“No matter how thrilled you are to be one of the very few who gets such an opportunity in seeing a animal rare and possibly an animal lover but knowing this animal is rare with history of being dangerous, stay well back, and take the encounter seriously,”.
Mountain Lion Foundation (Nonprofit)
They outlasted the Dinosaurs, There are about 1500 species in all. This creature may not look so threatening to the human eye but believe or not some of these scorpions can be highly venomous like in North Africa and in the Middle East; that is responsible for over 75% of scorpion related deaths every year. This scorpion is the Death Stalker Scorpion. All scorpions are considered to be arachnids, 4 pairs of legs for walking, a pair of pincers for holding prey, and mouth parts called chelicerae(s) to chew, the body tapers ending at its stinger and use it usually as a last resort. Most scorpions are shy and lie around waiting for its prey like a roach, cricket, etc… to even eating themselves; including rather than humans it usually only eats insects and stings humans in defense feeling threatened usually (the sting as a last resort). They are nocturnal insects usually. Scorpions are built for battle and crush their prey and immobilize (by paralyzing)them with that venom with sometimes doing it to their own species (eating their own sibling even).
Though do not blind or kid yourselves if living in America thinking there is no killer scorpion in this country is so off base. There are varying types in all countries but Antarctica. Of those 1500 species only a few dozen are potentially lethal to human beings.
Indian Red Scorpion
One of the top deadliest to humans is the sting of the Indian Red Scorpion. National Geographic-NG states it’s the most lethal of all. It’s only a tiny creature that possesses a killing elixir. NG states if it lives near people it often takes shelter where they do; and states this creatures is in countries like India, scorpion stings are a serious public health issue, particularly children (a country to walk commonly bare foot in the road/streets).
In the U.S. they are also found in the southwest, preferring the warm, dry climates found in Arizona, California and New Mexico.
Children are particularly susceptible to these bites and are more likely to die from them than adults. Although healthy adults usually only feel unbearable pain, children that are envenomated suffering a fever, coma, convulsions, and paralysis before their lungs fill up and they drown in their own fluids.
Fat Tailed Scorpions
Also known as fat tailed,Androctonus Scorpion is the most dangerous scorpion specie found in the world. Just 4 inches in length, this beast can kill human beings in minutes.Androctonus mostly lives under rocks and other shelter. They avoid coastal areas or anywhere that is high humidity. Some individuals may burrow from time to time. Unfortunately, their hiding places are often located near humans. Androctonus is widespread in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Togo, Israel, India, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Pakistan.
Death Stalker Scorpion
Commonly known as Death Stalker, this specie is second most dangerous in our list. The death stalker is regarded as a highly dangerous species because its venom is most powerful and most painful and can kill children and elderly. People can be found in the desert and scrubland habitats ranging from North Africa through to the Middle East. Countries where it lives include Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Gormar Scorpion
The gormar scorpion ranges from 4 to 5 inches in length and weighs several ounces. It is solid black with an exceptionally thick exoskeleton and black legs with a slightly reddish tinge The Gormar Scorpion has a large tail and a particularly large stinger. Its ability to kill anyone in 10 minutes is the reason we have Gormar one of the top deadliest scorpions. Gormar scorpions live only in Venezuela. They make their homes in the jungles and tropical rain forests of the country. A single Gormar sting can kill an average-sized man in a few minutes. There is no anti-venom, so a person who has been stung must be treated with vasodilators and analgesics.
Red Claw Scorpion
The Red Claw Scorpion has commonly been called the Tanzanian Red Claw. Its scientific name is Pandinus Cavimanus. The sting of a Red Claw Scorpion has been compared to the sting of a bee. Children who get stung by them can get badly hurt, and can even die as a result of an allergic reaction. They are found living within humid rainforests of Tanzanian, Africa. They like to hide and may be found living under rocks, fallen logs or in shallow burrows.
Emperor Scorpion
The Emperor Scorpion is native to Africa. It is one of the largest scorpions in the world and lives for 5–8 years. It has a large, shiny black body and bumpy pincers. Its venom is mild and the scorpion as a whole is not very aggressive. The emperor scorpion is an African rainforest species. It is found in a number of African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria.
Other deadly ones found in America:
Arizona Bark Scorpion:
Size
The average length of mature Bark Scorpions is 1.5 inches.
