Corticosteroid Injections for Osteoarthritis

Even in a small joint, osteoarthritis can have a big impact on your life if it means you can’t hold a pencil, knit, or engage in other activities that you enjoy or need to do. Having a stiff or sore knee can really impact your quality of life, making it hard to get around. Getting a shot of corticosteroids directly into a sore joint can reduce pain and inflammation quickly and effectively.

Corticosteroids are related to hormones naturally made in your adrenal glands. Corticosteroid injections are often referred to as steroid shots or injections.

Corticosteroid shots relieve inflammation faster and more directly than traditional anti-inflammatory medications taken by mouth. And a single injection doesn’t cause side effects such as stomach upset, which often go along with those drugs. Corticosteroids can also be taken by mouthor intravenously to relieve inflammation throughout the body, but when injected into a joint, their effects -- good and bad -- are mostly limited to that joint.

Getting a Corticosteroid Injection: What to Expect

Most injections into the knee or a smaller joint, like that at the base of the thumb, are simple procedures that can be done in a doctor’s office. When performed by an experienced physician, the injection is only mildly uncomfortable.

First, the doctor cleans the skin in the area with Betadine or other antiseptic. If the joint is puffy and filled with fluid, the doctor may insert a needle into the joint to withdraw the excess fluid and examine it. Removing the fluid rapidly relieves pain also, because it reduces pressure in the joint and may expedite healing. Next, the doctor uses a different needle to inject the corticosteroid into the joint.

People feel almost immediate relief after an injection because the corticosteroid is usually mixed with a local anesthetic. Several hours later, the corticosteroid begins to relieve inflammation. The relief usually lasts from several weeks to several months.

Injecting a large joint, such the hip, is more complicated and may require radiologic imaging to help the doctor guide the needle into the joint. Experienced rheumatologists, orthopedists, anesthesiologists, and radiologists may inject the facet joints of the lower spine.

What are the Risks of Corticosteroid Injections?

Despite their benefits, corticosteroids are associated with a range of potentially dangerous side effects, including increased risk of infection, weight gain, gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding, osteoporosis, elevated blood pressure and blood glucose levels, and eye problems, including cataracts and glaucoma.

Injecting corticosteroids directly into a joint minimizes or eliminates most of these side effects. However, there are some special, though uncommon, risks of joint injection. They include:

• Injury to the joint tissues, particularly with repeated injections
• Thinning of joint cartilage
• Weakening of the ligaments of the joint
• Increased inflammation in the joint caused by a corticosteroid that has crystallized
• Irritation of the nerves, caused by the needle during an injection or by the medication
• Introduction of infection into the joint
• Whitening of the skin or local thinning of the skin at the injection site

Frequent corticosteroid injections may lead to joint damage. If you have an infection in or around a joint or you’re allergic to one or more of the drugs that are injected, you should not get a joint injection.

WebMD Medical Reference

By Mary Anne Dunkin

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Three Lifesaving Steps If Clothes are Burning

If clothes catch fire they can spread very quickly, engulfing the victim in flames. Certain types of clothing, especially synthetic fabrics, may melt and stick to skin. The best way to reduce injury from the flames is to extinguish the burning fabric as quickly as possible.

To put out burning clothing, take these three steps: Stop Don't run or wave your arms. Movement will fan the flames and cause the burns to be more severe. Drop Get on the ground quickly and cover your face with your hands. Roll Try to smother the flames by rolling over and over. Pay attention to what's burning and focus on putting out that area of your body.

It's helpful to roll up into a rug or thick, nonflammable material (such as tent canvas) to help smother the flames. Don't roll into a thin blanket, sheet or plastic because you may accidentally catch that material on fire also.

Others can help you douse the flames by patting the fire with their hands or other material. Use water or a fire extinguisher to put out the fire if one is available.

As soon as the fire is out, cool the area and treat any burns. Call 911 for any burns that resulted from flaming clothing.

