Zika Virus: What Do You Know About It #ZikaVirus

Just what do you know about the "Zika Virus", that mosquito- borne illness that is in the news all the time now it seems? Did you know that it has actually been around since 1947? Yep that's right, it started in Africa and spread to Asia and the Pacific islands, then to Latin American and the Caribbean where it is rapidly spreading now.

So what are the symptoms of Zika? 

• Most people don't know they have been affected with the virus at all, they will have no symptoms
• The most common symptoms can be fever, rash, joint pains, conjunctivitis (redness of the eyes) , muscle pain and/ or headaches possibly. 
• The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is likely to be a few days to a week.
• It is best to see your doctor or healthcare provider if you are pregnant and develop any of the symptoms above within 2 weeks of traveling to any of the affected countries/areas.
• Zika virus is usually a mild illness with symptoms lasting only a short time after being bit by an infected mosquito. 
• People infected with the Zika virus do not usually need any kind of hospitalization and very rarely are ill enough to die from the virus. Please to not present to the Emergency room in a panic because you think you have symptoms of the Zika virus. 
• There is no cure and no vaccine available yet, although they are working towards the vaccine. 

Prevention:  "Education is the key to prevention"

• There is no cure and no vaccine for Zika, so prevention is the best cure we have right now.
• Avoiding mosquito bites especially in areas that are know for outbreaks of the Zika virus.
• Prevent sexual transmission of the virus by using condoms or abstaining from sexual contact. 
• Wear long sleeve protective clothing and pants to keep bare skin covered, be aware that mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus usually bite more in the day-time hours. 
• Stay indoors in air conditioned rooms or keep screened doors closed to limit exposure
• Sleep under a mosquito net if you are in a heavily infested Zika area
• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol. Choosing an EPA-registered repellent ensures the EPA has evaluated the product for effectiveness. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Always follow the product label instructions.
Reapply insect repellent as directed.
Do not spray repellent on the skin under clothing.

• If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen before applying insect repellent.
• Protect children from mosquito bites (they need special care with chemical bug repellents)
• Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old.
• Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children younger than 3 years old.
• Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs.
• Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
• Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin.
• Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face.
• Be sure to check your yard often, daily even for standing water and keep it dumped out. Mosquito's can breed in a tiny little bit of water, like the size of a bottle cap (sneaky little boogers), so be a detective and get rid of them.
• Protect your family and your community, it's just the right thing to do!
• Be smart about planning a pregnancy if you are going to travel to South America or the Caribbean , talk to your doctor first. It might be a better option to wait or delay your travel plans.

Below is a great infographic I found that explains the Zika virus in detail (with a timeline) , symptoms, treatments and preventative measures.

Do you want more information about the Zika Virus? Here are a few links to visit and learn more. 

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/fs-posters/index.html

http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/en/

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_virus

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/13/health/cdc-zika-virus-microcephaly/index.html

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/zika-virus-symptoms-prevention

Please educate yourself and be smart this summer about mosquitos, they can carry numerous virus's and diseases. With some prevention and a dose of smartness we can be smarter. 

Have a great and safe weekend

Nurses Are The Worst..........What?

Nurses are many things to many people, we are called many things from angels to saints, but the one thing I can admit myself is that this nurse is the worst.....patient. Yes, I have a hard time doing what I should be doing, taking care of me. I am getting better at it though, I have learned that oh so hard lesson of saying no and not taking on so much. Lessons I have had to learn the hard way, trial by fire. 
Giving so much of ourselves to others and the inability to say "no" can leave any nurse without the proper time to care for herself or himself. Burned out nurses leave the profession everyday because they forget the importance of self care.

Self  care is as important as patient care now, you must advocate for yourself because nobody else will. 

Many of us work 12 hours, night shifts, over-time, 2nd jobs, go to school, then turn around and have to go home to a house full of kids, disabled spouses or elderly parents that might be ill too. I know I work a weekender position, but often feel like I work 7 days a week due to the stressors of having a disabled husband and homeschooling my kiddos. There is always something at our house to do or somewhere to go. 

