Trent - Good Samaritan (Read 1068 times)

Wonderful work Trent! Once a dr., always a dr...and being a nice person to start helps too! Congratulations.

Good on you Dr. Trent. How about running a marathon in October with me just in case I pass out along the way?

Awww shucks. Hot. Sunny. Black Flag raised. Runner down, cramping, pale, vomiting. Looked really bad, like crap. Yes, that is a medical term. Here is another. Likely hyponatremia. Mile 17. Yeah, I did stop to offer help, but there was alread a doc, a nurse, a paramedic and a stock broker there, so the bases were covered. I told them I thought he likely needed salt (which nobody had) so gave them my gel which has sodium in it. I was just out jogging anyway and he needed it far more than I did. About 3/4 mile later I got to flag down an ambulance. They were already helping out somebody else (who did not look all that bad) and I suggested that they needed to get to the first guy post haste. They said, "we know, we know", and I was embarassed to have to say, "he looks really really bad and I'm a doc". I hate to pull that card, but I don't think they believed that it was that serious. And on I ran... Hey, does that mean I can subtract time from my finish? Sheesh, Berner, making me blush. Oh. Seven weeks

I suggested that they needed to get to the first guy post haste. They said, "we know, we know", and I was embarassed to have to say, "he looks really really bad and I'm a doc". I hate to pull that card, but I don't think they believed that it was that serious. And on I ran... Hey, does that mean I can subtract time from my finish?

For that they should give you a subtraction of a minute or two...or at least I would. k

Thanks all!

Did you post a set of tips so folks here won't sufer from hypontremia?

