MAY 2018
PMREMS newsletter
regionalresource
equipment for community
IN THIS EDITION 2 READY FOR ROUND II
P
ocono Mountain Regional EMS continues its drive dedicated to acquiring the latest state of the art equipment to serve our community. As efforts enlist neighbors and businesses to be a part of raising funds; creating opportunities to meet these friendly faces runs high on our list of priorities.
Don’t miss details inside about upcoming events to enjoy time well spent like June’s Drive 4UR Community and August 9’s return of Regional Roundup at Skytop! In the meantime...sit back and unwind with our latest edition find including tips from Lehigh Valley Health Network physicians.
Stay connected
for videos, photos and up to the minute news PoconoMountainRegionalEmergencyMedicalServices
Roundup Dedicated Dollars
4 VIDEO VIEW LINK TO EMS Appreciation
5 TICK TALK
LVHN Physician Facts
6 DRIVE 4UR COMMUNITY June 2’s New Date for You
Lehigh Valley Health Network presents
Returns 5:30 - 9pm August 9 SKYTOP LODGE
Plans are well underway to create another day of music and fun for an amazing cause. August 9th consider an evening to sit-a-spell at Skytop Lodge as Regional Roundup readies for Round II.
parts manufactured or service provided, emergency responders are faced with the task of replacing these vital units. Each monitor costs nearly $36,000 with four needed to accommodate PMREMS’s Advanced Life Support (ALS) trucks and area events.
Lehigh Valley Health Network returns as our signature sponsor. With others invited to consider sponsorship and ticket opportunities, Pocono Mountain Regional Emergency Medical Services shares a view where dollars will be dedicated– Physio Control Lifepak 15 V4 Heart Monitors. As current cardiac monitors will become obsolete in 2022, with no
WATCH4MORE
Regional Roundup tickets are $75 with a table for 10 taking each ticket to $70. emergency responders including EMS, police, and firefighters receive respectable ticket rates of $50 each. Sponsor packages include outstanding recognition opportunities plus tickets to take in all the action.
N
learn about PMREMS at PMREMS.org
REGIONAL ROUNDUP is a fundraising benefit created by Pocono Mountain Regional EMS, a nonprofit 501c3; to raise funds for vital equipment and training for our professionals serving the community.
Experience a Click-thru Video View of
PMREMS PMREMS Appreciation Appreciation
Brought to you with thanks to
Lehigh valley HEALTH NETWORK & MEDEVAC
Ask the Doctor Be Wary of Ticks
Q
With warmer than usual weather, will we see more instances of ticks sooner?
A: Danielle Deitrick, DO As warm weather approaches and people spend more time outdoors, we will soon see an increase in tick bites. Tick bites account for a frequent number of emergency department visits in the spring and summer months. Deer ticks have been found in all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, and the state has led the nation in confirmed cases of Lyme disease in recent years. (CDC data 2014-16 lists PA as #1; no data for 2017 yet). It’s important to know that ticks carry more than just Lyme disease. Other transmitted diseases include Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus disease. It is possible for a deer tick to transmit more than one illness simultaneously. The bite of an infected deer tick/(Ixodes scapularis) can transmit the Lyme disease bacterium. Deer ticks typically require dense vegetation with high animal traffic and humidity. They rest on grasses and shrubs in a position called “questing” – holding their upper pair of legs, which contain barbs, outstretched waiting to climb onto a passing host. Deer ticks will attach to any location of the body, but prefer areas with abundant blood supply such as the scalp, groin, and armpits. The Ixode tick is typically on the host for hours to days before it begins feeding. In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the bacterium can be transmitted. The sooner you remove a tick, the less likely your chance of getting Lyme disease as it takes time for the Lyme t disease-causing bacteria bacteria to move from tick to host. Although we see more tick bites in the spring and summer, deer ticks can survive the cold winter months but move more slowly in these temperatures.
