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Plan Day Trips to Theme Parks in Seattle

Amusment Parks in Seattle having fun
Amusement parks are a popular attraction for people of all ages. Far from a few simple thrill rides, modern parks work to provide entertainment to suit everyone’s tastes. If you’re planning a vacation, or just looking for a new way to have fun on the weekend, here you will find the Seattle amusement park that is worth visiting:

Wild Waves Amusement Park: Seattle Amusement Park
Once known as Enchanted Forest, this combination of water and theme park was owned by Six Flags until it was sold in 2007. It now operates independently. This Seattle amusement park include the 75-foot-tall Timberhawk wooden coaster, the spinning Timber Axe, and the splash down ride Lumberjack Falls.

Smaller children will enjoy the kiddie rides, and there’s enough variety of water attractions and big thrill rides to keep all types of people entertained at the Seattle amusement park.

Season passes are available at a cheap price for people that return to the park; young children and seniors have a discount, and infants under two get in free at this Seattle amusement park. (http://wildwaves.com/)

Riverfront Park
Seattle Amusement Park: Riverfront Park Amusement parks in Seattle don’t need to be expensive to visit; several of the attractions in Riverfront Park are totally free.

Popular tourist attractions include the scenic Spokane Falls and historical Clocktower, and the sculpture walk is sure to interest anyone with an eye for art.

If you’d rather enjoy more traditional amusement park fare, Riverfront Park delivers: The Pavilion Amusement Rides are available all summer, with a wide variety of tilting, spinning, and free-falling thrills for all ages. (http://spokaneriverfrontpark.com/)

Pacific Science Center
If you’re looking for more educational theme parks in Seattle, the Pacific Science Center could be exactly what you need. A six-acre hands-on science museum, this location also includes stage shows, a butterfly house, planetarium, laser shows, IMAX movies, and much more.

Tickets are pretty cheap, although you can expect to pay a bit more if you’re going to an IMAX film during your visit. Returning members can purchase a membership and receive free entry. (http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/)

Whether looking for an educational park, an outdoor family fun adventure, or a water park, theme parks in Seattle offer a great deal of fun and education for everyone. Seattle water parks and theme parks provide a great way to spend a day during your vacation, or even just get away for awhile during a dull weekend.

Trying to Find the Truth Behind the Bair Hugger Lawsuits

Bair Hugger Lawsuit and Safety

Recently, 3M’s normothermia system the Bair Hugger has been facing some legal issues. Lawyers all over the country have been advertising for people who have undergone a surgical procedure and faced medical complications post surgery. These attorneys state that they believe that the Bair Hugger is to blame, but is that actually the truth? Are the attorney’s promoting the class action lawsuits actually stating facts or is this merely an ambulance chasing tactic used to scare 3M into settling? Is the Bair Hugger really a faulty device like these lawsuits claim or is this a scheme to make some money? The answer to that question is that the lawsuits are merely an attempt for some of these law firms to try and make some money. The lawsuits are not based on facts but rather the jealous ramblings of a disgruntled individual who once was the Bair Hugger’s staunchest supporter.

It is important to start at the beginning when trying to figure how these lawsuits began to proliferate the mainstream media. The Bair Hugger has a long and successful history in the medical field and is still used by numerous hospitals all over the nation. To this day, numerous doctors and hospitals agree that the Bair Hugger is the best forced-air warming system on the market. Invented in 1987, it was an answer to numerous issues that a surgical staff once faced in the operating room during a surgery. Since 1987, it has been used over 200 million times in the operating room at different hospitals in the United States. The system has the largest portfolio of scientifically designed specialty products that allows doctors and hospitals to provide tailored solutions to uniquely fit each surgery. Each surgery can be a unique situation and the Bair Hugger system provides different options to cover all a patient’s warming needs during surgery.

