N OV E M B E R 2 018
PMREMS newsletter
regionalresource a time to grow As our community grows so does the need to expand resources like skilled emergency response professionals and knowledge. Explore how Pocono Mountain Regional Emergency Medcal Services works closely with
amazing associates and how that translates back to the community. Don’t miss ways you can get involved. From joining Breakfast with Santa family fun; to supporting our nonprofit in more ways than one!
IN THIS EDITION 3 Para-Points for the Season Proper Carseat Safety 4 Signs of Winter Clearing the Way 5 Supporting Paramedics Favini Scholarship Opportunity 7 LVHN: Physician Facts A Look at Diabetes
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e r ’ You Invited
Hosted by Pocono Mt. Regional EMS
ming o C s i a t San to Town!
Pocono Mt. Regional EMS’ Annual Breakfast with Santa event is fun for the whole family! Join Santa and his elves for breakfast, crafts, and holiday fun!
Saturday, 12/15/18 | 9am – 12pm (Snow Date Sunday, 12/16/18 12/16/18–– Check pmrems.org) at the Pocono Mt. Volunteer Fire Company 20 Murray Street (right off of Route 611) in Mt. Pocono Adults: $5 | Children under 12: FREE!! | Pictures with Santa: $5 Tricky Tray
50/50
Goody Bag for the Kids from Santa
Menu to include: Pancakes (gluten-free upon request), sausage, juice, coffee, and tea
*Please
note: This function is not associated with the school district. This function is held in conjuction with your local ambulance company and all proceeds will benefit Pocono Mountain Regional EMS*
proceeds benefit pocono mountain regional ems
an ounce of
para-points: bundle up for carseat safet y As winter's chill causes everyone to bundle up, Pocono Mountain Regional EMS reminds comfort should never take a backseat to safety. When properly installed, a car seat can save your child's life, but there's something caregivers should consider when buckling up little ones.
states, "Even after an accident a carseat not properly fastened may have continued movement rocking back and forth so if a child is hurt from the impact further internal injury may occur." He urges all to ensure straps are securely placed on children suggesting blankets or coats be placed safely over. Reminding periodic carseat safety checks occur throughout the year, watch for updates on when and where we’ll be there to assist the community with how to prepare.
Bulky winter coats, can lessen the effectiveness of your child's car seat. While children may seem secure in the seat with straps securely across fleece; in some crash instances, a thick winter cover-up can leave dangerous space not enabling straps to securely protect your child.
Want to learn a particular healthcare or emergency responder fact? Contact our newsletter coordinator at
INFO.PMREMS@GMAIL.COM
Not recommending to skip keeping kids warm, PMREMS Paramedic Nick DeWitt
Nick DeWitt
Pocono Mountain Regional EMS Business Manager Paramedic
signs
of winter
Let’s make things clear...as signs of the season begin to appear, emergency responders echo a similar plea this time of year–please clear snow filled walkways and driveways. From the inability to locate a property with address signs buried below; to accessing the home or business through two-feet of snow avoiding delays in some ways could save a life. Posing not only a hazard with identifying locations; deep snow can cause safety concerns for these professionals. Trudging through towering mounds with unseen ice below may make an ambulance, fire or police call for one evolve into an assist taking time away from other incidents or to aid with a new injury. Pocono Mountain Regional Emergency Medical Services would like to remind property owners to take the time to show their signs. Whether removing obstructions yourself or asking others to help also clear a path to entrances; the time you spend before the need to call 9-1-1 could save someone. Thank you! While we prefer to see you under pleasant conditions; taking a proactive position and your support toward keeping things clear is extremely appreciated now and throughout the year.
a message from
emergency
respon ders
Photo from left to right: Dr. Peter Favini, Paramedic Students Brian Benoit and Luis Marin, along with Nick DeWitt/ President-Monroe County Ambulance Association
The purpose of the Dr. Peter Favini
Scholarship is to encourage EMTs to further their education and give Monroe County additional Paramedics. The fund was established with the Monroe County Ambulance association in cooperation with Dr. Peter Favini. Dr. Favini assisted in creating the fund by matching the contributions made through fund raising efforts. This was the first step in making advanced training possible for those who could not afford to pursue their goals. Dr. Favini has consistently donated towards the fund and has overwhelmingly contributed to its success.
We continue to face a tremendous shortage of Paramedics in the county, so we would like to thank Dr. Favini for continuing to make this possible for the students and the organizations with in Monroe County.
Care to Contribute?
brian benoit
Brian has been an EMT with West End Community Ambulance for many years. He has always shown to be very professional and a true patient advocate. Brian is also an educator and truly enjoys teaching others his skills and knowledge.Brian is planning on attending the Paramedic program through EMI to be able to provide more advanced pre-hospital emergency care.