Description
The Arizona Bark Scorpion is typically a golden-yellow color or very light brown.. It has a slender tail and pincers.
Distribution
In the United States, the Arizona Bark Scorpion is found in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Outside of the United States, it is found in Northwestern Mexico.
Stripe Backed Scorpion:
Size
The average length of mature Stripe backed Scorpions is 2.5 inches.
Description
The Stripe Backed Scorpion varies in color from yellowish-tan to brown. As you can see in the picture below, the Stripe Backed Scorpion has 2 dark gray lines that run the length of it’s back. Older scorpions tend to be a darker brown, and the stripes may not be as obvious.
Distribution
In the United States, the Stripe Backed Scorpion is found in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. It is the most widespread scorpion in the United States. Outside of the United States, it is found in Northern Mexico.
So you may want to study about areas you travel to (especially warm climate areas for hiking and nice weather to even camping) in knowing what the state or country is known for in animals or creatures that could cause injury to you or even kill you with knowing how to prevent it, if possible.
“May we honor all our soldiers of America who sacrificed their lives to keep America safe for us and giving us citizens our freedom!”
Animal-to-human (zoonotic) transmission can occur from direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals. In Africa, evidence of monkeypox virus infection has been found in many animals including rope squirrels, tree squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, different species of monkeys and others. In July 2003, there were 71 cases of monkeypox reported The cases came from several states: Wisconsin had 39 cases; Indiana, 16; Illinois, 12; Missouri, 2; Kansas, 1; and Ohio, 1. Eating inadequately cooked meat and other animal products of infected animals is a possible risk factor. People living in or near forested areas may have indirect or low-level exposure to infected animals. Investigators determined that a shipment of animals from Ghana, imported to Texas in April 2003, introduced monkeypox virus into the United States. By June 2003, at least 30 people received the smallpox vaccine, including 28 adults and two children. The vaccine was given pre-exposure to some and postexposure to othe No serious adverse events were reported following smallpox vaccination. On May 7, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed a case of monkeypox in a patient who had traveled from Nigeria to the United Kingdom. As of May 20, the UKHSA has detected 20 cases of monkeypox since May 6. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to investigate a situation in which a U.S. resident tested positive for monkeypox on May 18 after returning to the U.S. from Canada. CDC is also tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been reported in early- to mid-May in several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including in Europe and North America. U.S. monkeypox cases are very rare. Monkeypox does not occur naturally in the United States, but cases have happened that were associated with international travel or importing animals from areas where the disease is more common.”
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
“Too many people ignore the signs of stroke because they question whether their symptoms are real. Don’t wait if you have any unusual symptoms. Listen to your body and trust your instincts. If something is off, get professional help right away that is the best way to treat it. The sooner to ER the better if there since its a 3 to 4.5 hour window from when the symptoms started in a ischemic stroke that it will be given TPA Rx (but in hemorrhagic stroke straight to the OR, if the pt is a candidate). There are so many ways to prevent it like the a patient with high BP. High blood pressure is a huge factor, doubling or even quadrupling your stroke risk if it is not controlled. High blood pressure is the biggest contributor to the risk of stroke in both men and women.”
Harvard Health Publishing / Harvard Medical School
If you’re having a stroke, it’s critical that you get medical attention right away. Immediate treatment may minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and prevent death.
The only FDA approved treatment for ischemic strokes is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA, also known as IV rtPA, given through an IV in the arm). tPA works by dissolving the clot and improving blood flow to the part of the brain being deprived of blood flow. If administered within 3 hours(and up to 4.5 hours in certain eligible patients), tPA may improve the chances of recovering from a stroke. A significant number of stroke victims don’t get to the hospital in time for tPA treatment; this is why it’s so important to identify a stroke immediately.