Have you ever gone to work tired, irritable, lacking sleep and felt like you took that frustration out on your coworkers or even your patients? How about going to work and feeling sicker than the patients that you were caring for? Those things should not be happening. 

Taking care of yourself on a daily basis, balancing work and home environments, decreasing the level of stress you feel and learning some tools to educate yourself so you can be your own healthcare advocate will lead to a nurse that enjoys taking care of others again.

List of Awesome Self Care Tools: these are just some of the things that I find to be helpful

1. Learn how to say "NO"- this is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. You don't have to do it all, your kids don't need to do every sport or club at school, let them pick one they love. The time you spend at home as a family they will cherish more later on. 
2. SLEEP- your body heals itself and repairs itself while you sleep, you have got to get some sleep!! forget this staying up all day and trying to work all night long (unless you want to land in a ditch dead one day- that's where you are headed). I use essential oils to help me sleep, a little lavender or vetiver oil on my feet at bedtime and I have no trouble sleeping day or night.
3. ROUTINE- get yourself into a routine- your body will thank you- your sleep will come easier- for instance I work night shifts on the weekends, so my routine is to stay up all night at home on Friday nights and sleep on Saturday- my family knows this is my routine and I get my sleep, everybody is happy and I am awake to drive to work safely. What kind of routines can you set up during the week? Make a white board for the kitchen and write your routine on it, tell the family you are going to follow this, they will love you for it.
4. Eat whole foods, fresh foods and don't go without meals- this is just a no brainer, Food is energy..........if we don't eat, we don't get the fuel we need to function. Crap in is Crap out.....right?
5. Add Probiotics to your daily supplement regimen - this is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself healthy. Your gut health is one of the most important things, it is like your 2nd brain! Billions of good bacteria live in your gut and they need to stay healthy to help you fight off any threats to your immunity. Just do it! 
6. Exercise- yes I know you are saying, when am I gonna fit that into my busy schedule, well a walk 3 time a week will make you feel so much better I am telling you. Even though I have arthritis and chronic pain, I can manage to get some walking into my busy schedule so I know you can do it too. Work your way up to swimming, biking, hiking and other activities that you can do together as a family. We love to go hiking in the mountains, it does not even feel like we are exercising but we are. Exercise is fantastic for your mood and your joints!
7. Laugh! humor is such a stress reliever, smile daily and find something to laugh about. Think positive and your life will be positive. 
8. Music soothes the savage beast-- you! I love to crank up the tunes and just get lost in the music when I am in the car, it helps me calm down and destress on the way home from work.
9. Leave your work at the door!! As an ER nurse for over 28 years now I have learned many strategies to cope with the things we see in the ER. The biggest thing is learning to leave it at the door when I clock out, that has helped me more than anything. I don't take my job home with me, or talk about what happened at work with my spouse or kids. It's just like a switch, I just turn it off. ( Unless something tragic happened, we debrief and talk at work before we even leave work- highly recommended).
10. Get organized-- get a day- planner and write everything in that planner, including your days off work, trips to the spa, your mani-pedi appt, all the things you can look forward too, schedule date nights with your significant other. Organize your house, keep things simple, don't overwhelm yourself with clutter. Plan and keep a routine for cleaning,laundry grocery shopping, bill paying etc. 
11. Slow down and Breathe! learn meditation- it is a great way to connect with your inner self and de-stress. Prayer is a fantastic way to help you in your self care journey. 
12. Try Aromatherapy- I discovered the power of essential oils and have fallen in love with the wonderful benefits they have provided my family and my health. We have felt so much better since discovering the value of these gifts from above that have been around for billions of years.
13. Unplug and get outside- yes you can do it, leave that phone, tablet, laptop or other digital device off and get outside, breath some air, smell the flowers or fresh crisp leaves or newly cut grass. We spend so much time connected to our devices that we have lost the connection to ourselves and others.
14. Explore Alternative Holistic Healthcare Options- we are always taught to use western medicine in our healthcare practices that we often forget the benefits of other types of medicine out there. I am learning so much more about the natural medicine model and a more "whole body" &  holistic approach to medicine. Medicine is much more that just prescribing a pill all the time, right?