2010 CPR Guidelines

After a review of the available research published over a 5 year period, the American Heart Association released its 2010 CPR Guidelines. As expected, the focus for CPR is on good quality chest compressions. Here are the differences between the 2005 and the 2010 CPR Guidelines: A-B-C is for babies; now it's C-A-B! It used to be follow your ABC's: airway, breathing and chest compressions. Now, Compressions come first, only then do you focus on Airway and Breathing. The only exception to the rule will be newborn babies, but everyone else -- whether it's infant CPR, child CPR or adult CPR -- will get chest compressions before you worry about the airway. Why did CPR change from A-B-C to C-A-B? No more looking, listening and feeling. The key to saving a cardiac arrest victim is action, not assessment. Call 911 the moment you realize the victim won't wake up and doesn't seem to be breathing right. Trust your gut. If you have to hold your cheek over the victim's mouth and carefully try to detect a puff of air, it's a pretty good bet she's not breathing very well, if at all. I have a secret to share: paramedics have been doing it this way for years. Rarely have I seen an EMT or a paramedic put her ear to a victim's nose and listen for air movement. We just get to work. Push a little harder. How deep you should push on the chest has changed for adult CPR. It was 1 1/2 to 2 inches, but now the Heart Association wants you to push at least 2 inches deep on the chest. Push a little faster. AHA changed the wording here, too. Instead of pushing on the chest at about 100 compressions per minute, AHA wants you to push at least 100 compressions per minute. At that rate, 30 compressions should take you 18 seconds. Besides the changes under the 2010 CPR Guidelines, AHA continues to emphasize some important points: Hands Only CPR. This is technically a change from the 2005 Guidelines, but AHA endorsed this form of CPR in 2008. The Heart Association still wants untrained lay rescuers to do Hands Only CPR on adult victims who collapse in front of them. My biggest problem with this campaign is what's left unsaid. What does AHA want untrained lay rescuers to do with all the other victims? In other words, what do you do with the victims that aren't adults or that didn't collapse right in front of you? AHA doesn't provide an answer, but I have a suggestion: Do Hands Only CPR, because doing something is always better than doing nothing. Recognize sudden cardiac arrest. CPR is the only treatment for sudden cardiac arrest and AHA wants you to notice when it happens. Don't stop pushing. Every interruption in chest compressions interrupts blood flow to the brain, which leads to brain death if the blood flow stops too long. It takes several chest compressions to get blood moving again. AHA wants you to keep pushing as long as you can. Push until the AED is in place and ready to analyze the heart. When it is time to do mouth to mouth, do it quick and get right back on the chest.

Source: Field JM, Hazinski MF, Sayre MR, Chameides L, Schexnayder SM, Hemphill R, Samson RA, Kattwinkel J, Berg RA, Bhanji F, Cave DM, Jauch EC, Kudenchuk PJ, Neumar RW, Peberdy MA, Perlman JM, Sinz E, Travers AH, Berg MD, Billi JE, Eigel B, Hickey RW, Kleinman ME, Link MS, Morrison LJ, O’Connor RE, Shuster M, Callaway CW, Cucchiara B, Ferguson JD, Rea TD, Vanden Hoek TL. "Part 1: executive summary: 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care." Circulation. 2010;122(suppl 3):S640–S656.

How can I tell if someone is in anaphylactic shock?

There are two important ways to tell if someone is suffering from anaphylactic shock. First, by identifying the symptoms of anaphylactic shock. Second, by identifying the exposure to an allergen that causes anaphylactic shock.

Symptoms of Anaphylactic Shock Anaphylactic shock is primarily an allergic reaction. To identify anaphylactic shock, first look for symptoms of allergy: Itching Red, raised, blotchy skin (hives) Wheezing Anaphylactic shock happens when the victim shows signs of low blood pressure: Confusion Weakness Pale color Unconsciousness Anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock often have symptoms of shortness of breath: Unable to speak more than one or two words Sitting straight up or with hands on knees Gasping for breath Pursing lips to breathe Using neck muscles to take breaths Identify the Allergen It's easier to identify anaphylactic shock if there is a known allergen. For instance, those with allergies to bee stings will usually know they've been stung. Sometimes, however, there is no known allergen and the victim is simply developing symptoms of anaphylaxis. Anyone who's had allergic reactions in the past should be aware of any symptoms -- especially if no allergen has been identified. If you don't know what it is that makes you sick, you don't know when you've been exposed. The situation can give you clues to figure out whether this is anaphylaxis. People with food allergies are more likely to have anaphylaxis while eating -- even when they don't think they're eating the food they are allergic to.

Anaphylactic Shock Treatment Once you've identified an allergic reaction, treatment depends on how bad the reaction is. Simple allergic reaction treatment includes preventing the reaction from developing into anaphylaxis by taking Benadryl. On the other hand, treatment for anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock may require epinephrine. Source: Krohmer, Jon. First Aid Manual. American College of Emergency Physicians. 2002. New York, NY.

How long does brain activity last after cardiac arrest?

