Tag Tate Higgins MD FAWM

Underwater diving accidents

The Divers Alert Network ( www.diversalertnetwork.org ) maintains a 24-hour hotline (919-684-9111) to assist with care coordination and evacuation assistance for diving accidents. On land at sea level, the human body is constantly exposed to 14.7 lb (6.7 kg, or…

Insect and arthropod bites

Bees, wasps, hornets, and ants Honeybees, bumblebees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets each possesses a stinger, which is used to introduce venom into the victim. Most stings occur on the head, neck, arms, and legs. “Killer bees” are an Africanized…

Snakebite

Venomous snakes Snake bites are an enormous problem worldwide, leading to death and disfigurement. A global agenda will hopefully encourage production of improved region- and snake-specific antivenoms. Two types of venomous snakes are indigenous to the United States: pit vipers…

Injuries and illnesses due to heat

Burn injuries See page 128. Heat-related illness (hyperthermia) Human core temperature is maintained at 98.6°F (37°C), with little variation from individual to individual. Heat is generated by all of the metabolic processes that contribute to life, from the blink of…

Injuries and illnesses due to cold

Hypothermia (lowered body temperature) The body generates heat through metabolic processes that can be maximized with involuntary shivering to roughly five times the basal level (up to 10 times with maximum exercise). However, shivering is abolished after a few hours…