These tips and tools are only good if you apply them, your patients, coworkers and family will surely appreciate a nurse that is the best ..................nurse he/she can be.

This post was written as part of the Nurse Blog Carnival. More posts on this topic can be found at http://thebossynurse.com. If you are interested in participating find out more details and sign up.

A Prestigious List :Top Blogs 2014 #nurses #nursebloggers #healthcare

I am a bit late with this Prestigious list of Top Blogs, but these colleagues of mine are awesome all year round, not just in 2014, they have been stellar for many years!

Awesome Sauce!! This is a list of some of the best of the best nurse bloggers from all walks of life! I am so blessed to be included on this list in such fabulous company. Congratulations to all the incredible writers, authors and bloggers on this list, be sure to visit each one. There is a wealth of information and talent here, WTG friends!!

This list of top nursing blogs was compiled based on Facebook likes, frequency of postings, and number of followers. Many of the following blogs are top hits when conducting online searches and can also be followed on Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. This list has been divided into sections for the reader’s convenience: general nursing, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, nursing student, nursing career, and women’s health.

GENERAL NURSING

1. Confident Voices – Beth Boynton is a national speaker, professional coach, facilitator, and medical improv trainer. She writes this blog founded on respectful communication for nurses, physicians, patient advocates, and support staff to encourage safe, respectful work cultures.
   Highlight: National Council of State Boards of Nursing Website Has Some Great Teaching Tools re: Social Media
2. Disruptive Women in Healthcare – This blog targets challenging and inspirational concepts in the current healthcare field. There are over 100 individuals that actively contribute to this blog including elected officials, healthcare workers, patient advocates, researchers, and economists.
   Highlight: The Hospital Discharge Race: Is Sooner Always Better?
3. Diversity Nursing – Diversity Nursing offers a variety of articles on all topics pertinent to nursing including health and wellness and career tips. This blog also includes a job board and a forum for open discussion amongst nurses and student nurses.
   Highlight: Nurses Among Most Influential People in Healthcare
4. ER Nurses Care – Written by emergency room nurse Leslie Block, this blog uses her passion for nursing to demonstrate caring and compassion through her posts focusing on healthy living, injury prevention, and various current trending topics in healthcare.
   Highlight: Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack: Do You Know The Difference?
5. Living Sublime Wellness – Elizabeth Scala MSN/MBA, RN is a motivational speaker who focuses her writing on encouraging nurses to make the necessary changes in healthcare by facilitating out-of-the box critical thinking.
   Highlight: Ode to the Bus Driver
6. Not Nurse Ratched – A nurse and freelance writer, Megen Duffy blogs about all things nursing while using her humor to lighten the mood as necessary. Duffy’s blog is highly followed online and on Facebook likely due to her down to earth writing style.
   Highlight: Tips for CNAs and New Nurses and Students (Oh My)
7. Nurse Barb’s Daily Dose – Barb Dehn, RN, MS, NP is committed to deciphering convoluted health information in order to assist individuals in achieving optimal health and wellness. Nurse Barb’s Daily Dose contains articles pertaining to women’s health, parenting, caregiving, healthy living, and medical conditions.
   Highlight: Menopause: Frequently Asked Questions
8. Nursetopia – Nursetopia features timely articles on all pertinent topics in healthcare. This blog inspires nurses by highlighting and displaying the positive influence nurses have on the healthcare culture.
   Highlight: Give Grace to Grow
9. rtConnections – Renee Thompson is a motivational speaker and the author of  Do No Harm” Applies to nurses too! Strategies to protect and bully-proof yourself at work.Thompson gears her presentations toward clinical competence and bullying within the workplace and works to enhance effective communication within a healthy organization.
   Highlight: What Does It Take for Nurses to Believe They are Heroes?
10. The Nursing Show -The Nursing Show is not your typical blog. It is filled with hundreds of short podcasts and easy to read articles pertaining various nursing topics geared toward nurses of all skill levels. All nurses are sure to find topics of interest in this diverse, educational blog.
    Highlight: Nurses Lead the Way for Organ Donation, End of Life Support

