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What
should you do if you have a medical emergency at home?
To answer these questions, Changi General Hospital (CGH) organised
a
public forum in April to arm members of the public with this vital
information. Speakers,
Dr Goh Siang Hiong, Consultant, A&E Department; Ms Hazel Fernandez,
a Pharmacist and Ms Ng Gim Hua, Clinical Instructor enthralled the
audience
with tips on how to handle emergencies at home.
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Keeping
the Elderly Safe
Stroke, cardiac
problems and falls are three of the most common medical emergencies
among the elderly. With age and health problems, the elderly is
prone to such emergencies.
Here are some
tips from Dr Goh Siang Hiong, Consultant, A&E Department on
how to look out and deal with such emergencies at home.
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A
& E Consultant, Dr Goh Siang Hiong is familiar with the
type of medical emergencies the elderly may encounter. |
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| Stroke
Look out for
one or more of the following:
- Coma and
drowsiness
- One-sided
weakness or numbness and sensory loss of one side of the body
- Inability
to talk, or talking with a slurred speech
- Severe headache
or neckache
- Falls
- Fits
- Sense of
"confusion"
- Short-lasting
symptoms of the above, called Transient Ischaemic Attack
What to do
:
Upon
encountering symptoms that are suspicious of a stroke, seek medical
advice and attention.
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Heart Problems
This includes
heart attack, irregular heart rhythms and heart failure.
Look out
for one or more of the following:
- Severe
chest pain (compressing)
- Sweating
- Breathlessness
- Fainting
- Palpitations
- Fits
- Coughing
- Leg
Swelling
- Distended
neck veins
What
to do :
Seek
medical attention at a hospital quickly. If the person had
collapsed due to heart problems, call an ambulance and start
cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
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Falls
Falls
in the elderly can be particularly dangerous. It can cause
serious injury and can lead to long term disability. This
can include head injuries, compression fractures of the backbone,
wrist fractures and hip fractures.
Why
do the elderly fall?
- Poor
eyesight
- Chronic
illnesses like previous strokes or diabetes
- Acute
illnesses like fevers, heart attack or irregular cardiac
rhythms
- Decreased
muscle strength, sense of balance and lower
reflexes
- Medication
they are taking that can cause low blood pressure and dizziness
How
to prevent falls?
- Help
the elderly maintain good health by checking on the medication
with doctors and having regular checkups.
- Get
good walking aids such as walking frames and sticks
- Get
rid of slippery rugs at home
- Ensure
that carpet edges do not catch on the feet of the elderly
- Be
careful of wet floors
- Discourage
the elderly person from climbing on to chairs or stools
to do housework or reach for an item
- Have
sufficient lighting especially in all hallways and stairwells.
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Self-Medication at Home
Common
minor ailments can be managed at home if responsible self-medication
is practised. Ms Hazel Fernandez, a Pharmacist provided sound
advice on how to self-medicate at home.
- Write
down the name and purpose of each medicine on the label
to avoid confusion.
- Ask
a doctor or pharmacist how and when to take the medicine
(such as how many times a day and for how long). Doses for
children are different from adults, so do not estimate them
on your own.
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to your pharmacist or doctor if you are not familiar with
the medication you are taking. |
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- Do
not stop medication on your own if your doctor or pharmacist
had instructed you to complete the course.
- Consult
a pharmacist before crushing or cutting tablets as this
may spoil the preparation of the tablets.
- Certain
foods and drugs may interfere with effectiveness of other
medications as well as other medical conditions. Inform
your doctor and pharmacist of concurrent medication, drug
allergies and other health conditions.
- Some
medicines must not be consumed when you are pregnant or
breast feeding, others may be consumed with an alteration
in dose or timing. Inform your pharmacist, even if it is
only a suspected pregnancy.
- Find
out how to handle missed doses when you are first given
the medication. Do not assume that a double dose should
be taken.
- Check
out with the pharmacist on the availability of a generic
medication for the drug that you are taking. It could be
less expensive.
- Store
medication in a clean, dry place where there is minimal
exposure to heat, light or moisture.
- Read
the labels on packaging as it contains important information,
such as ingredients, dosage regimen, precautions and expiration
dates.
- Always
check for tampering of the medication that you are purchasing.
Inspect packaging for torn wrappings, broken seals, damaged
or discoloured products.
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