2.)Endovascular Procedures
Another treatment option is an endovascular procedure* called mechanical thrombectomy, strongly recommended, in which trained doctors try removing a large blood clot by sending a wired-caged device called a stent retriever, to the site of the blocked blood vessel in the brain. To remove the brain clot, doctors thread a catheter through an artery in the groin up to the blocked artery in the brain. The stent opens and grabs the clot, allowing doctors to remove the stent with the trapped clot. Special suction tubes may also be used. The procedure should be done within six hours of acute stroke symptoms, and only after a patient receives tPA. *Note: Patients must meet certain criteria to be eligible for this procedure. Image courtesy of Medtronic
1.)Endovascular Procedures Endovascular procedures may be used to treat certain hemorrhagic strokes similar to the way the procedure is used for treating an ischemic stroke. These procedures are less invasive than surgical treatments, and involve the use of a catheter introduced through a major artery in the leg or arm, then guided to the aneurysm or AVM; it then deposits a mechanical agent, such as a coil, to prevent rupture.
2.)Surgical Treatment For strokes caused by a bleed within the brain (hemorrhagic stroke), or by an abnormal tangle of blood vessels (AVM), surgical treatment may be done to stop the bleeding. If the bleed is caused by a ruptured aneurysm (swelling of the vessel that breaks), a metal clip may be placed surgically at the base of the aneurysm to secure it.
Treatment is also aimed at other factors that put you at risk, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. But it takes more than just your doctor’s efforts. You also have an important role to play in preventing stroke. It’s up to you to make lifestyle changes that can lower your risk.
1-Control your blood pressure.
2-Lose Weight to the point that your in a healthy weight for your height. If you’re overweight, losing as little as 10 pounds can have a real impact on your stroke risk. Try to eat no more than 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day (depending on your activity level and your current body mass index). Increase the amount of exercise you do with such activities as walking, golfing, or playing tennis, and by making activity part of every single day.
3-Exercise More-Exercise contributes to losing weight and lowering blood pressure, but it also stands on its own as an independent stroke reducer. Exercise at a moderate intensity 5x/wk and if you can’t do ½ hr as day spread it out into 2 15minute exercise moments for the day.
4- Drink-in moderation What you’ve heard is true. Drinking can make you less likely to have a stroke—up to a point. “Studies show that if you have about one drink per day, your risk may be lower. I am not saying drink one glass of liquor a day but if you have to limit it to one glass a day. Red wine your first choice, because it contains resveratrol, which is thought to protect the heart and brain.
5-Atrial Fibrillation-Atrial fibrillation is a form of irregular heartbeat that causes clots to form in the heart. Those clots can then travel to the brain, producing a stroke. “Atrial fibrillation carries almost a fivefold risk of stroke, and should be taken seriously; take your anticoagulant medication the MD orders to keep the blood thin to prevent clotting.
6-Treat diabetes –Having high blood sugar over time damages blood vessels, making clots more likely to form inside them putting the person at higher risk for a stroke. So simply keep your sugar under control.
7-QUIT Smoking-Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, smoking cessation is one of the most powerful lifestyle changes that will help you reduce your stroke risk
“If you or someone you’re with may be having a stroke, pay particular attention to the time the symptoms began. It determines the treatment in the ER! Typical symptoms of stroke trouble speaking and what words are being said, weakness/paralysis of one arm or side of the face or body, trouble seeing out of one eye or both, trouble walking if at all and sudden confusion.”
MAYO CLINIC
Signs and Symptoms of a stroke happening:
Symptoms of stroke include trouble walking, speaking, and understanding, as well as paralysis or numbness of the face, arm, or leg.
People may experience the following:
Muscular: difficulty walking, paralysis with weak muscles, problems with coordination, stiff muscles, overactive reflexes, or paralysis of one side of the body
Visual: blurred vision, double vision, sudden visual loss, or temporary loss of vision in one eye
Whole body: balance disorder, fatigue, or lightheadedness
Speech: difficulty speaking, slurred speech, or speech loss
Sensory: pins and needles or reduced sensation of touch
Facial: muscle weakness or numbness
Limbs: numbness or weakness
Also common: difficulty swallowing, headache, inability to understand, mental confusion, numbness, or rapid involuntary eye movement
What is done for a stroke regarding diagnostic tooling:
To determine the most appropriate treatment for your stroke, your emergency team needs to evaluate the type of stroke you’re having and the areas of your brain affected by the stroke. They also need to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms, such as a brain tumor or a drug reaction. Your doctor may use several tests to determine your risk of stroke, including:
CT scan of brain tissue damaged by stroke
Cerebral angiogram A cerebral angiogram showing a carotid aneurysm due to a stroke.