REGISTERED NURSES

11. According to Nurse Kateri – Kateri, RN, BSN, started this blog while on a personal journey to discover herself and now uses it to detail her personal experiences as they pertain to health and happiness. This blog features narratives relating to her career in pediatrics and pediatric intensive care.
    Highlight: Nurse
12. JParadisi RN’s Blog – Julianna Paradisi, RN is an accomplished artist and an oncology nurse who incorporates art into patient care. This blog focuses on the same while featuring some of her personal pieces of art as they relate to her writing.
    Highlight: Where Science, Humanity, and Art Converge
13. Nurse Eye Roll – Nurse Eye Roll was established by a newly seasoned nurse wishing to provide encouragement, inspiration, support, and laughter to student nurses. Nursing school is tough and Nurse Eye Roll is there to offer tips and suggestions about navigating the path toward graduation and successful board examination.
    Highlight: Orienting a Struggling New Grad
14. The Nerdy Nurse – Brittany Wilson, RN, BSN is a nursing informatics nurse who prides herself by incorporating technology into healthcare in order to improve and streamline patient care. This blog is found on various lists of top nursing blogs and is highly followed on social media. For more information, see what is nursing informatics?
    Highlight: 3 Resolutions Every Nurse Should Make

NURSE PRACTITIONER

15. Barefoot Nurse – Barefoot Nurse reviews real life experiences as they occur through the eyes of an advance practice nurse. Kelly Arashin, the author behind this blog, is unique in her profession because she is a dually board certified nurse practitioner in acute and critical care and a clinical nurse specialist.
    Highlight: Not a Physician, Not a Nurse…What?
16. My Strong Medicine – Sean Dent is an acute care nurse practitioner by day and weightlifter and coach by night. This blog was originally designed to share his experiences as a nurse but now it contains more commentaries on his personal life, his love for CrossFit and weightlifting.
    Highlight: Advice to My Pre-Nursing Self
17. NP Business Blog – Nurse practitioners whom are in private, independent practice are breaking the mold of traditional NP employment status and are often found without the available resources to answer common questions. Barbara C. Phillips developed this blog as a means for NPs to offer support to others in all avenues of business NPs may be involved in.
    Highlight: 7 Reasons Not to Start a Healthcare Practice
18. NP Odyssey – In existence since 2009, this blog contains a wealth of valuable information and insight including what it takes to become a nurse practitioner and the challenges NPs frequently encounter. This blog also incorporates articles pertaining to recent headlines in healthcare and how they pertain to NP practice.
    Highlight: New Grad RN and NP Jobs: Spread Your Wings
19. The NP Mom -Brett Badgley Snodgross is a family nurse practitioner with a passion for pain management and palliative care. She writes informative, easy to read articles related to common concerns she sees in her practice ranging from dieting to hypertension to allergies and beyond.
    Highlight: Weight Loss 101 – The Making of a Healthy Life – WATER!