Another reason why the Bair Hugger is so beloved is due to the fact that it is a simple and straightforward system. The system is used to prevent hypothermia during surgery. The system uses forced, warm air to help keep the body at a normal temperature while under anesthesia. The Bair Hugger temperature management system is comprised of warming units and disposable blankets. The warming unit is connected to the disposable blanket with a hose. The warming unit generates warm air, which is then forced to the disposable blanket through the hose. The disposable blanket, which is placed on top of the patient during surgery, is designed to let the warm air flow throughout the blanket effectively warming the patient. Hence keeping the patient warm and helping to prevent hypothermia.

Up until 1987, surgical teams faced the very real issue of a patient’s body temperature dropping rapidly during surgery. The first hour of anesthesia is critical. Patient’s undergoing surgery are the most at risk for developing hypothermia during that first hour. Some patients are able to return to normothermic levels post surgery but some people’s bodies are unable to return to those levels. Those patients whose bodies cannot warm up after surgery then suffer from hypothermia. Hypothermia can cause a variety of detrimental effects on the body.
Many specialists in the surgical field agree that the only way to help prevent hypothermia during surgery is to warm their patient’s body before and during surgery. Experts like Dr. Daniel Sessler, of the Department of Outcomes Research at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, is a proponent of forced-air warming in the surgical room. Dr. Sessler told Reuters Health in a telephone interview that, “Most patients become hypothermic during the first hour of anesthesia and then temperature slowly returns toward normal, so that by the end of the surgery most patients are normothermic, But the amount of hypothermia that we saw and the number of hypothermic patients was fairly high, and the amount of hypothermia was significantly associated with the need for blood transfusion.”

If so many experts, hospitals, and patients agree that the Bair Hugger is an essential part of the operating room, why are there lawsuits out there that portray the Bair Hugger as a defective product that can potentially cause surgical site infections? The answer to that question lies with the inventor of the Bair Hugger. As shocking as that sounds, the origination of the claims came from Dr. Scott Augustine, who was the inventor of the Bair Hugger. Although it seems illogical, Dr. Augustine made the claims because he created a competing product to the Bair Hugger. Dr. Augustine sold the Bair Hugger to a company called Arizant. 3M bought Arizant in 2010 and then successfully sold the product to hospitals across the nation. Dr. Augustine was on the board at Arizant but had a falling out over an undisclosed issue before the buyout by 3M. Dr. Augustine left the company on poor terms and then decided that he was going to create a competing product. Once his new product was finished, he immediately started a campaign to discredit the Bair Hugger. The origin of the lawsuits is really just a case of a disgruntled individual.

Once 3M heard about the lawsuits, they immediately sprang into action and began to conduct studies on the Bair Hugger to address the concerns that were raised. Even though the company knew at the time the basis of the claims were raised by the original inventor. A respected independent research group, ECRI, examined a study conducted by Dr. Augustine’s company and determined that the evidence does not justify discontinuing the use of the Bair Hugger in hospitals. ECRI also chastised Dr. Augustine’s company for mischaracterizing the results of a study that they conducted on the Bair Hugger to say that the Bair Hugger causes surgical sites infections. 3M also conducted internal studies as well that proved that the Bair Hugger is perfectly safe and the claims that have been made by Dr. Augustine were false.

Attorneys advertising these lawsuits have ignored the numerous internal and external studies conducted that prove Bair Hugger’s efficiency and safety. It is a product that has been trusted for over three decades and continues to play a large role in hospitals everywhere. It is important to know the facts before making assumptions about the Bair Hugger. Hospitals and doctors agree that the Bair Hugger will continue to be used in the operating room to help make sure that the patient’s stay warm and comfortable during surgery.

The Need for Forced Air Warming During Surgery
https://www.emeraldcityjournal.com/2016/02/the-need-for-forced-air-warming-during-surgery/

Relationship Advice: The Prince Charming Factor?

Prince Charming Factor Dating

Dr. Robi Ludwig was interviewed by Fox News’s producer and online contributor for FoxbusinessNews.com, Ashley Papa Twitter, about the psychology behind the Prince Charming Syndrome. This syndrome is when women creates a romanticized ideal of what love should look like and they either end up in the wrong relationship or no relationship at all. Often times, the person is very inflexible because they become so focused on finding the “prefect” partner.