Symptoms To Look Out For Lyme disease has many symptoms, with the most common being vague muscle and joint aches, headache, fatigue, and neck stiffness. The disease is typically divided into three stages. Stage 1: This typically occurs 7 to 10 days after a bite (range 3-32 days) with a localized erythema migrans rash (“bullseye rash”). Approximately 75 percent of patients will develop this rash. The rash is initially about 2 inches across with an area of central clearing that becomes apparent as the lesion expands. The bullseye rash is often confused with local immune reaction to the tick salivary proteins which usually occurs within hours of the tick bite. Secondary bacterial skin infections typically occur a few days after the bite and lack central clearing. Other Stage 1 symptoms include low grade fever, fatigue, muscle/joint ache, lymph node enlargement and neck stiffness.
Stage 2: If untreated, Lyme disease may enter the second stage, within days to weeks. A rash composed of many smaller red areas that lack central clearing may occur. Neurologic symptoms such as facial nerve paralysis, nerve pain or even meningitis can occur. Cardiac symptoms can occur in 10 percent of cases. The most common cardiac manifestation of Lyme disease is conduction delay (irregular heart beat) which could potentially lead to the need for a pacemaker. Stage 3: This stage may occur a year or more after initial presentation with more severe symptoms.
Treatment Options Lyme disease is often diagnosed based on history of being bitten by a tick in an area with widespread tick population, as well as the presence of an erythema migrans rash. Lab tests may be ordered to confirm the diagnosis. Signs and symptoms, especially a history of a deer tick bite or rash will lead your doctor to order a two-step lab test. This first step entails an “EIA” (enzyme immunoassay) or “IFA” (immunoflorescence assay). If this step is negative you do not have Lyme disease. If the second test is positive or indeterminate, a “Western Blot” test is used. Both the EIA/IFA and Western Blot tests need to be positive for a diagnosis of Lyme disease. Children are also typically treated for 21 days with oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin. If a child is 8 years of age or older, they can be treated with doxycycline. If stage 2 symptoms are present intravenous antibiotics may be used.
Not All Ticks are the Same Not every tick is a deer tick. For instance, dog ticks do not transmit Lyme disease. Adult dog ticks are somewhat larger and have characteristic white markings on their top side. Deer ticks are typically smaller than dog ticks. In their larval and nymph stages they are about the size of a pinhead. Adult deer ticks are about the size of a small apple seed. Most patients are infected when the deer tick is in the nymph stage. In most cases the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the bacterium can be transmitted. The sooner you remove a tick, the less likely your chance of getting Lyme disease as it takes time for the Lyme disease-causing bacteria to move from tick to host.
Preventative Measures If you are in the outdoors use a repellant that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin or IR3535 on exposed skin. There is also commercially available pretreated clothing. When hiking, try to walk in the center of trails and avoid high grass areas. If you suspect a tick bite, seek help from Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono Emergency Department, ExpressCARE or see your family physician. Professionals can help identify a tick, remove it appropriately, and test/treat if need be. Lyme disease is not typically an emergency unless rare, late stage neurologic and cardiac symptoms are present. Nonetheless, if you are feeling sick or worried LVH-Pocono is always available to see you 24/7.
Danielle Deitrick, DO, is an emergency medicine specialist at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)-Pocono. She is the Assistant Director LVH-Pocono Emergency Department, and FAWM (Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine). Deitrick is Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine.
ONSCENE
JUNE2
Photo from left: Walter Price joins PMREMS Business Manager Nick DeWitt
ENJOY A PREVIEW OF
DR
IVE F O
R
S M PMRE
earning $20 While rain 2971 ROUTE 940 MOUNT POCONO towards our nonmay have 9am-3pm profit. But that’s managed not all...the day’s to pause our intent is to May 19 expeenjoy time spent rience; Pocono learning about our Mountain Regional life-saving equipment, EMS is set to soak up techniques, plus a peek some sensation communiinto our ambulances for a ty interaction joining Ray Price a.m. p.m. nd view (or two) of how our medical Ford 9 to 3 June 2 for a professionals serve you. fundraising opportunity that’s really quite unique. Held rain or shine, come enjoy a life-saving Saturday great time. Ford Drive 4UR Community equipment invites licensed and insured drivtechniques ers to take a test drive with each THANK YOU TO
&
AMBULANCES Follow
For updates
&
our team DOWLNLOAD YOUR