NURSING STUDENT

20. A Journey Through Nursing School and Beyond – This blog takes the reader through the entire process of climbing the ladder through nursing education. The author began this blog as a certified nurse assistant, became a LPN, then an RN, and is currently seeking a master’s degree in nursing education. Most entries are brief and include an update on coursework although others offer valuable tips and tricks of the nursing trade.
    Highlight: Test Taking Tips for Nursing School
21. Adrienne, Student Nurse – Adrienne, RN is passionate about the way nurses and nursing students use social media in their professional lives. Adrienne, Student Nurse is written with the goal of telling the story of being a student nurse in an effort to motivate others to accept the challenge of becoming a nurse.
    Highlight: Charting Lingo
22. Becoming a RN – Follow Amy on her journey through nursing school through her blog where she recounts her trials, tribulations, and triumphs. This blog includes insight on navigating through the various challenges presented by nursing school and inspires nursing students to prevail.
    Highlight: My Most Effective Study Tool

NURSING CAREER

23. Digital Doorway – Keith Carlson, RN utilizes his blog, Digital Doorway, to coach nurses so they may feel fulfilled in their nursing careers. One of the most well known bloggers in healthcare, Carlson blogs about career opportunities, social media in healthcare, and burnout prevention.
    Highlight: Is The Nurse’s Glass Half Full?
24. Innovative Nurse – Kevin Ross, RN is the ‘Innovative Nurse’ behind this blog. Ross writes about numerous areas of career nursing such as time management, salary, mobile apps, networking, and workplace happiness in the healthcare arena.
    Highlight: Why You Need to Take the Phrase “Just A Nurse” Out of Your Vocabulary
25. International Nurse Support – International Nurse Support provides nurses with the necessary strategies to be confident in their positions while empowering them to climb the profession’s ladder as they progress in their career. This blog is owned by Joyce Fiodembo, however guest bloggers are featured frequently.
    Highlight: Handling the “Write-Up” You Do Not Deserve
26. Off the Charts – Off the Charts is the online publication of the well renowned American Journal of Nursing. While this blog lacks the personal touch many other blogs convey, Off the Charts presents up to date research data provided in an easy to read format. Various bloggers are often featured on this blog including many other bloggers in this list.
    Highlight: Ebola: A Nurse Epidemiologist Puts the Outbreak in Perspective
27. The Nursing Site Blog – Kathy Quan, RN, BNS, PHN, has been a nurse for greater than 30 years and utilizes this blog as a means to share her extensive knowledge with fellow nurses. Quan is the author of five books including The Everything New Nurse Book which helps new nurses transition from nursing school to bedside nursing.
    Highlight: Use Common Sense with Social Media
28. Your Career Nursing – Tina Lanciault, RN helps her readers find their niche in nursing by writing about alternative nursing careers. Your Nursing Career contains articles related to online learning, networking, lifestyles, product reviews, and entrepreneurship.
    Highlight: Nursing Certification

WOMEN’S HEALTH

29. At Your Cervix – At Your Cervix is written by a newly graduated nurse midwife and nicely portrays the trials and tribulations a new nurse midwife may encounter in practice. The blog contains educational articles that pertain to women’s health as well as commentaries based on the situations she came across over the course of the bloggers first year in practice.
    Highlight: What I Wished I Learned About in School
30. Mimi Secor – Mimi Secor is an accomplished family nurse practitioner with over 30 years experience in women’s health. Outside of her private practice, Mimi Secor is a public speaker and nurse consultant who prides herself in promoting quality care in women’s health.
    Highlight: STIs in the Aging Population: What? I thought only my teenager could get that!

About the author:

Jamie Bond has been a registered nurse since 2002 and returned to the college scene in 2012 to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has a passion for all things nursing, especially the care of the at–risk population. Jamie has first hand experience navigating the complicated, multifaceted field of nursing. A married mother of two school-aged sons, Jamie enjoys spending her spare time cheering on her kids at their various activities.