Send donations to
Dr. Peter Favini, M.D.
SCHOLARSHIP
MONROE COUNTY AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 10 Tannersville, PA 18372
It is great to see that amidst different acquisitions and new opportunities, that all organizations are continuing to work together in order to achieve the overall goals for our providers and community
LUIS MARIN
Pocono Mountain Regional EMS EMT and volunteer firefighter with Coolbaugh Township Fire Company, Luis is very dedicated to his career. He wants to continue advancing his education to better serve the community. Enrolled in Luzerne County Community College’s Paramedic Program; he is eager to become an instructor and continue growing as a Critical Care Paramedic.
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Ask the Doctor Diabetes
Q
My nephew was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I wondered how it’s diagnosed.
A: Allison A. Froehlich, MD A diagnosis of diabetes can be diagnosed by a variety of methods. Sometimes a 2 hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is performed, especially if there is a suspicion of an early case of diabetes. This test involves consuming a 75-gram glucose drink, followed by measurement of glucose levels at baseline, 1 hour and 2 hours after consumption of the glucose drink. More often, it is diagnosed based upon either elevated fasting or random glucose levels on more than one blood test. At times, an individual might be found to incidentally have glucose in their urine, prompting further work-up for a possible diabetes diagnosis. A hba1c measurement (which is a 3 month average of blood sugars), is a blood test that is often used for monitoring glucose control in an individual with a previously-established diagnosis of diabetes, but it has sometimes been used as a screening test as well. Occasionally, individuals have test results that fall “in-between” the diagnostic cut-off for normal and diabetes, and they are classified as pre-diabetic.
Types of Diabetes The two main types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition that involves a near absence of insulin production from the pancreas, so requires an individual to take insulin as part of the management and is sometimes called “insulindependent diabetes.” Type 2 diabetes, in contrast, is more related to a resistance to the action of one’s own insulin, sometimes in combination with a partial deficiency of insulin production. Type 1 diabetes is sometimes referred to “Juvenile” diabetes, as it is typically diagnosed in youth or young adulthood and there is often no prior family history of this condition. Type 2 diabetes is more commonly acquired in adulthood. It typically occurs in individuals with a family history of diabetes, in the setting of weight gain or certain lifestyle factors, including over-consumption of sugars and starchy carbohydrates, along with lack of exercise. In the early stages, it can sometimes be managed with lifestyle changes alone. As the condition advances, individuals may require addition of oral medications and sometimes insulin is required to optimally manage sugars.
Signs and symptoms An individual with diabetes may present with unexpected weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision and increased thirst, along with increased urination or recurrent infections (including yeast infections). In the case of Type 1 diabetes, these symptoms might have a quicker or moresudden onset, whereas it may be a slower or more gradual onset with Type 2 diabetes. Sometimes individuals with Type 1 diabetes will experience symptoms of nausea, vomiting and changes in mental status or even coma upon their initial presentation. These symptoms can occur with “diabetic ketoacidosis” or DKA. DKA is related to a build-up of ketones in the body (from fat breakdown) when the body is unable to use carbohydrates as a source of fuel due to inadequate insulin production.
When is an individual referred to an endocrinologist? If an individual is newly diagnosed with diabetes, their primary care provider may advise them to see an endocrinologist, so that this individual can become aware of the variety of resources available to make their management easier, so that this individual can feel confident with their ability to manage this condition on a day-to-day basis. Even if an individual is seeing an endocrinologist, their primary care provider often still remains involved in their overall care, and after the individual becomes familiar with the basics of diabetes self-management, the individual’s diabetes might be managed again by the primary care provider alone, depending on their provider’s degree of comfort with this condition. However, if an individual’s sugars are not improving on current treatments and/or they develop complications from their condition, an endocrinologist would be able to start more tailored treatments, such as injectable medications, or even insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring devices, to help make the individual’s diabetes easier to manage.
Why would someone need dietary education? Diabetes involves an imbalance between glucose and insulin in the body. The carbohydrates in one’s diet turn into sugar or glucose in the body. By reducing or modifying the type of carbohydrates consumed, an individual with diabetes can have remarked improvements in their glucose control, in turn reducing the quantity of medication or insulin that is required to control their diabetes. Our Nutrition Team is based out of Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)-Pocono. Our nutritionists can help structure a personalized meal-plan based upon your particular food preferences, being mindful of specific carbohydrate limits. Also, our nutritionists are able to provide advanced carbohydrate-counting for a patient already on an insulin pump or looking to start pump therapy in the near future.
Allison A. Froehlich, MD, is Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She specializes in Endocrinology at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono’s Health Center at Bartonsville in Stroudsburg.
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