During the interview with Ashley Papa, Dr. Robi Ludwig points out in the interview on Fox the issues that surround the individuals who are constantly striving for these perfect relationships. Dr. Robi thinks that everyone has an idealized image of what the perfect love should be, but as people mature, they realize they are not perfect and their lover is not going to be perfect either. However, the women who fall into the category of “The Prince Charming Syndrome” are very often socially immature, have a resistance to being in a real relationship and have expectations that are too high which often set up their partners to fail. These individuals never grow and mature and hence are stuck in the cycle of trying to find a love that doesn’t really hold firm or true in the real world.

Dr. Robi Ludwig thinks that these ideals come from a psychologically memory or wish from when we were babies and we were wholly and completely loved and there was someone that was there to take care of all our needs. Also our society idealizes love and romanticizes relationships. These two factors combined create the “The Prince Charming” syndrome.

Dr. Robi’s advice to these women who are striving for this perfect partner is to not lower their standards but to be more open-minded. Relationships are not black or white and in order to exist in the real world, women have to mature and lose the concept of romanticized love and ditch the fantasy. A true rewarding relationship will come from maturity and self-realization.

Additional opinion by the Emerald Journal:
The advice and interview with Dr. Robi and Ashley Papa is simply amazing. Relationship’s and dating can be really difficult. There is so much to understand about dating psychology and what to do and what not to do. It can be very complicated. The advice given by these experts can really help and sharing the information only helps understand the gaps when it comes to dating or finding a partner. We all have our issues (and insecurities) with meeting new people and dating but at the end of the day, living with the issues and being able to accept them is what can make the difference. I believe this article, interview, analysis only scratches the surface of this topic. We all have our judgments when first meeting someone. We all are products of our environment and this is carried over into how we function and view relationships in my personal opinion.

Car Tabs With The Seattle Council

Seattle Car Tabs Taxes

I thought the City Council worked FOR the voting public. I thought your job was to get the best deal for the taxpayer dollars. I guess I was wrong about that because we were definitely hood winked into passing a $60.00 car tab fee that was to improve transit. It was passed because of the promise that was tacked on that the low income people would get a $20.00 rebate.
Now, you admit that a $20 rebate will cost taxpayers $37.00. That should have been stated on the ballot. Nobody but a fool would approve something like that. Sounds like you are running our transportation money through the Slick Willy, Hillary, Chelsea foundation. They too only give 15% to charity and use the 85% to live like millionaires. Council member Tom Rasmussen who chairs the transportation committee said it seemed high and non profits usually charge 15% for administrative costs but the committee including Jean Godden and Mike O’Brian recommends going forward with it. The advisor to mayor Murray says its expensive to give rebates. Then why would you put on the ballot to give rebates?

They are worried now that not enough people have signed up for reduced fares and rebates etc and are going to spend $718,000 to make sure more people hear about the lower fares. In other words they want to give away as much free stuff or reduced price stuff as they can so these people will vote for them next time. No one is working to use taxpayer money wisely.

The transportation department has NO plan as to how to spend all this money so it doesn’t bother them that a $20.00 will take $37.00 from what the taxpayer’s thought was for transportation, not to buy next election votes. DOT is like a kid with a fist full of money from a birthday party heading for Toys R Us. They don’t know whether to add more rapid rides, reduce time between buses. They should have had a plan before the ballot was presented to be voted on and we should have been told how much you would screw away. Why should we help Wells Fargo bank make money issuing debit cards. With people like this running the show there will never be enough money. Need to get rid of every council member that goes along with this . Someone should demand the $60.00 tab ballot was passed by misleading the public. Enough is enough.