Credit to the http://www.bestmasterofscienceinnursing.com/30-nursing-blogs-2014/

Check out their site for more great nursing information

The Future of Nursing---- No Where But Up! #nurseup #nurses #careers

Why We’ll Always Need More Nurses

There is a reason that nursing is not only the biggest industry, but also the fastest growing. The need for nurses doesn't show any signs of stopping; and that’s because it probably never will. (6, 7)

People are living longer. Greater life expectancies and advances in modern medicine mean that people will need care longer. By 2020, it is estimated that more than 20% of the population will be 65 and older.

Globalization. With the linking of healthcare for individuals around the world and the option to travel to different countries to work, the demand will eventually outweigh the supply of nurses.

Specialist care. More and more nurses are migrating from the hospitals to other facets of healthcare, like complementary care, specialist care, physical therapy, long-term care and hospice care.

Outpatient care. Hospitals are being pressured more and more each day to release patients earlier. As such, more nurses are needed for outpatient care centers to give recovering patients the time and attention they need to continue to heal.

Home care services. Hospital jobs are expected to grow 17% by 2018. But home healthcare jobs are expected to grow by 33%.

                                          Source: TheNursingBible.com

#Nurses and #Bloggers we need your help on December 18th

Nurses I Ask a Favor of you too!! Join the Blog World on December 18th for a day of Silence and Support for Sandy Hook and the senseless tragedy that happened that day. How can we ever understand why? My heart absolutely hurts tonight so much thinking about those dead children and the adults that died with them.
I look at my Christmas tree and weep thinking of the parents and loved ones that have been so heartbroken here right before the holidays. Having so much medical knowledge in my head does not help me deal with this any better, as an ER nurse I can envision the trauma that those poor babies endured and how they may have passed from this earth to a heavenly plan. I pray that my daddy met them with open arms at the gates of glory and led them to the foot of Jesus and told them that they were safe now.
Please read the bloggers plee below and on Tuesday December 18th, lets show Newtown CT that we care, support them and help those families get thru this tragic time.

____________________________________________________________________

To the Blog World and Anyone Else who Wants to Help,

Yesterday, tragedy struck so many of us in ways we did not foresee. An elementary school and small town in Connecticut was shattered by a mass shooting. We knew we wanted to help and we came up with this:

<img src="https://sites.google.com/site/megoblogdesign/files/sandyhooksupport.png" />

On Tuesday, December 18th, there will be a blogger day of silence. We will post the button and that's it. Please try to not post anything else that day if possible.

We are also raising money that will go to an organization in the memory of this tragedy. The organization is called The Newtown Family Youth and Family Services.

Here is the official description of the support service we are donating to:

"Newtown Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a licensed, non-profit, mental health clinic

and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their

highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support

groups and education throughout the Greater Newtown area.

ANY DONATIONS MADE TO NEWTOWN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THOSE EFFECTED BY THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING."

Please visit THIS PAGE to make your donation.

We can't imagine how they must be feeling, especially this close to the holidays. We would love for you to spread the word on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let's make a difference and use blogging in a positive way.

Thank you in advance for participating.

Love,

The Blog World

P.S. If you would like to, copy-paste and repost any part of this, please do. Share on.

Tripping over a Rainbow with Skittles in my hand?

Tripping or Skipping over any rainbow with these drugs in your hand is playing with a hand of deadly cards. Robotripping or Skittling is real, and real close to home!

DXM or Dextromethorphan 

Street names
CCC, Dex, DXM, Poor Man's PCP, Robo, Rojo, Skittles, Triple C, Velvet

 
 Not Skittles

Looks like
DXM can come in the form of: cough syrup, tablets, capsules, or powder.

DXM is a cough suppressor found in more than 120 over the counter
(OTC) cold medications, either alone or in
combination with other drugs such as analgesics (e.g.,
acetaminophen), antihistamines (e.g., chlorpheniramine),
decongestants (e.g., pseudoephedrine), and/or expectorants
(e.g., guaifenesin). The typical adult dose for cough is 15 or 30
mg taken three to four times daily. The cough-suppressing effects
of DXM persist for 5 to 6 hours after ingestion. When taken as
directed, side-effects are rarely observed.