Physical examination. Your doctor will ask you or a family member what symptoms you’ve been having, when they started and what you were doing when they began. Your doctor then will evaluate whether these symptoms are still present.
Your doctor will want to know what medications you take and whether you have experienced any head injuries. You’ll be asked about your personal and family history of heart disease, transient ischemic attack or stroke.
Your doctor will check your blood pressure and use a stethoscope to listen to your heart and to listen for a whooshing sound (bruit) over your neck (carotid) arteries, which may indicate atherosclerosis. Your doctor may also use an ophthalmoscope to check for signs of tiny cholesterol crystals or clots in the blood vessels at the back of your eyes.
Blood tests. You may have several blood tests, which tell your care team how fast your blood clots, whether your blood sugar is abnormally high or low, whether critical blood chemicals are out of balance, or whether you may have an infection. Managing your blood’s clotting time and levels of sugar and other key chemicals will be part of your stroke care.
Computerized tomography (CT) scan. A CT scan uses a series of X-rays to create a detailed image of your brain. A CT scan can show a hemorrhage, tumor, stroke and other conditions. Doctors may inject a dye into your bloodstream to view your blood vessels in your neck and brain in greater detail (computerized tomography angiography). The goal is if the CT scan determined the stroke to be a ischemic stroke start rtpa a drug IV if the symptoms of the stroke started in the past 3 hrs if not treat it another way OR if the stroke is determined to be hemorrhagic than its the OR. Will go into treatment in more detail in Part III tomorrow.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI uses powerful radio waves and magnets to create a detailed view of your brain. An MRI can detect brain tissue damaged by an ischemic stroke and brain hemorrhages. Your doctor may inject a dye into a blood vessel to view the arteries and veins and highlight blood flow (magnetic resonance angiography, or magnetic resonance venography).
Carotid ultrasound. In this test, sound waves create detailed images of the inside of the carotid arteries in your neck. This test shows buildup of fatty deposits (plaques) and blood flow in your carotid arteries.
Cerebral angiogram. In this test, your doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube (catheter) through a small incision, usually in your groin, and guides it through your major arteries and into your carotid or vertebral artery. Then your doctor injects a dye into your blood vessels to make them visible under X-ray imaging. This procedure gives a detailed view of arteries in your brain and neck.
Echocardiogram. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create detailed images of your heart. An echocardiogram can find a source of clots in your heart that may have traveled from your heart to your brain and caused your stroke.
You may have a transesophageal echocardiogram. In this test, your doctor inserts a flexible tube with a small device (transducer) attached into your throat and down into the tube that connects the back of your mouth to your stomach (esophagus). Because your esophagus is directly behind your heart, a transesophageal echocardiogram can create clear, detailed ultrasound images of your heart and any blood clots.
In reality going to an ER room if the pt comes suspected of a stroke and has symptoms or not than nationally in America the hospitals are to do the following:
-A neuro assessment should be done in 10 minutes by the doctor.
-A CT SCAN ordered and pt sent off for the CT SCAN test and done within 25 minutes.
-The CT SCAN read and interpreted by the radiologist / neuro doctor within 45 minutes. At this point it tells the MD if the pt has a blockage or a hemmorage in the brain that caused the stroke. Remember a ischemic stroke and hemmoragic stroke are treated differently.
We’ll get into treatment tomorrow in Part III Treatment of a stroke.
“In 2020, 1 in 6 deaths from cardiovascular disease was due to stroke. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. Every 3.5 minutes, someone dies of stroke. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes.”
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Statistics to know about strokes:
Stroke was the third leading cause of death in the United States. Presently the CDC says under its statistics that Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death for Americans, but the risk of having a stroke varies with many factors. Remember strokes have declined since 2003 based on CDC risk factors now compared to risk factors CDC listed in 2014.
More than 140,000 people die each year from stroke in the United States, that’s 1 out of every 20 deaths now.
Stroke costs the United States an estimated $34 billion each year. This total includes the cost of health care services, medicines to treat stroke, and missed days of work.
Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. Each year, approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke.
About 600,000 of these are first attacks, and 185,000 are recurrent attacks. Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65. Stroke reduces mobility in more than half of stroke survivors age 65 and over.
The risk of having a stroke more than doubles each decade after the age of 55.
