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Author: Article999
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Article 999 Founder Published in Paramedic INSIGHT Magazine, Sep 2022: Functional Neurological Disorder – A Patient’s Experiences; A Paramedic’s Perspective
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of speaking with a patient with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). Ailsa reached out to the College of Paramedics after experiencing an unsettling mixture of treatment by healthcare professionals in a variety of settings. She hopes to encourage healthcare clinicians to learn more about her condition, a functional neurological disorder. Our understanding of this group of conditions is currently being reshaped, so I agree it is another area in which we must stay up-to-date.
The publication of this post on Article 999 comes at a timely moment as just two days ago I read here that a study published in Epilepsy and Behaviour has documented MRI changes in patients with functional seizures. This furthers the point that what science and medicine thought it knew about this – and perhaps other conditions – while not fiction, is also not yet fact.
Members of the College of Paramedics can read the published article in last month’s issue of Paramedic INSIGHT or online here.
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Short Skills Video – What Happens When We Squeeze the BVM too Hard and Fast?
Full reference available at Article 999’s reference library here: https://airtable.com/appaQWBYHEs4Y6RjF/tblatVkrBMGBMdpRM/viwMSEJkOai9GwYS4/recFg1GuvEjKQZN9f?blocks=hide
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Acute Diarrhoea in the Elderly – The Risk Factors
Sign, symptom, or condition Sign of, and Treatment Reference Sunken eyes Dehydration; Patient may need referral to Doctor or urgent rehydration, depending on severity. Patient may benefit from blood tests Johnson and Smith, 2012: 94. High NEWS2 Score Sepsis; patient may need antibiotics and emergency treatment Royal College of Physicians, 2017 Covid-19 The diarrhoea could be a sign of deterioration, but the evidence for this is weak Amico et al, 2020 Female and increased age Increased risk of dehydration Rowat et al, cited in Sweetser, 2012 Heart or kidney failure; take steroids Increased risk of overhydration; patient may require emergency treatment Sweetser, 2012; WHO, 2021. Dizziness Dehydration; patient may require urgent rehydration Sweetser, 2012; WHO, 2021 Confusion; seizures Dehydration or overhydration; electrolyte imbalances; patient may require emergency treatment and urgent rehydration Sweetser, 2012; WHO, 2021 Type 2 Diabetes; metformin Metformin can cause the symptoms; diabetes is a risk factor due to potential difficulties managing the condition Johnson and Smith, 2012: 96 Immunosuppressed Risk of deterioration Johnson and Smith, 2012: 96 Bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or diverticulitis May indicate more severe illness Johnson and Smith, 2012: 96 Blood in stools May be an indication of abdominal bleeding Johnson and Smith, 2012: 96 -
Recommended Content: Cardiac Action Potential, Explained with Dominoes
If you, like me, struggle to understand the action potential, here is a great video from UBC Medicine, which explains the concept with dominoes. Check it out below.
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‘Thanks for the Feedback’ – A Video Summary in Quotes
For mentors/PPEDs, PHEM feedback facilitators, ALS instructors, teachers, and those interested in responding better to feedback (and in doing so, giving better feedback), here’s one for you. This is a summary in quotes of the ‘Thanks for the Feedback’ book, picking up on some key points. The full reference is available in our new reference database here: https://airtable.com/shrmbfb43bwcyYtPG
This video took about 2 hours of an evening to produce and was created by Article 999’s founder, Louise, using a great software program purchased out of pocket. The actual reading and saving of quotes has taken [insert actual time] far too long and a similar amount of time will be needed for other books. If you like Article 999’s content, let us know by buying us a coffee here or clicking on the coffee symbol in the bottom right corner.
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CPD Templates v1.4: A Video Walkthrough and Printing Guide
As is the style of Article 999, here’s a video guide to the CPD templates.
Note: This relates to v1.4. If the template you’re using doesn’t have a version number, look out for info on how to make these changes or send me a message or an email, and I’ll help you update your portfolio to the latest version.
Update: The current version (Aug 2022) is v1.5. Look out for a new video walkthrough soon.
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V1.4 CPD Logs Now Published
After lots of painstaking work, the latest versions of the CPD logs have now been published. These contain the following improvements:
- An improved layout
- Improved printing options, especially for reflections
- A reduced word count for reflections – this helps with printing. Any longer reflections should be uploaded as attachments.
- The option to add dates for created/completed to your development goals, as well as reasoning and uploads.
- The option to log airway and other skills we don’t do as often, e.g. IO. You can print this log separately.
If you are already using the templates, you won’t see these new changes. Please don’t worry – you can still preview the changes, contact me to ask me to make the changes, or stay tuned here for more info on how to make these changes yourself.
UPDATE: The current version of the CPD templates is V1.5 (Aug 2022)
