Dr. Sanjay Gupta was on NPR this afternoon as I was driving home (an hour early since I skipped lunch--I wanted to have the option to nap when I got home) discussing his new book. It seems he has a new book out, and (gasp) it totally sounded interesting. I came in on the middle of the interview, but damn, they were talking about some lady who was in freezing water for two hours before they were able to fish her out of it. She was, obviously, DEAD. Yet, for what ever reason, and this part was not explained, they went the extra mile with this woman. They decided to keep her cold, not warm her core up (she was at about 55 degrees). They let her be DEAD and frozen for a few hours on top of the two she spent in the water. Then they slowly, ever so slowly, warmed her up, and she was totally fine. Sure, some physical therapy was involved, but her brain, good. She is actually a physician now at the same hospital that she was a patient at. How fucked up is that?
There was more of that kind of discussion about the benefits of an hypothermal state, and they started discussing studies that showed how people will say they will help a bystander who falls ill on the sidewalk, but in reality, it does not show to be true. It was determined that people were really wary of giving mouth-to-mouth (I am a bit suspect that this is the only reason people don't help out--it is probably more to do with how they just don't want to get involved in someone else's problems). Now, I had been hearing about the idea of not doing P part of CPR for awhile, but Dr. Sanjay actually explained why. He says that because of this hesitancy to put your mouth on some passed-out stranger's mouth, other people did other studies that skipped that part and just did chest compressions. And lo and behold, not only were the patients just as good as if they had some hot-mouth action, they were even better. Dr. Sanjay explained that usually, when a person hits the grounds, say of a heart attack, s/he was just breathing, so the blood already is oxygenated, and not really needing more. The point is to get that blood moving and pumping through the heart, so as he said, "just start pumping that chest and do it 100 times a minute and don't stop until the paramedics arrive."
I am totally fine with that. If you're on the ground, you don't seem to be responsive and totally don't seem to be breathing, I promise I will start chest compressions. However, you better hope I have some serious adrenaline running through me to get out 100 compressions a minute. My god, imagine what my biceps would have to look like to do that! The whole time I'm working to save your life, I'd be all guilty about how I cannot possibly do 100 a minute, then I'd start freaking out if I am breaking your ribs. Please do not pass out in front of me, I just can't promise I'll see you through it. I want to be able to save your life, but my arms are spindly toothpicks. You would probably wake-up just to mock the horrible job I'm doing, then die to rub it in. Luckily for any of you planning on stroking out in front of me, my good friend is a paramedic, and I'm sure she will at least talk me through the pain of all that pumping (she lives in the cunt-try, so don't expect her to come save you on a moment's notice). Though, she tends to heckle, so I may think twice about calling her.
I bring all this up because I got stuck watching this horrible, HORRIBLE show called Trauma (the DVR kind of dumped me here after recording Heroes and I was too lazy to do anything about it), and there's a scene where some no-good skate-rat is going wheeeeeeeeeeee down a steep San Francisco hill, and well, gosh darn, does he not run himself smack in to a car. Thanks Trauma for that riveting moment of drama. Anyway, when the station gets the call, the location is Potrero Hill, home to our dear friend, Fink-Nottle. We were IM-ing when all this went down, so I was able to discuss with him the tragedy of this show called Trauma. So, anyway, I guess what makes this show stand out from other shows is they actually follow the paramedics in the helicopters. Specifically, one ZANY paramedic in a helicopter. Nothing like two gimmicks in one show. This guy is called "Rabbit," and I have no idea why, but isn't it fucking cute, and make you want to watch more, as if really bunnies will start hopping out of that helicopter? So this little dumbass skater, is being a pussy and complaining about how he can't feel his toes or legs. He doesn't say anything about his dick, but you know, we're all worried and wondering the same thing. Brazen Rabbit knows what to do! Freeze his blood!! He gets in trouble because that is totally not protocol, don't you know? But don't worry, day is saved because the on-call doctor feels optimistic that despite this really crazy move on Rabbit's part, the kid may actually be able to get an erection again. Rabbit said he learned about this technique in a medical journal. I say he's been reading doctor-to-the-stars, Dr. Sanjay Gupta's new book. Go Rabbit!
Ok, I do have to give this show a shout-out for playing The Jesus & Mary Chain's "Almost Gold," in a bar scene. Though it kind of sounds like a cover, but if it is, they are doing it spot-on; just kind of hard to tell with all the bar noise and those people acting in loud convincing voices.
Maybe Dr. Sanjay listens to the Mary Chain. He does if he knows what's good for him. If I find him face down in the street, he better assure me that he is an avid fan, or I'm totally withholding both the ice and the chest compressions.
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