Methods of abuse
DXM is abused in high doses to experience euphoria and visual and auditory hallucinations. Abusers take various
amounts depending on their body weight and the effect they are attempting to achieve. Some abusers ingest 250 to
1,500 milligrams in a single dosage, far more than the recommended therapeutic dosages described above. Illicit use of
DXM is referred to on the street as “Robotripping,” “skittling,” or “dexing.” The first two terms are derived from the
products that are most commonly abused, Robitussin and Coricidin HBP. DXM abuse has traditionally involved drinking
large volumes of the OTC liquid cough preparations. More recently, however, abuse of tablet and gel capsule
preparations has increased. These newer, high-dose DXM products have particular appeal for abusers. They are much
easier to consume, eliminate the need to drink large volumes of unpleasant-tasting syrup, and are easily portable and
concealed, allowing an abuser to continue to abuse DXM throughout the day, whether at school or work. DXM powder,
sold over the Internet, is also a source of DXM for abuse. (The powdered form of DXM poses additional risks to the
abuser due to the uncertainty of composition and dose.) DXM is also distributed in illicitly manufactured tablets
containing only DXM or mixed with other drugs such as pseudoephedrine and/ or methamphetamine. DXM is abused by
individuals of all ages, but its abuse by teenagers and young adults is of particular concern. This abuse is fueled by
DXM’s OTC availability and extensive “how to" abuse information on various web sites.

Some of the many psychoactive effects associated with high-dose DXM include: confusion, inappropriate laughter,
agitation, paranoia, and hallucinations. Other sensory changes, including the feeling of floating and changes in hearing
and touch. Long-term abuse of DXM is associated with severe psychological dependence. Abusers of DXM describe
the following four dose-dependent “plateaus”: Plateau Dose (mg) Behavioral Effects 1st 100-200 Mild stimulation 2nd
200-400 Euphoria and hallucinations 3rd 300-600 Distorted visual perceptions Loss of motor coordination 4th 500-1500
Out-of-body sensations


DXM intoxication involves: over-excitability, lethargy, loss of coordination, slurred speech, sweating, hypertension, and
involuntary spasmodic movement of the eyeballs. The use of high doses of DXM in combination with alcohol or other
drugs is particularly dangerous, and deaths have been reported. Approximately 5-10% of Caucasians are poor DXM
metabolizers and at increased risk for overdoses and deaths. DXM taken with antidepressants can be life threatening.
OTC products that contain DXM often contain other ingredients such as acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and
guaifenesin that have their own effects, such as: liver damage, rapid heart rate, lack of coordination, vomiting, seizures,
and coma. To circumvent the many side effects associated with these other ingredients, a simple chemical extraction
procedure has been developed and published on the Internet that removes most of these other ingredients in cough
syrup.


Overdose effects
DXM overdose can be treated in an emergency room setting and generally does not result in severe medical
consequences or death. Most DXM-related deaths are caused by ingesting the drug in combination with other drugs.
DXM-related deaths also occur from impairment of the senses, which can lead to accidents. In 2003, a 14-year-old boy
in Colorado who abused DXM died when he was hit by two cars as he attempted to cross a highway. State law
enforcement investigators suspect that the drug affected the boy’s depth perception and caused him to misjudge the
distance and speed of the oncoming vehicles.

credit to : Drug Enforcement Administration • For more information, visit www.dea.gov

Don't believe that cough syrup can kill, bet these parents can tell you different
http://www.andymaxfield.com/ 

More links and resources : 

Facts about Dextromethorphan

Walgreens becomes drug dealers

Medicine Abuse DXM

Home to Homeroom

Stop Medicine Abuse

Parent Resources

Join Together Resources

Previously posted by myself on blog Ed4Ed4all "Deadly Games" thought it was worth a repeat here on my own blog. Stay Safe this weekend!!