     The common medical understanding is that cardiac arrest victims become unconscious within 20 seconds of the loss of blood flow (heart stops). That's not quite the same thing as losing "all brain activity." It just means the brain is incapable of keeping you awake.      All brain activity is thought to be over by about 3-4 minutes from the moment the heart stops, which is one reason why we want to start CPR as quickly as possible. It's also why hands-only CPR is good for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. It's easy: push on the chest fast and hard while someone else calls 911.      If you're by yourself, call 911 first then start pumping. Make it quick, though. Not only does the brain stop working as it runs out of oxygen and sugar (brought to the brain by blood flow supplied by the heart), blood gets trapped in the brain until it starts flowing again. That stale blood is accumulating acids, free radical oxygen molecules and other toxins while it sits there.      As soon as you start pumping on the chest and pushing the stale blood around, you're going to bathe the brain in those toxins. The less time those toxins have to build up, the better. It's almost as important to flush those toxins out as it is to bring fresh nutrients and oxygen in. No matter how you look at it, the quicker you start CPR, the better.

Source: Safar P, Behringer W. "Brain resuscitation after cardiac arrest." Textbook of Neurointensive Care. Edited by Layon AJ, Gabrielli A, Friedman WA. Philadelphia. WB Saunders. 2003:457–498

Stress Relief and Relaxation - Overview

Stress is a fact of life. Although some stress is normal and even needed, too much of it can affect your quality of life and your health. There are simple things you can do to help relieve stress. Tips to relieve stress When you feel stressed, you can:

Soak in a warm bath.

Listen to soothing music.

Take a walk or do some other activity.

Meditate or pray.

Take a yoga class.

Have a massage or back rub.

Have a warm drink that doesn't have alcohol or caffeine.

You also can make some changes in your everyday habits to reduce and relieve stress.

• Get plenty of sleep.
• Stay connected to your family, friends, and other caring people in your life.
• Get regular exercise. It can help you clear your mind and work off feelings of frustration and anxiety.
• Don't drink or eat anything that has caffeine in it. Caffeine can make you feel "wound up" and more stressed.
• Don't smoke or use tobacco. Nicotine can make you feel more anxious.
• Don't drink alcohol. It can cause sleep problems and depression.

From Web Md

If the first rescue breath given during CPR does not make the chest rise, what should we do ?

Opening the airway is usually done by using the head-tilt, chin-lift method. The intent is to pull the tongue off the back of the throat and let air pass unobstructed. Sometimes it's very hard to get the airway open this way, even when paramedics or EMTs are doing it. So, if air doesn't go in on the first try, tilt the head down and back up again, then try another rescue breath. Whether it works the second time or not, start pushing on the chest. It's important to get blood moving around the body. There's probably still plenty of oxygen in the bloodstream and only by pushing on the chest will that blood get to the brain and the heart. In years past, all the focus on delivering those rescue breaths no matter what meant some victims didn't get chest compressions as quickly as they should. The assumption used to be that if air didn't go in, there must be something stuck in the airway that needed to come out before anything else was done. Now we recognize how difficult it is to open the airway. It doesn't mean there's a chunk of steak in the airway just because the chest doesn't rise. Indeed, in some cases of cardiac arrest, rescuers are encouraged to skip the rescue breathing entirely and provide hands-only CPR. Only 2 breaths are necessary, whether successful or not. If they both work, great. Start chest compressions. If the first one works and the second one doesn't, start chest compressions. If both of them fail, start compressions. Regardless what happens after a second breath (or a second try), start chest compressions. So here are the important steps (assuming you've already called 911 or you're having someone else do it):

• Head-tilt, chin-lift and try a breath.

• Try it again.

• Push on the chest 30 times.

• Repeat.

Simple.

How to Prevent Lower Back Pain

     Back pain affects about 8 out of 10 people. But there are many steps you can take to avoid it. One of the best things you can do to prevent back pain is to exercise regularly and keep your back and abdominal muscles strong. Here are some quick pointers to prevent back problems:

• Always stretch before any strenuous physical activity (in fact it would be wise to engage in a regular stretching program like active isolated stretching, which is what I use every day)

• Don’t slouch when standing or sitting Sit in chairs or car seats with good lumbar support

• Switch sitting positions often and periodically walk around or gently stretch muscles to relieve tension

• Don’t bend over without supporting your back

• Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes

• Sleep on your side to reduce any curve in your spine, and always sleep on a firm surface

• Lift with your legs, keeping your back straight

• Try to control your weight

• If you smoke, quit; smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate

Also, to keep your spine strong, as with all bones, you need to get enough vitamin D every day.