used to help smokers quit.

Having now evolved into an everyday item to which we give little thought, next time you reach for a sticking plaster remember how convenient they are and take a moment to remember how Mrs Dickson managed before her thoughtful husband invented the Band-Aid™.

Sources:

1.Lemelson-MIT Program2.Johnson %26 Johnson Band-Aid™3.Wikipedia4.UKTV Documentary Top Ten Modern Inventions

The author, Jackie Southworth, first qualified as  first aid instructor in the 1980’s whilst serving with the Royal Military Police. The mother of two grownup children now runs her own business delivering health and safety training to businesses, colleges, schools and community groups. Her company SOVRIN Training, is a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) approved first aid training organisation and a Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) training centre. www.sovrintraining.co.uk  

These days if someone wanted to improve their looks permanently all they would need to do is to make time in saving money and applying for cosmetic surgery. Going through a procedure like this will mean preparing for a period and making sure that you are completely certain to go through it. However the term used for corrective or plastic surgery is somewhat misunderstoodd and is a misrepresentation of the true nature of the procedure.

The term plastic surgery comes from the Greek word ‘plastikos’, which translated in English means ‘to mold’. This is an important definition for what plastic surgery is used for, as it literally is about shaping, molding and sculpting the body into the desired shape or look. Historically this procedure was used to heal or improve scars, damages to the face or any other part of the body. This was used purely for medical purposes and not for vanity as it is perceived today.

Reconstructive surgery dates as far back as 700BC in Ancient India and is documented in Ancient Indian Sanskrit texts by the author Sushrata. He had recorded that the reconstruction of earlobes and noses were possible by using other undamaged parts of the body, such as the cheeks or the forehead. This was the main force of punishment and humiliation for Sushratas time, and was quite a common event. The knowledge of otoplasty and rhinoplasty existed in India up until the 18th century.

The Romans were also known for performing plastic surgery, by reconstructing damaged earlobes and repairing minor wounds. However, due to their religious beliefs, they did not approve of dissecting or opening up the human body or any animals. Therefore their knowledge was gained purely from their studying literatures obtained from the ancient Greeks. The Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus had left some influential written documentations of the anatomy, which were both accurate and surprising considering there was very little opportunities to perform surgery.

Remember anaesthesia was not used widely until the mid 19th century, before which all surgery was performed under intense pain and very little efforts to numb the pain sensation. Opium poppies were used during 4200 BC, this was not common in most parts of Europe but were used in places such as Cyprus, India and China. Pharmaceutical anaesthetic was more successful in numbing the tissue, making surgery easier for both the patient and the physicians.

Surgery became more commonplace when anaesthetics was used during the late 19th century, this was also followed by the improved usage of equipment, better sterilisation of tools and treatment of infections using penicillin. Plastic surgery became something more of a widespread knowledge after the first world war, when the first known procedure of skin grafting was performed on a former war officer Walter Yeo, who had suffered severe facial damages. The first pictures were released recently in a bid to track down his ancestry and to uncover the affects of the surgery in his later life.

Since the earlier days of reconstructive surgery, cosmetic surgery was introduced; this caused the misrepresentation of true plastic surgery as being a purely medical necessity. It was also something that people used to improve the way their nose looked or enhance certain features of their body. Cosmetic surgery is usually completed privately and can be a costly procedure. Reconstructive surgery is usually completed for those with severe damage or wounds to the face, or other major parts of the body.