I have previously posted this: The reason why people get hyponatremia (low blood salt) is because they sweat out fluids that have a high concentration of salt and replace it with fluids that have a lower concentration of salt. Gatorade and other sports drinks have far less salt in them than sweat. So replacing your sweat with sports drinks does not work. For example, to replace the 1 gram of salt (sodium chloride) lost through a half liter of sweat, you would need to drink a whole liter of Gatorade. That is a half liter of extra water, which dilutes your blood salts. Them Jelly beans had salt in them. Gu packets have salt in them. In general, these do not have a lot of salt. Most have about 50 mg of sodium, which is equal to about 20 mg of salt. There are 1000 mg of salt in a gram. So you would need to take 50 gu packets or equivalent to replace a half liter of sweat. Most people cannot fathom eating nacho chips, potato chips or pretzels during a marathon, but these are commonplace to ultramarathons. Many people do eat a lot of salt in the days leading up to the marathon, or carry salt tablets with them during the marathon. Just in case. The Medics should also have salt tablets. You cannot salt-load like you carb-load because your kidneys efficienty remove excess sodium, but you can make sure your reserves are replenished. A good Mexican meal 3-4 days before your marathon, and there you go. Eat the whole basket of chips and this... Hyponatremia is a serious disease that merits watching out for. Hyponatremia is a condition in which you dilute your blood salt (sodium) with too much liquid, and it can be fatal (probably fewer than 1 marathoner dies every year from this). Fluids like gatorade and ultima still have far less salt than sweat, so drinking the same amound as you sweat can still dilute your blood. When extreme, hyponatremia causes weakness, hallucinations, lightheadedness and vomiting. Notice that these, except vomiting, are all the same symptoms as you would get with dehydration and with hypoglycemia. In a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found: On univariate analyses, hyponatremia was associated with substantial weight gain, consumption of more than 3 liters of fluids during the race, consumption of fluids every mile, a racing time of >4:00 hours, female sex, and low body-mass index. On multivariate analysis, hyponatremia was associated with weight gain (odds ratio, 4.2; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.2 to 8.2), a racing time of >4:00 hours (odds ratio for the comparison with a time of over 3:30 hours, 7.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.9 to 23.1), and body-mass-index extremes. (N Engl J Med. 2005 Apr 14;352(15):1550-6.) That means, the risk factors for hyponatremia include 1. a marathon time > 4 hours (compared to time < 3:30) 2. being too big or too small, 3. being female, 4. drinking over 3 liters of fluids during the run, 5. gaining weight during the run. the researchers did not specifically look at the effect of ambient temperature, salt intake in the days leading up to the marathon, or whether drinking too much in the days leading up to the marathon contributed, but their study was performed on a hot day. remember, 3 liters is nearly a gallon; the cups at the marathon were all about 4-5 ounces full. there are 128 ounces in a gallon. that means you would need to have drunk about 25 cups of fluid in the 10 aid stations to have gotten just that one risk factor. some experts suggest weighing yourself before every marathon and writing your weight on your race tag; that way if you pass out the medics can weigh you. given the variation in scales i do not know if this would actually be useful. folks with hyponatremia have too much fluid on board, so they pee clear urine frequently. folks who pee infrequently and who have darker urine likely do not have hyponatremia. 3:30)="" 2.="" being="" too="" big="" or="" too="" small,="" 3.="" being="" female,="" 4.="" drinking="" over="" 3="" liters="" of="" fluids="" during="" the="" run,="" 5.="" gaining="" weight="" during="" the="" run.="" the="" researchers="" did="" not="" specifically="" look="" at="" the="" effect="" of="" ambient="" temperature,="" salt="" intake="" in="" the="" days="" leading="" up="" to="" the="" marathon,="" or="" whether="" drinking="" too="" much="" in="" the="" days="" leading="" up="" to="" the="" marathon="" contributed,="" but="" their="" study="" was="" performed="" on="" a="" hot="" day.="" remember,="" 3="" liters="" is="" nearly="" a="" gallon;="" the="" cups="" at="" the="" marathon="" were="" all="" about="" 4-5="" ounces="" full.="" there="" are="" 128="" ounces="" in="" a="" gallon.="" that="" means="" you="" would="" need="" to="" have="" drunk="" about="" 25="" cups="" of="" fluid="" in="" the="" 10="" aid="" stations="" to="" have="" gotten="" just="" that="" one="" risk="" factor.="" some="" experts="" suggest="" weighing="" yourself="" before="" every="" marathon="" and="" writing="" your="" weight="" on="" your="" race="" tag;="" that="" way="" if="" you="" pass="" out="" the="" medics="" can="" weigh="" you.="" given="" the="" variation="" in="" scales="" i="" do="" not="" know="" if="" this="" would="" actually="" be="" useful.="" folks="" with="" hyponatremia="" have="" too="" much="" fluid="" on="" board,="" so="" they="" pee="" clear="" urine="" frequently.="" folks="" who="" pee="" infrequently="" and="" who="" have="" darker="" urine="" likely="" do="" not="" have="" hyponatremia.=""></ 3:30) 2. being too big or too small, 3. being female, 4. drinking over 3 liters of fluids during the run, 5. gaining weight during the run. the researchers did not specifically look at the effect of ambient temperature, salt intake in the days leading up to the marathon, or whether drinking too much in the days leading up to the marathon contributed, but their study was performed on a hot day. remember, 3 liters is nearly a gallon; the cups at the marathon were all about 4-5 ounces full. there are 128 ounces in a gallon. that means you would need to have drunk about 25 cups of fluid in the 10 aid stations to have gotten just that one risk factor. some experts suggest weighing yourself before every marathon and writing your weight on your race tag; that way if you pass out the medics can weigh you. given the variation in scales i do not know if this would actually be useful. folks with hyponatremia have too much fluid on board, so they pee clear urine frequently. folks who pee infrequently and who have darker urine likely do not have hyponatremia. >

Trent.Karma += 10;

"...he looks really really bad and I'm a doc". I hate to pull that card

I would love to pull that card, which is probably one of the many reasons why I'm not a doctor. To me that card is 2nd place, right below the Supreme Court Justice Card. What is the Supreme Court Justice Card, you ask? Well, if you're one of The Nine, if anyone ever asks you to do anything, you can simply say: "F**k you. I'm on the Supreme Court." That would be cool. In fact, if I were on the Supreme Court, that would be my initial response anytime anyone spoke to me (except my wife).