The Captain's Log
Our Company Commander's words of wisdom, medical updates to current events, advisories that fall under our mission, and generalities.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. Aenean viverra malesuada libero. Fusce ac quam. Donec neque. Nunc venenatis enim nec quam. Cras faucibus, justo vel accumsan aliquam, tellus dui fringilla quam, in condimentum augue lorem non tellus.
CRITICAL MEDICAL
• 14 November 2009
Cardiac Science Notifies AED Customers of Nationwide Voluntary Medical Device Correction
Cardiac Science Corporation [NASDAQ: CSCX] is initiating a voluntary field correction after it was determined certain automated external defibrillators (AEDs) may experience a rare product issue in which the AED may not be able to deliver therapy during a resuscitation attempt. Device failure may affect resuscitation of the patient, which could lead to serious adverse events or death. These AEDs have electronic components which may fail and the failure may not be detected by the device’s periodic self-tests.
Firm Press Release: FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.
• 13 November 2009
Title: 2009 H1N1 Influenza: Pregnant Women and Newborns
Speakers: Dr. Sonja Rasmussen and Dr. Wanda Barfield
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET
Call-in number: 888-283-2960
Passcode: 7113863
The PowerPoint Presentation will be available on the COCA website on November 17th: http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/callinfo.asp.
Objectives:
After this activity, the participants will be able to:
1) List two physiologic alterations in pregnancy that affect response to infections
2) Discuss the antiviral medication interim guidance to treat pregnant women
3) Discuss chemoprophylaxis interim guidance for pregnant women
4) Describe the recommendations for flu vaccines (seasonal and H1N1) in pregnant women
5) List infection control measures to reduce transmission of H1N1 in the hospital setting
6) Describe one method to reduce the risk for birth defects in pregnant women with hyperthermia
7) Discuss potential mechanisms of transmission of 2009 H1N1 to the newborn
8) Describe strategies to reduce the transmission of 2009 H1N1 to the newborn (at delivery, postpartum, and in the home)
9) Describe the recommendations for breastfeeding newborns of mothers with suspected/confirmed 2009 H1N1
• 10 November 2009
CLINICAL CONFERENCE CALLS
National Grand Rounds: 2009 H1N1 Influenza and Asthma
Speakers: Dr. David B. Callahan, Dr. Alkis Togias, Dr. Gail Weinmann
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Call-in number: 888-283-2960 Passcode: 7113863
The PowerPoint Presentation is now available on the COCA website:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/callinfo.asp.
HHS Call - DHHS Secretary will discuss invoking her waiver authority under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act in response to H1N1
Speakers: Dr. Sally Phillips, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness
and Response
Jean Sheil, CMS Pandemic Coordinator
Susie Butler, CMS Office of External Affairs
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Time: 2pm-3pmET
Call: 1-800-837-1935
Conference ID: 3H1N1
• 15 October 2009
Interim Guidance on Infection Control Measures for 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Healthcare Settings, Including Protection of Healthcare Personnel
CDC is releasing updated interim guidance on infection control measures to prevent transmission of 2009 H1N1 influenza in healthcare facilities. The updated guidance applies uniquely to the special circumstances of the current 2009 H1N1 pandemic and will be updated as necessary as new information becomes available throughout the course of this influenza season. It provides general guidance for all healthcare facilities. The updated guidance expands on earlier guidance by emphasizing that successfully preventing transmission requires a comprehensive approach, beginning with pandemic planning that includes developing written plans that are flexible and adaptable should changes occur in the severity of illness or other aspects of 2009 H1N1 and seasonal influenza. Revisions from earlier guidance include: criteria for identification of suspected influenza patients; recommended time away from work for healthcare personnel; changes to isolation precautions based on tasks and anticipated exposures; expansion of information on the hierarchy of controls which ranks preventive interventions in the following order of preference: elimination of exposures, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment; and changes to guidance on use of respiratory protection.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/ill-hcp.htm
MISSION CRITICAL
• 27 December 2009
Captain Clark Howard's Kids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns2IjlkiomU&feature=player_embedded
• 09 November 2009
Serverity: Warning Alert
Hurricane Ida continues north through the Gulf of Mexico; storm forecast to reach northern Gulf Coast Nov. 10
Expect disruptions.
The locations affected by this alert are:
El Salvador
Honduras
Nicaragua
New Orleans, La.
Havana
Cancun
Mobile, Ala.
Tallahassee, Fla.
Pensacola, Fla.
Destin, Fla.
Montgomery, Ala.
Gulfport/Biloxi, Miss.
Panama City, Fla.
Hattiesburg, Miss.
This alert began 09 Nov 2009 12:12 GMT and is scheduled to expire 10 Nov 2009 23:59 GMT.