I don’t have a dog in this fight. I don’t drive. But we have one bus in Georgetown that goes every half hour and none that go down highway 99 and to town on 4th. The transportation dept. has the 131 and the 132 go from town to Burien go down 4th, both turn at Michigan and end up in Burien. One of them could come on down the highway and turn on the new South Park bridge and pick up riders all along the highway. I have written to them about that but they are so “extremely” busy they have never answered. Too busy figuring out how to get more money and make other bus routes go every 10 or 15 minutes. I would be happy if I had a bus on the highway that would get me to town or to Burien if it ran once an hour. I am 91 and have to walk clear to 4th and Michigan to get a bus and back home to Corson when it turns to go over the first ave bridge. Usually both big buses are almost empty. One could pick up a few passengers along the highway, but there are none to pick up on the 1st ave bridge or until they get to South Park.

Combating Poverty, The Challenge of Lack Message

Fixing issues with poverty message

I was just listening to the President’s remarks on poverty and felt compelled to put my ideas on paper. I remember the rap group Poor Righteous Teachers (PRT) once penned the words: “[If] you lack, you lose, you lose, you lost the knowledge of yourself. And if you don’t know who you are, you won’t know no-one else.” While PRT was popularizing the thoughts of black nationalism of the 1960’s and the teachings of Elijah Pool as relayed through Clarence Edward Smith, they do have a point relevant for our time. I submit that in our country today there is a whole lot of people who lack, and therefore a whole lot of people who cannot relate to others, let alone understand themselves.

The idea that we should empower our poor by providing for them a system of support is a noble principle. However in practice the system is filled with so much paperwork and bureaucracy that it makes the people it is meant to help feel like second class citizens. If you do not believe me, just try and take your child to get a root canal on Medicaid or enroll her in speech therapy classes. The first thing that you will find is that although you have what sounds like a commercial insurance provider, your doctor segregates you out of the main stream because you have a welfare based health plan. They tell you straight out that if you were privately insured by your provider you would be able to get an appointment next week, but since you have Medicaid you must go on a waiting list, and if you qualify, may be seen some time in the next 90 to 180 days. The second thing you realize is that by the time you get through the paperwork needed to qualify to get your child’s tooth repaired or speech examined you have taken on a second job just jumping through all the hoops it takes to get your kids the help they need. The third thing you notice is that you actually feel a loss of dignity, a loss of financial stability, and a loss of self-worth. You find it hard to understand why you are on Medicaid because for all intents and purposes you make enough money to have real insurance, but your insurance was taken away by the state who wants to lump you into Medicaid, the subset of coverage that is so underfunded that you have to wait months for the most basic of care. And finally, by the time you get into be seen, you notice that your child has lost her tooth, or developed such a speech impediment that the intervention is not likely to help as much as it would have had you been seen without the bureaucratic hurdles.

While the government may be trying to provide a step up for the working poor, the de facto reality is they are sending them spiraling down a hole of self-doubt, loss of dignity, and throwing them into a pit of despair. This despair is the kind that ignites a powder keg in places in the United States like Ferguson and Baltimore. The solution to those types of outbreaks appears to be to ensure a thriving all inclusive middle class or at least that’s what I thought our President was saying when he spoke on the topic. If businesses and government really wanted to build the middle class, and empower the working poor, they would work to ensure that the working poor had a living wage. That means a wage that would allow them to provide for their own health insurance or at least meet the premium payments of the affordable care act. A wage that allows them to buy food while also paying their rent and putting something away for a rainy day. A living wage, one based on a reasonable working day and not dependent on overtime the rent and light bills. Business and government should realize that the best way to give a person hope is to show them that they can provide for themselves, with a little hard work, strong faith in their creator, and a good dose of self-worth. The kind of self-worth that comes from being able to navigate through life without relying on a 30 page set of forms to fill out and a 60 to 90 day waiting period.

The true cost of allowing employers to pay so little to their employees is borne not on the rich, but on the working poor and the government. A government that has to ration out services through a crippling bureaucratic process that may subsidize low wages for workers, but keeps them from getting the real hand up out of poverty and a true sense of self-worth. It’s not socialistic to think that each person should have a fair shot at self-determination, and a real chance to manifest their own destiny. But this cannot happen where a minority controls almost all of the wealth that has been accumulated on the backs of the working class. This cannot happen where the government is forced to bear the weight of subsidizing a low cost work force. A fair wage is not communism; it is capitalism at its best. A fair days pay for a fair days work. What we have going on now is the antithesis of capitalism, if not a new form of slavery, that is fueled on the backs and with the broken dreams of the working poor in America.