Strokes can & do occur at ANY age. Nearly one fourth of strokes occur in people under the age of 65. Stroke risk increases with age, but strokes can—and do—occur at any age.
In 2009, 34% of people hospitalized for stroke were less than 65 years old.
Stroke death rates are higher for African-Americans than for whites, even at younger ages.
On average, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds.
Stroke accounted for about one of every 17 deaths in the United States in 2006. Stroke mortality for 2005 was 137,000.
From 1995–2005, the stroke death rate fell ~30 percent and the actual number of stroke deaths declined ~14 percent. It still has declined from 2005 by CDC statistics which is good.
While stroke death rates have declined for decades among all race/ethnicities, Hispanics have seen an increase in death rates since 2013.
What is a Stroke?
A Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel which carry oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (or ruptures). When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so this in the end causes brain cells to die.
There is a stroke noted as a mini stroke which is a transient (temporary) ischemic attack= TIA, which we went over last Friday. If you want to review it go right ahead, its listed under 5/08/2020 article. A TIA is different than strokes. First some call it a mini stroke but remember the symptoms of a TIA are similar to stroke symptoms listed below for actual strokes; the difference for the patient is that they are completely reversible. Take angina for example, in this case the pt has the heart affected but the symptoms are completely reversible, just a different organ. The organs (the heart for angina and the brain for TIA) are simply having the symptoms of an infarction of the organ that is involved but both are due to lack of 0xygen, called ischemia.
Getting back to actual strokes lets review types of strokes.
There are 2 types of strokes:
Ischemic Stroke which are strokes that occur through an obstruction of blood flow by a clot called a thrombus.
Hemorrhagic stroke by a blood vessel rupturing and preventing blood flow to the brain.
In the case of a stroke its a infarction to the brain due to lack of oxygen to the organ we call the brain, only the symptoms are not reversible but they can decrease in the intensity of the damage the caused in time with treatment (PT and OT) in time. For some the symptoms are almost completely gone, again it depends on the intensity of the stroke to the brain, how bad was it with the symptoms it caused.
What puts you at risk for a stroke?
Non modiafiable risks meaning you can’t change them are:
–Age: Stroke occurs in all age groups. Studies show the risk of stroke doubles for each decade between the ages of 55 and 85. But strokes also can occur in childhood or adolescence. Although stroke is often considered a disease of aging, the risk of stroke in childhood is actually highest during the perinatal period, which encompasses the last few months of fetal life and the first few weeks after birth.
-Gender: Men have a higher risk for stroke, but more women die from stroke. Men generally do not live as long as women, so men are usually younger when they have their strokes and therefore have a higher rate of survival.
-Race: People from certain ethnic groups have a higher risk of stroke. For African Americans, stroke is more common and more deadly—even in young and middle-aged adults—than for any ethnic or other racial group in the United States. Studies show that the age-adjusted incidence of stroke is about twice as high in African Americans and Hispanic Americans as in Caucasians. An important risk factor for African-Americans is sickle cell disease, which can cause a narrowing of arteries and disrupt blood flow. The incidence of the various stroke subtypes also varies considerably in different ethnic groups.
–Family history of stroke: Stroke seems to run in some families. Several factors may contribute to familial stroke. Members of a family might have a genetic tendency for stroke risk factors, such as an inherited predisposition for high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes. The influence of a common lifestyle among family members also could contribute to familial stroke.
Modiafiable Risk Factors meaning you CAN change them:
–High Blood Pressure (hypertension)
RX: DIET & EXERCISE & MEDS that a MD would decide.
–High Cholesterol
RX: DIET and if necessary MEDS that a MD would decide.
–Diabetes Mellitus
RX: DIET & EXERCISE & MEDS that a MD would decide.
–Cigarette Smoking
RX: QUIT
–Carotid Artery Disease
RX: DIET & EXERCISE & MEDS even possible SURGERY that a MD would decide.
–Atrial Fibrillation
RX: DIET & EXERCISE & MEDS even possible SURGERY that a MD would decide.
–Unhealthy Diet RX: DIET
–Physical Inactivity and Obesity
RX: DIET & EXERCISE & possibly even MEDS that a MD would decide.
Go to your DOCTOR before doing any program and let your MD tell you what type of a program would be best for you especially if you are diagnosed with disease (EX. Diabetes, Cardiac, etc…).
