RE: Medical Urban Legends - GO CAPITALISM!

[Guest guest]

It doesn't matter if it works, it only matters if it sells :-).

I am curious if any of you guys have used any of the new volume expanders

(specifically colloids) and some blood substitutes, like this Oxygent or

Hemopur??? I realize most are in clinical trials and have read all about

them online - what about real life stuff? Anyone? Has anyone used these and

are they worth getting? Any luck with any of them for fluid loss/trauma?

Other uses?

I know some discussion has been about it in recent times but I didn't pay

much attention - just curious .

Hope this email gets through, am in a mini-sandstorm at the moment.

quinn

_____

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of Paramedic Derrick

J Barcombe

Sent: 10 March 2008 14:22

Subject: Re: Medical Urban Legends

While in Iraq I observed one particularly gung ho shooter who placed those

nice one handed tourniquets on all four extremities in stand by mode just

tight enough to stay in place. I actually thought it was kind of silly. And

then just yesterday the maker of my favorite work clothing line (5.11)

introduced pants with an integrated tourniquet in each leg!!!! Amazing..

Derrick

<sumoparamedic@ <mailto:sumoparamedic%40> > wrote:

To the group,

I got an email today regarding the " tampon for gunshot wounds "

theory that was oh so popular in Iraq a few years ago. Because we

all know that gunshot wounds are always 2 inches deep, and 1/2 inch

wide right? I find no end to the comedic value of the drop-legs

walking around with that " what are you talking about,I don't take

steroids " look on their face, and a flowered tampon wrapper jutting

out of their PALS webbing. Guys...its a blob of compressed cotton...

not a magic wand.

This led me to thinking about some other popularly reported

medical myths, or exaggerations. I was wondering if anyone had other

interesting " medical urban legend " type stories to share. Conversely

some off the wall trick they tried (personally not anecdotaly) that

actually worked. Trauma in particular seems to be full of these crazy

ideas.

Maybe I will start re-packaging tampons in tan or black. Even

make different widths to cover all the popular calibers. I could

sell the rights to NARP, and make a fortune. $10 bucks for a big

tegaderm with a glove finger glued to it? Asherman you are a genius!

Discuss.