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filipino globe
health matters
April 2008
It’s summer: Watch your step, play safe and enjoy
We’re diverging a little from the during summer because summer There is again limitation of motion fall. You will feel immediate pain
usual practice of responding to
HEALTHTALK
brings out the athlete in you. and pain in the area of injury and and swelling over the area, at times
readers’ queries for a timely reminder what the doctor says The word strain implies injury to a also pain along the muscle groups accompanied by deformity.
about the aches and pains associated muscle, whereas a sprain is an injury overlying the area of injury. The patient has limited movement
with summer. to a ligament. To deal with sprain, think RICE and tends to protect the area
We give the space over to Dr A strain happens when a muscle (rest, ice, compression, elevation – as concerned. Any bone could be
Antonio De Castro, fellow of the tendon unit is overloaded or in raising the injured area to prevent involved, but the more commonly
Philippine Orthopedic Association
Dr Jun
overstretched. It commonly involves swelling). fractured bones are the collar bone,
and orthopedic consultant at the forearm, and the shin bone (leg
Mandaluyong City Medical Center.
Amigo
Summer is synonymous with the bone).
Dr De Castro is also a visiting
consultant at the Veterans Memorial
outdoors and with strenuous, if not
What to do? The first thing to
side, you can actually enjoy it with
remember is splint. That will secure
Medical Center. He writes:
little stress or none at all.
downright risky, activities
the injured part in place to avoid
Summer is synonymous with the
It does pay, however, to know a
unnecessary movement.
outdoors and with strenuous, if not
little about injuries.
Look for hard and flat objects like
downright risky, activities.
Here are some of the more
the neck and the back. Pain and Treatment may also consist wood and cardboards and tie them
A much-awaited summer vacation
common injuries encountered during
limitation of motion is felt. of immobilization and anti- around the involved extremity as a
can end as soon as it begins with a
this time of the year.
In sprains, there is damage to inflammatory medications first aid.
single mishap. But before you start
Strains and Sprains. These are
the ligament around a joint. This Fractures. “Bali” in the local Pain relievers such as paracetamol
thinking summer is about nothing
probably the most frequent injuries
commonly involves the wrist, knee dialect, is a complete displacement may be given.
else but being careful and on the safe
in athletes and these are common
and ankle. of a bone resulting from trauma or
Send queries to health@filglobe.com
31 Filipinos
die each day
due to poor
sanitation
Study shows more than a quarter of the
population do not have proper toilets
S
ome 31 Filipinos, mostly chil-
dren, die everyday from diar-
rhea due to poor sanitation, ac-
cording to a recent study by the World
Bank and United States Agency for
International Development.
It said poor sanitation account for
P77.8 billion in additional healthcare
costs and lost wages annually.
Diarrhea afflicts more than 38 mil-
lion Filipinos a year, leading to the
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is difficult to do and discourages bystanders from jumping in to help.
premature deaths of 31 patients a
day.
The study showed more than 27
Use hands-only CPR for adults, say experts
million Filipinos do not have toi-
lets and are at risk of ingesting hu- You can skip the mouth-to-mouth suddenly collapse. Hands-only Hands-only CPR calls for
man waste, Lisa Kircher, director of aW ter supplies breathing and just press on the CPR is simpler and easier to uninterrupted chest presses –
USAid-EcoAsiaProject in the Philip-
pines, said.
are commonly
chest to save a life, the American remember and removes a big 100 a minute – until paramedics
Heart Association said. barrier for people skittish about take over or an automated
The health impact of water pollu-
contaminated,
In a major change, it said the mouth-to-mouth breathing. external defibrillator is available
tion and poor sanitation and hygiene
hands-only CPR (cardio- “You only have to do two to restore a normal heart rhythm.
comes from contact with human
and people in
pulmonary resuscitation) – rapid, things. Call an emergency This action should be taken
waste through ingestion.
deep presses on the victim’s hotline and push hard and fast only for adults who unexpectedly
“Once human waste enters the body, urban slums are
chest until help arrives – works on the middle of the person’s collapse, stop breathing and are
the bacteria, parasites and viruses can
just as well as standard CPR for chest,” said Dr Michael Sayre, an unresponsive. It’s likely that the
grow, causing symptoms, such as
exposed directly
sudden cardiac arrest in adults. emergency medicine professor person is having cardiac arrest,
Experts hope bystanders will at Ohio State University who which can occur after a heart
diarrhea, which is common among
to raw sewage now be more willing to jump in headed the committee that made attack or be caused by other
bacterial infections such as dysentery,
and help if they see someone the recommendation. heart problems.
cholera, hepatitis A and typhoid,” she
RAHUL RATURI
said.
World Bank rural development expert
Some 13 million Filipinos do not
have improved water sources, and
of the wastewater in urban areas is
Charges likely over doctors’ operating-room antics
only 3.3 per cent of households are
deposited untreated into groundwater,
connected to sewers leading to the
canals and waterways. A video posted on YouTube show- and cheering. At one point, a hand ap- his lawyer, Guiller Ceniza, said. The
treatment facilities, the study said.
“As a result, water supplies are ing doctors laughing while removing pears with a cell phone camera taking hospital is investigating.
Access to basic sanitation is 20 per
commonly contaminated, and people an object from a patient may lead to a close-up picture of the surgery. Hospital spokesman Dr Emmanuel
cent lower for low-income house-
in urban slums are exposed directly to charges against the surgeons and cost It remains unclear who shot the Gines said more than 10 people were
holds, while access to water supply is
raw sewage,” he said. them their medical licenses, officials video and who posted it. The incident involved, including staff and medical
17 per cent lower, said Rahul Raturi,
In the wake of the report, Health said. happened at the Vicente Sotto Me- and nursing students from a nearby
World Bank sector manager for envi-
Secretary Francisco Duque III called The unauthorized three-minute vid- morial Medical Center in Cebu. The operating room. He said the hospital
ronment and rural development.
for higher investments in sanitation eo of a noisy operating room shows video has angered the unidentified takes videos of surgeries only with
The bank said more than 95 per cent
and sewerage system. doctors and nurses laughing, giggling patient who plans to press charges, the patient’s consent.
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