Straya!

[pErvinalia]

It's what the dictators want. Chumocracy!

[Scot Dutchy]

One in four Australian teens report experiencing psychological distress in 2020

"Survey from Mission Australia and Black Dog Institute indicates an increase in young people dealing with mental health issues."

Who would blame them...

[Hermit]

A timely reminder

Repost - Ect4Health
As we approach Summer
Snake Bites in Australia
That bite of summer has well and truly come early this year and with that heat, comes snakes.
3000 bites are reported annually.
300-500 hospitalisations
2-3 deaths annually.
Average time to death is 12 hours. The urban myth that you are bitten in the yard and die before you can walk from your chook pen back to the house is a load of rubbish.
While not new, the management of snake bite (like a flood/fire evacuation plan or CPR) should be refreshed each season.
Let’s start with a
Basic overview.
There are five genus of snakes that will harm us (seriously)
Browns, Blacks, Adders, Tigers and Taipans.
All snake venom is made up of huge proteins (like egg white). When bitten, a snake injects some venom into the meat of your limb (NOT into your blood).
This venom can not be absorbed into the blood stream from the bite site.
It travels in a fluid transport system in your body called the lymphatic system (not the blood stream).
Now this fluid (lymph) is moved differently to blood.
Your heart pumps blood around, so even when you are lying dead still, your blood still circulates around the body. Lymph fluid is different. It moves around with physical muscle movement like bending your arm, bending knees, wriggling fingers and toes, walking/exercise etc.
Now here is the thing. Lymph fluid becomes blood after these lymph vessels converge to form one of two large vessels (lymphatic trunks)which are connected to veins at the base of the neck.
Back to the snake bite site.
When bitten, the venom has been injected into this lymph fluid (which makes up the bulk of the water in your tissues).
The only way that the venom can get into your blood stream is to be moved from the bite site in the lymphatic vessels. The only way to do this is to physically move the limbs that were bitten.
Stay still!!! Venom can’t move if the victim doesn’t move.
Stay still!!
Remember people are not bitten into their blood stream.
In the 1980s a technique called Pressure immobilisation bandaging was developed to further retard venom movement. It completely stops venom /lymph transport toward the blood stream.
A firm roll bandage is applied directly over the bite site (don’t wash the area).
Technique:
Three steps: keep them still
Step 1
Apply a bandage over the bite site, to an area about 10cm above and below the bite.
Step 2:
Then using another elastic roller bandage, apply a firm wrap from Fingers/toes all the way to the armpit/groin.
The bandage needs to be firm, but not so tight that it causes fingers or toes to turn purple or white. About the tension of a sprain bandage.
Step 3:
Splint the limb so the patient can’t walk or bend the limb.
Do nots:
Do not cut, incise or suck the venom.
Do not EVER use a tourniquet
Don’t remove the shirt or pants - just bandage over the top of clothing.
Remember movement (like wriggling out of a shirt or pants) causes venom movement.
DO NOT try to catch, kill or identify the snake!!! This is important.
In hospital we NO LONGER NEED to know the type of snake; it doesn’t change treatment.
5 years ago we would do a test on the bite, blood or urine to identify the snake so the correct anti venom can be used.
BUT NOW...
we don’t do this. Our new Antivenom neutralises the venoms of all the 5 listed snake genus, so it doesn’t matter what snake bit the patient.
Read that again- one injection for all snakes!
Polyvalent is our one shot wonder, stocked in all hospitals, so most hospitals no longer stock specific Antivenins.
Australian snakes tend to have 3 main effects in differing degrees.
Bleeding - internally and bruising.
Muscles paralysed causing difficulty talking, moving & breathing.
Pain
In some snakes severe muscle pain in the limb, and days later the bite site can break down forming a nasty wound.
Allergy to snakes is rarer than winning lotto twice.
Final tips: not all bitten people are envenomated and only those starting to show symptoms above are given antivenom.
Did I mention to stay still.

https://www.facebook.com/Ect4Health/

[Brian Peacock]

Sage advice.

[macdoc]

Excellent thanks....
In 10 years visiting Australia 3-6 months a year I've seen one venomous snake crossing the road but ...one never knows. Useful tip.

Now I'm fishing I have to more croc aware.

Under the main highway bridge at a good fishing spot...briefly considered trying to retrieve a stuck lure at water edge....reconsidered..

[Hermit]

More sage advice, this time from the Premier of the state of New South Wales. She reiterated "...that life with Covid means that we have to accept that we have to live with Covid. It means adjusting, all of us have to adjust..."

In other words, the state's head of government is unwilling and/or unable to implement measures that would bring the epidemic under control. She keeps emphasising that she follows advice given to her by the relevant health authorities. Maybe it's about time someone pointed out to her that the advice she follows is manifestly useless. New infections hit four-digit territory just over two weeks ago, and the number keeps rising. It is closer to the 2k than the 1k mark. The situation in NSW stands in stark contrast to the rest of Australia's states and territories.

Today's figures:

State	   New Cases	Deaths
NSW                  1543             9
Vic                     334              1
Qld                       2               0
WA                       0               0
SA                        0               0
ACT                    24               0
Tas                       0               0
NT                        0               0
Australia          1903             10

[pErvinalia]

You can't get Delta under control. Except that's what Qld did, and NZ is doing, and ACT will likely do too.

[Scot Dutchy]

You are talking about Ozland. We in Europe have other ideas like VACCINATION.

[Hermit]

You are talking about Ozland. We in Europe have other ideas like VACCINATION.

Vaccination for sure, but until herd immunity is achieved - which is not the case in most countries, including the Netherlands - also mask wearing, social distancing, frequent washing of hands and lockdowns where appropriate.

[pErvinalia]

None of those measures are proven to work. Where's you double-blind studies? Unsupported fairy corruption!

[Hermit]

None of those measures are proven to work. Where's you double-blind studies? Unsupported fairy corruption!

It's my Anglo-Saxon mindset that leads me astray. I need that of a Scottish reject to recognise The Truth™!

[Scot Dutchy]

You are talking about Ozland. We in Europe have other ideas like VACCINATION.

Vaccination for sure, but until herd immunity is achieved - which is not the case in most countries, including the Netherlands - also mask wearing, social distancing, frequent washing of hands and lockdowns where appropriate.

Denmark does not agree and nor will this country on Tuesday.

[Hermit]

You are talking about Ozland. We in Europe have other ideas like VACCINATION.

Vaccination for sure, but until herd immunity is achieved - which is not the case in most countries, including the Netherlands - also mask wearing, social distancing, frequent washing of hands and lockdowns where appropriate.

Denmark does not agree and nor will this country on Tuesday.

Rolling 7-day averages of new Covid-19 cases 11 September 2012:

New Zealand             4.26
Australia                 66.39
Denmark                 89.99
European Union     112.55
Netherlands           147.15

[Scot Dutchy]

So accurate? Dont believe it.

[Hermit]

So accurate? Dont believe it.

Believe your unsupported claims instead?