How AWARxE are you? Are you a Hoarder?

Yes at times I can confess that as a nurse, I am a hoarder of medicines, are you?

Just how informed are you as a parent or a healthcare provider? How many extra bottles of medications do you have left over in your medicine cabinet?

Do you take them when you want to? Do you share them with others, family, friends or co-workers? Have you even thought about the dangers and damages that could ensue by keeping these meds just because you "think you might need them later". 

I will have to say that I am just as guilty of saving medication bottles for those "just in case times" and yes I do have 3 children in my household. Here are some things for us "Hoarders" to think long and hard about.

This week over at The Mommies Network blog, we have been focusing on just those dangers and other very helpful topics that all parents need to know. 

Here is part of that information and an interview with  Dr. Carmen Catizone - to read the entire 4 part interview visit The Mommies Network blog here.

We all know how easy it is to forget about a prescription that was never finished and now sits in the back of the medicine cabinet. Proper drug disposal protects your loved ones from misuse. Prescription drugs, often found at home, are the most commonly abused drugs among 12 and 13 year olds. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Foundation and their AWARxE Consumer Protection Program are helping to stop this growing trend.
April 28 is the DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Anyone with unused medications can drop them off at designated collection sites on April 28. The DEA coordinates with local law enforcement and community partners to provide thousands of sites across the country so that unwanted drugs are disposed of safely and legally. Sites will accept both prescription and nonprescription pills for disposal.
The Mommies Network recently spoke with Executive Director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Dr. Carmen Catizone, about the dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse. Dr. Catizone is the Executive Director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and a licensed pharmacist. He currently serves as a Governor of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Board of Directors and Chair of the PTCB Certification Council. Dr. Catizone is regularly called to serve as an expert witness for the US Government in the areas of pharmacy practice and regulation on both the state and national level issues.

TMN: Why can't I just flush or throw away expired prescriptions?
Dr. Catizone: Flushing certain medications or improper disposal in the garbage can lead to safety and environmental hazards. Proper disposal of unneeded medications helps prevent accidental ingestion by people and pets in the home, and also helps protect the environment by keeping drugs out of the local water system and the local environment. When drugs are brought to an authorized DEA collection site, or other legal disposal program, they are processed for safe destruction.
FDA does recommend that certain drugs are flushed to prevent danger to people and pets in the home. FDA has determined that the risks of accidental ingestion of these select medications, outweighs the small risk to the environment. A link to the list of drugs that should be flushed for disposal, as well as additional information, is available on the Medication Disposal page of the AWARxE Web site.
TMN: I already handle medicines responsibly. Why should I care about this event?
Dr. Catizone: While you and your family handle medications responsibly, remember that sometimes prescription drugs are taken out of medicine cabinets by visitors to the home, such as a teen’s guests, guests at a party, or hired workers completing a home repair.
Another concern is accidental ingestion of medications by children. The number of emergency department visits due to medication poisoning for children under age five increased 30% from 2001 to 2008, and child self-exposure to prescription products accounted for 55% of the emergency room visits, according to a study in The Journal of Pediatrics.
By securely storing the medications you need, and disposing of unneeded medications, you can prevent these drugs from falling into the wrong hands. And, by sharing this information with others, you can help to protect their loved ones, your friends, and your community by helping to prevent prescription drug abuse.


Discover More:
· CDC Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work · Safe Medication Disposal ·AWARxE: Get Local · FDA Drug Disposal Information · NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin - Prescription Drugs ·The Road to Nowhere: Prescription Drug Abuse educational slideshow · Video: The Road to Nowhere · FDA Video: Teaching Kids About Using Medicine Safely

Don't Be a Pill Hoarder!!

Your stash may just be the next Pill party for teens that might have access to them.

Don't just toss them in the trash either, somebody will dig them out of the trash!

Don't put down the sink or toilet, harmful chemicals will seep into our water, among

other things, this is just environmentally wrong!