Author: Tark Aouadi

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Mayweather vs Pacquiao The Rematch

Mayweather Pacquiao Rematch Fight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a record amount of money and that was about it. All hype. The fight itself was played out as expected. Floyd Mayweather went around in circles and played defense mostly. He landed more punches and had a higher percent of them landed. The boxing match ended up going the distance 12 rounds with Mayweather winning by unanimous decision. Mayweather got his guaranteed $100 million after the fight and Pacquiao left with ONLY $80 million. I knew exactly how this fight was going to go down. It was classic Mayweather. The same thing he has been doing for years. Of course a little piece of you wants the little guy to win but in reality the fight was over before it started and Pacquiao was another victim.

Of course it’s setup for a rematch and there have already been talks about it in the media. Pacquiao is claiming a shoulder injury before the fight. Mayweather mentioned that he would be open to a rematch. It would be dramatically less revenue but still a pretty good payday for both parties. Will the rematch actually happen… nobody knows for sure at this point. It took nearly 6 years for this fight to happen! Mayweather is one fight away from being 50-0 so ending a career at an even 50 wins is something to consider.

One thing is true over the history of sports there has been some great sporting agents/managers who represents these athletes. Many of which we probably haven’t ever heard of. People like Bob Arum (Pacquiao promoter), Todd DuBoef (Top Rank promoter), or even Perry Rogers who represented Shaq and movies. Even after retirement, Shaq continues to make a lot of money being a celebrity and product sponsor. Perry Rogers represents a lot of the sport figures actually. Another for boxing is Oscar De La Hoya from Golden Boy Promotions. In recent news Todd DuBoef of Top Rank, co-promoter of the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight, said he will be going after the 10,000 or so viewers of the PPV fight who may have viewed it illegally online. I guess the tens/hundreds of millions of dollars isn’t enough for him.

I predict a rematch coming very soon. Personally, I think I will stay home and watch it this time.  Both fighters are well past their primes.  They both are nearly 40 and that is pretty old in the boxing World.

Bruce Jenner TV Appearance

Bruce Jenner Women Photo

I’m sure you know by now that Bruce Jenner is transitioning into a women. It’s been on the news for months now and finally Diane Sawyer sat down with him for the exclusive interview. The interview was watched by over 16.9 million viewers. 20/20 has been promoting the interview for a longtime now and finally it went live. Bruce Jenner is 65 years old now. Well known for his Olympics past. During that time, many said he was the American Male and a true Olympic hero – he was. Deep down, however, he was fighting a battle of who he was. He mentioned he used to dress up in his sisters clothes growing up went no one was around. Dr. Robi Ludwig (author of Killer Lovers) has an article on the Huffington Post which discusses the coming out process and being transgender if you’d like to read more. Ludwig does a Q & A session with her transgender friend Ryan Sallans. He is a very popular author and American LGBT advocate.

Having watched the interview with Bruce, I can only imagine how hard that process must be. It’s even more complicated being a celebrity with a family and children of your own. How you go for so long (65 years) without telling anyone is beyond me. I assume it was time considering all his children are full grown and the marriage was over. There was some suspicious about the appearance because Bruce is leaving the Kardashian’s TV show to start his own. He seemed very genuine and didn’t promote it, however. I also think it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to promote your show while talking about such a personal topic for the transgender community.

No one knows just how this is going to end up. I assume Bruce will slowly start making the transition on the outside more visible as the months go by.

Seattle-Based Loloz: A Lollipop Dentists Can Get Behind

Loloz Healthy Teeth Lemon ProductHealthy teeth and lollipops aren’t something you tend to associate with one another.  And yet, a new product might be the natural alternative to costly cavities and gum disease.

