Vice President Report June 2018
Well it’s another year and the renewals are pending, if you haven’t paid – maybe it’s time to think about it…..
Over the last few years I have regularly added an article to the Exceed Magazine – it is a well-respected publication and has been a feature of the Club for many, many years. As I step down I look forward to seeing what will change and the prospect of new contributors. Though, I hasten to add any of the Club’s members can forward an article, trip report or other document for consideration and publication. The more who contribute the better the magazine will be – are you the next notable writer to join this publication?
Neat Ideas
Last time I wrote about ticks. I have received an email from Dr Ross Wines (whom many of you know) and it appears that the information I gave last time is not considered the ‘best practice’ by the medical fraternity. I will attempt to re-dress this for you (using Dr Ross’s information)…. But if you do need more technical information or clarity please talk directly to Dr Ross, or your own GP.
“Ticks are now prevalent in areas not previously seen. Last summer there were reports of ticks even in Melbourne’s suburbs.
As a Doctor of Medicine I wish to draw your attention however to “how to correctly remove a tick from the body”. Ian’s reference to Aust Govt DoH’s web site is correct, but the method described therein is not generally adopted by the Australian medical profession!! In fact we advise AGAINST it.
The problem with this misinformed advice of “inserting fine forceps or tweezers between the skin and the tick mouthpiece and lever the tick out” is that this method does not prevent anaphylaxis in tick allergic individuals and may actually cause an allergic reaction in the future. It is also difficult to remove the tick in this way without irritating the tick (and I suggest the patient).
ASCIA (the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) specifically advises against this method as it is likely to cause the live tick to regurgitate its stomach contents and saliva back into the wound before you can get its spiral shaped mouthpiece out.
From my own medical emergency practical experience in dealing with tick bites it is very hard and painful to the patient if you try to pull the mouth piece out as so inadvertently advised. On a child the first aider won’t be getting much cooperation from the patient due to the pain and you are likely to finish up squeezing and squashing the tick!
This could expose the patient to transmissible infectious diseases from the tick, sensitise the patient to ticks and cause subsequent Allergic reactions to red meat and gelatine in the future (mammalian meat allergy). Or if the patient suffers from tick allergy, there is risk he /she could have a severe allergic reaction.
The much preferred method, as described by Australian medical experts and ASCIA, is to Freeze it; Don't squeeze it! - Kill the tick first by using a product to rapidly freeze the tick to prevent it from injecting more allergen-containing saliva into the body wound, using either highly inflammable ether (Aerostart) or Dimethylether (DME) containing products like Medi Freeze SkinTag Remover or Wart-Off Freeze, that can very rapidly freeze and kill the tick. These products might be something to consider adding to your First Aid kit from now on if you intend to go ‘bush’.
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