“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 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

“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)

“Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a serious disorder in which the proteins that control blood clotting become overactive.

When injured, proteins in the blood that form blood clots go to injured site to help stop bleeding. If these proteins become abnormally active throughout the body, you could develop DIC. The underlying cause is usually due to inflammation, infection, or cancer.  DIC can also be caused in pregnancy.

In some cases of DIC, small blood clots form in the blood vessels. Some of these clots can clog the vessels and cut off the normal blood supply to organs such as the liver, brain, or kidneys. Lack of blood flow can damage and cause major injury to the organs.

In other cases of DIC, the clotting proteins in your blood are consumed. When this happens, you may have a high risk of serious bleeding, even from a minor injury or without injury. You may also have bleeding that starts spontaneously (on its own). The disease can also cause your healthy red blood cells to fragment and break up when they travel through the small vessels that are filled with clots.”

Medline Plus (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000573.htm)

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare and serious condition that disrupts your blood flow. It is a blood clotting disorder that can turn into uncontrollable bleeding. It is sometimes called consumption coagulopathy.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare, life threatening condition. It’s also sometimes called consumption coagulopathy.

In the early stages of the condition, DIC causes your blood to clot excessively. As a result, blood clots may reduce blood flow and block blood from reaching bodily organs.

As the condition progresses, platelets and clotting factors — the substances in your blood responsible for forming clots — are used up. When this happens, you may begin to experience excessive bleeding.

DIC is a serious condition that can lead to death. If you have bleeding that won’t stop, go to an emergency room or call 911 for prompt medical treatment.

Etiology of DIC (There is more than one cause factor):

1-Acute obstetrical hemorrhage is one of the leading causes for DIC in pregnancy and is one of the most avoidable etiologies of maternal death.  Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare, life threatening condition. It’s also sometimes called consumption coagulopathy.

2-Disseminated intravascular coagulation has been linked to certain medical treatments or conditions. Medical treatments that can cause DIC include:

• Blood transfusion reactions.
• Recent surgery or anesthesia.

3-Medical conditions that can cause DIC include:

• Cancer, especially certain types of leukemia.
• Pancreatitis.
• Blood infections.
• Liver disease.
• Severe tissue injury including burns and head injuries.
• Unformed blood vessels called hemangioma.

What can you do?

Unfortunately, that means there’s very little you can do to prevent DIC. What you can do is to talk to your healthcare provider about DIC so you know what changes in your body might be a sign of it.

If you have DIC, you’re probably already coping with serious medical conditions such as sepsis and cancer, or you’re recovering from serious injuries. Fortunately, early diagnosis and supportive treatment can help to stop the blood clotting or bleeding that DIC causes so that your healthcare providers can focus on treating your underlying illnesses or injuries.

How to manage disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)?

Being diagnosed with disseminated intravascular coagulation means you have another medical concern to manage as you continue the treatment and testing for the medical condition that caused your DIC. Here are some suggestions that might help:

• Take all medicines regularly, as your healthcare provider prescribes. Do not change the amount of your medicine or skip a dose unless they tell you to.
• Ask your provider before taking any over-the-counter products such as pain relievers, vitamins, supplements or herbal remedies.
• Talk with your provider about how often you should schedule office visits and blood tests to monitor the medications you’re taking.
• If you’re taking blood thinners, make sure all your providers know so they can adjust treatment accordingly.

DIC can have serious complications. You should go to the emergency room right away if you have:

• Heavy bleeding that you can’t control.
• Heart attack symptoms-chest pain/discomfort, sudden squeezing of the heart, headache, palpitations, dizziness, SOB or dyspnea,  pain down L arm, vision change-one or both eyes, loss of balance, sudden fatigue.
• Stroke symptom-difficulty speaking, change in mental status, sudden confusion, drooping of the mount on one side, one side of the body weak or paralyzed, difficulty eating, aspiration, difficulty walking or standing.

“Blood has a seemingly impossible job: It must flow continuously and smoothly throughout your body for an entire lifetime, but quickly shut off to prevent spills when you get a cut or injury.  Blood clots are healthy and lifesaving when they stop bleeding.  Platelets get “turned on” by triggers released when a blood vessel is damaged. They stick to the walls in the area and each other, changing shape to form a plug that fills in the broken part to stop blood from leaking out. Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured.”

WebM.D.

“Asthma is a disease that affects your lungs. It causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing.  Asthma can be controlled by taking medicine and avoiding the triggers that can cause an attack. You must also remove the triggers in your environment that can make your asthma worse.  Since 1984, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has declared May to be “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.” It is a peak season for people with asthma and allergies, and a perfect time to educate patients, family, friends, co-workers, and others about these diseases.“.

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention – CDC

“Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to complications including: Heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure can cause hardening and thickening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other complications. Aneurysm.”

MAYO CLINIC