i know it’s quite gross blogging about it but . . .
a pakistani patient of mine just puked about two plates of biryani (a rice meal cooked in spices, veggies and meat) on the rig clinic’s floor – guess he ate too much of it while welcoming 2010. lol.
well, happy new year!
we had unexpected guests last night at the rig. when i went back to our office after i had dinner, beside my table were a box of red capped, wide mouthed plastic bottles and a small blue ice box – i cannot help myself but to peek inside the container and i saw test kits inside. my rig manager asked me what was it for and i told him that the drug testers are on location.
the presence of illegal drugs on an employee while performing company business or while on company premises is a violation of company policy. the use, sale, purchase, transfer or possession of an illegal drug by any employee while on company premises or while on company business is a violation of company policy.
it is the first time that we had a random screening here at the rig and i have been here for almost three years. i think our main office just had to do it for there were reports of illegal drug use on some rigs. considering this is saudi arabia but still, it does exist. i had to wake up some of the crew who were off tour for them to visit the rig clinic to have their urine samples for the drug tests.
i actually volunteered to be the first to have my urine sample checked.
the testers were using a multi drug test panel dip cards on which checks for presence of metabolites of cocaine, amphetamines, methadone, marijuana, and opiates. some of the crew were a bit nervous that it took time for them to pee to provide the urine sample, well i think there will be one obvious reason (i am not saying all) to be jittery on a random drug test – and that is if you are a user.
it is important to understand that survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest are directly related to how soon victims are defibrillated. for every minute of delay, the chance of survival declines by 7% to 10%.
defibrillation cannot assure survival, no matter how rapid the treatment. in some patients, the underlying problem causing the cardiac arrest is simply not survivable despite any available care.
– from heartstart frx aed owner’s manual, ed. 8
an aed (automated external defibrillator) is an essential equipment that one should have in a rig clinic. in my rig, we use philips’ heartstart frx – as an acls certified remote area paramedic, i think this aed is remarkably excellent for being user-friendly. even a panic-stricken medic can have confusion out of its way because it literally tells you what to do through its cpr coaching button. it basically has three steps to provide life saving defibrillation: after checking for signs of sca (sudden cardiac arrest) 1. turn on 2. place pads and 3. press shock – it’s that simple.
heartstart frx also exudes a rugged look and is tested to withstand jetting water, crushing loads up to 500 pounds and a one-meter drop onto concrete. weighing 3.5 pounds, it is said to be among the smallest and lightest among defibrillators in the market.
if ever i encounter a medical emergency that will require aed use – heartstart frx surely gives me the confidence on rendering effective defibrillation that can save a life.
sensory replays 