Hurricane Ida Details (0300 CST Nov. 9)
Center of Circulation: Approximately 460 km (285 miles) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 605 km (375 miles) south of Pensacola, Florida
Intensity: Maximum sustained winds of 150 kph (90 mph) with higher gusts
Affected Areas: Northeastern Honduras; Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico; western Cuba; southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and Alabama, northwestern Florida
Watches and Warnings
Hurricane Warning: Northern Gulf Coast from Pascagoula, Mississippi, eastward to Indian Pass, Florida
Tropical Storm Warning and Hurricane Watch: Northern Gulf Coast from Grand Isle, Louisana, eastward to west of Pascagoula, Mississippi, including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.
Tropical Storm Warning: Northern Gulf Coast from East of Indian Pass, Florida, to Aucilla River, Florida
Update Information
Forecasts predict Hurricane Ida now a Category One storm will track north-northwest and continue through the Gulf of Mexico through Nov. 9. It is expected to slowly weaken after reaching the northern Gulf Coast by Nov. 10. A state of emergency has been declared in Louisiana. Expect heavy rains along the central and eastern Gulf Coast. Rains are also possible up through the eastern Tennessee Valley and Southern Appalachians.
Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador are struggling to recover from heavy rainfall and strong winds brought by Ida. At least 91 people have died in El Salvador. Ida has caused severe infrastructure damage in portions of eastern Nicaragua, where hundreds of people have become displaced. The risk of flooding, mudslides and storm surges is high. Transportation, business and telecommunications disruptions are likely throughout the region.
Advice
Closely monitor the progress of the storm. Review emergency preparedness plans and take proper precautions. Seek updated information on the status of roads and bridges before driving in the affected regions. Plan for power and communications outages.
Resources
National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml
• 05 November 2009
Army: 7 dead in dual attacks at Fort Hood, Texas
WASHINGTON – The Army says seven people were killed and 20 wounded in a pair of shootings at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas. An Army spokesman at the Pentagon says the shootings began about 1:30 p.m. Thursday at a personnel and medical processing center at Fort Hood.
The spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Banks, says two shooters were apparently involved. There is no word yet on who they were, nor on identities of the dead.
Banks says the second incident took place at a theater on the sprawling base.
He says it is too soon to tell whether there is any link to battle stress or repeated deployments. The Army is suffering a record high suicide rate and other signs of stress from fighting two wars.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Army has closed its massive Army base at Fort Hood, Texas, amid reports that several people have been shot and killed at the post.
The Web site of the base in central Texas has posted an alert that says, "Effective immediately Fort Hood is closed." The Web site said that units at the base have been ordered to account for all personnel.
The site says, "This is not a Drill. It is an Emergency Situation."
Several television stations in Texas say several people were both killed and wounded in the shooting. Officials at the base and in the nearby town of Killeen, Texas, have not confirmed those accounts.
Fort Hood is located halfway between Austin and Waco.
• 20 October 2009
“8 Signs of Terrorism” includes Surveillance
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) noted that Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments and agencies continue to notify law enforcement officials of suspected surveillance of their facilities or operations. This fact motivated a look at the video “8 Signs of Terrorism,” produced through a partnership between the Colorado Office of Homeland Security, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Colorado Information Analysis Center , and the Center of Empowered Living and Learning under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Grant Program.
In the DHS October 6, 2009 press release, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano stated: “The vigilance of individual citizens is critical to protection our country from the treat of terrorism. The video provides essential information on how to identify the warning signs and emphasizes the vital role of such assistance in state and local law enforcement’s counterterrorism efforts.”
The eight signs that indicate possible terrorism planning are as follows:
· Surveillance
· Elicitation (or trying to get information out of people close to the target)
· Tests of security
· Funding
· Acquiring supplies
· Impersonation
· Rehearsal
· Deployment
• 07 October 2009
OPERATION PHISH PHRY
Major Cyber Fraud Takedown
Nearly 100 people were charged today in the U.S. and Egypt as part of Operation Phish Phry, one the largest cyber fraud phishing cases to date.The defendants in Operation Phish Phry targeted U.S. banks and victimized hundreds and possibly thousands of account holders by stealing their financial information and using it to transfer about $1.5 million to bogus accounts they controlled. More than 50 individuals in California, Nevada, and North Carolina, and nearly 50 Egyptian citizens have been charged with crimes including computer fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identify theft.
LOOKING FORWARD
Sed ut metus sed wisi commodo viverra. Suspendisse dignissim elit ac leo. Fusce magna augue, accumsan eu, sollicitudin ut, ultricies eu, elit. Vestibulum faucibus turpis at lacus. Nulla pede nibh, congue ac, luctus at, pharetra ut, nulla. Nulla in ipsum eget tortor lobortis laoreet. Morbi molestie nibh dapibus justo. Nulla sapien lorem, tincidunt sit amet, lobortis laoreet, feugiat a, leo. Etiam id mauris in libero molestie dictum. Cras nisl diam, dapibus ut, sollicitudin sed, auctor nec, orci. Nam eleifend, dui in dapibus congue, mi diam luctus velit, eu imperdiet pede elit nec lorem. Proin laoreet, eros a dictum faucibus, nunc wisi rhoncus nunc, at rhoncus lectus tellus vitae urna. Curabitur a turpis at ligula lobortis cursus.
