FROSTBITE

Frostbite is an injury to the body that is caused by freezing. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas. It most often affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Frostbite can permanently damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation. The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures.

Recognizing Frostbite

At the first signs of redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold or protect any exposed skin—frostbite may be beginning. Any of the following signs may indicate frostbite:

• a white or grayish-yellow skin area
• skin that feels unusually firm or waxy
• numbness

A victim is often unaware of frostbite until someone else points it out because the frozen tissues are numb.

What to Do

If you detect symptoms of frostbite, seek medical care. Because frostbite and hypothermia both result from exposure, first determine whether the victim also shows signs of hypothermia, as described previously. Hypothermia is a more serious medical condition and requires emergency medical assistance.
If (1) there is frostbite but no sign of hypothermia and (2) immediate medical care is not available, proceed as follows:

• Get into a warm room as soon as possible.
• Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes—this increases the damage.
• Immerse the affected area in warm—not hot—water (the temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body).
• Or, warm the affected area using body heat. For example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers.
• Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. This can cause more damage.
• Don’t use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.

These procedures are not substitutes for proper medical care. Hypothermia is a medical emergency and frostbite should be evaluated by a health care provider. It is a good idea to take a first aid and emergency resuscitation (CPR) course to prepare for cold-weather health problems. Knowing what to do is an important part of protecting your health and the health of others.
Taking preventive action is your best defense against having to deal with extreme cold-weather conditions. By preparing your home and car in advance for winter emergencies, and by observing safety precautions during times of extremely cold weather, you can reduce the risk of weather-related health problems.

Content from CDC

The Flu Strikes Back – 7 Free Online Tools to Guide You through the Flu Season

 

If you look around the office, it’s no surprise that more coworkers are out sick. Regions across the U.S. are experiencing an early influenza season, with activity elevated nationally.
Be informed and share these tools with your community to stay strong against the flu this season.
1. CDC Flu View is a flu activity and surveillance site that provides weekly influenza surveillance in the Unites States. In addition to the website, its mobile app gives you options to: explore Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) Activity Levels across the US; view ILI trends over several weeks; and get on-demand access to state health department websites for local surveillance information.
2. CDC Influenza Application for Clinicians and Health Care Professionals gives the latest recommendations and influenza activity updates on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch (Android support will be added in a future update). The app will automatically update information and content when your device is connected to the Internet. With this application, you can:

• View updated information on national flu activity
• Find influenza vaccination recommendations endorsed by CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
• Obtain information on diagnosis and treatment of influenza, including antiviral treatment recommendations by CDC and the ACIP
• Obtain information on laboratory testing for influenza
• Find CDC recommendations on influenza infection control
• View videos of CDC subject matter experts discussing influenza topics
• Order official CDC designed print products for posting in the workplace or distributing to patients.

3. MappyHealth is the winner of the “Now Trending – #Health in My Community” challenge hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, mines Twitter data to show diseases trending in communities. The data is presented through several visualizations which include maps and graphs. For more information on MappyHealth, see our interview with them here.
4. Google Flu Trends aggregates search terms in real time to estimate flu activity around the world. Google notes on their Flu Trends page that searches using flu related terminology have a close correlation to people having actual flu symptoms, according to a study published in the journal Nature. The current map (as of 1/17/13) of the U.S. shows mostly “intense” flu activity.
5. Flu Near You and Vaccine Finder are administered through HealthMap of Boston Children’s Hospital in partnership with the American Public Health Association and the Skoll Global Threats Fund. Flu Near You is a popular tool among the public health community and gives a weekly reporting of influenza like symptoms (also an open data set), and shows where people are reporting symptoms within their community. A component of Flu Near You is Vaccine Finder which helps users find locations offering flu shots. Per the website, Flu Near You allows the user to do the following:

• Complete quick surveys to advance our collective understanding of the flu
• See flu activity in your area at the regional or state level
• Explore flu trends around the world with Google Flu trends
• Use the Flu Vaccine Finder to find nearby locations offering flu shots or nasal spray flu vaccine
• Connect to local public health links
• Receive customized email disease alerts at your location
• Learn more about flu news, information, and resources at flu.gov
• Explore the RSS feed on updates on nearby flu outbreaks and related flu news
• Browse the Disease Daily to discover summaries of important outbreaks and expanded coverage through the Outbreaks 101 news section

6. Flu.gov is a Department of Health and Human Services site that has all the resources you need from print materials to widgets you can add to your website. Flu.gov provides information on symptoms, treatments, and vaccination locations for influenza.
7. Flu Defender is the third place winner of CDC’s Flu App Challenge and is a iOS app that raises awareness about influenza while providing useful information on: vaccine finder, flu activity, symptom identifier, etc. The app uses the following data sources: CDC Weekly Flu Activity Report, RSS Feed of Influenza Updates, RSS Feed of Influenza Podcasts, CDC.gov/flu website and print materials, CDC Flu Twitter feed and the Flu.gov website.

Content from ePublic Health Blog

Flu Season is Here--Take Action Now

The United States is experiencing an early influenza season, with flu activity reported in 47 states. Do your part to protect yourself and others against the flu.
If you have the flu,

• Stay home
• Follow your health care provider’s recommendations
• Prevent the spread of the flu with these flu-fighting tips.

If you don’t have the flu, it’s not too late to get a flu shot! The best protection against the flu is to get the vaccine. Seasonal flu vaccines have a very good safety record.

Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated. It is especially important to get the vaccine if you, or someone you live with or care for is at high risk of complications from the flu. Our flu infographic shows you what you need to know about the flu vaccine.

• Video: What is the best protection against the flu?
• Video: How can I prevent the spread of the flu?
• Find a place to get the flu vaccine in your area

Content from Flu.gov