Loloz, made by HealthyGrid, is a new line of sugar-free, cavity-fighting lozenges and lollipops. Definitely not candy, the magic comes from the extract from a specific kind of licorice root that has been shown to improve dental health.

Natural Dental Health Isn’t a Trend
In a city where we spend as much time outdoors as possible, and where a large portion of Seattleites prefer natural health remedies over traditional Western approaches, Loloz is right at home. In fact, it fits in nicely with the dentists using holistic practices, low-radiation imaging, and no-mercury fillings.

Half of the Loloz team is based in Seattle, while the other half is in Portland. It’s no accident that both are located in cities where people value proactive health practices.

While Loloz is available on the ubiquitous Amazon, the company plans to roll out its products in local retail outlets, health food stores, and other health-conscious retail locations in Seattle.

Flavors the Kiddies (and Kids at Heart) Will Eat Up
Loloz comes in three flavors: orange, lemon, and berry, and is sweetened by stevia and isomalt (a natural sugar substitute that minimally affects blood sugar levels and is tooth friendly).

Other similar products use Xylitol for sweetening, but the Loloz team wanted something more natural. After seven years of intense research by a team of microbiologists at the UCLA School of Dentistry, they came up with Cavibloc, an exclusively formulated, patent-pending extract from licorice root that helps to inhibit Streptococcus mutans, sobrinus, and Lactobacillus, the three types of bacteria that lead to tooth and gum problems. The extract targets and kills 99.9% of the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay. That means a drastic reduction in the risk for cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.

Loloz is making serious inroads already toward preventing tooth decay, the silent disease. The National Institute of Health found that more than half of children under the age of 15 are affected by tooth decay. And 92% of adults aged 20 to 64 have instances of tooth decay. So it’s an issue that affects a large percent of the population, and yet the standard way of dealing with it has been treatment after the fact, not prevention.

Loloz has been shown to reverse the decaying process, eliminating the need for costly (and painful) fillings. Dentists have been recommending Loloz to patients for years with great results. In fact, Dr. Wenyuan Shi, Chair of the Section of Oral Biology at UCLA’s School of Dentistry, stated on Good Morning America that Loloz was “the secret to beating tooth decay.”

Users suck on two Loloz pops a day for 10 consecutive days (not biting) in the morning and evening, allowing each lollipop to dissolve for about five minutes to allow sustained exposure to all teeth and gum areas. Using just two to four times a year has shown to provide maximum protection for about three to six months.. Loloz is intended to complement normal brushing and flossing habits and twice-yearly dental cleanings. A box of 20 lollipops or lozenges sells for $29.99.

 

 

Andrew Clapp is Director of Product Management at HealthyGrid, makers of Loloz and a startup that leverages emerging technologies to reach those in need of dental care.

Can Romulans ever live together with Vulcans? – The case for a one state solution

Star Trek Convention Seattle

Since time immemorial there have been two races of beings living almost identical lives yet they have been kept apart by their ideological differences. It’s hard to say who among them was the first as in all honesty they both have existed on the same parcel of land, at times in peace, and at times in conflict since long before recorded time began. They share the same great grandfather, inspired by the creator himself, to look beyond the confines of the sun and the moon and see the true driving force behind life. They share the same culture and food, the same music, and the same undying belief in the Oneness of Creation.

They share a common language, although each has adapted their own dialect. Their dialects are based on the same root words and the same basic meanings. Their common moral, ethical, and social code is ingrained in cultures fair beyond their reach, indeed their ancestry provided the basis for many kingdoms among the heavens.

Hospitality, Loyalty, Honor, and Trust form the basis of their common code of ethics. At times it is hard to tell them apart because they share so many things in common. They look the same. Both races share the same hot blood, pulsing through their veins; although, one race has learned to cool their raw emotions and tempered them with logic and reason. Push either race, and you will quickly see their natural preconditioned being shine through, both the good and the bad of it. Each has a raw temper buried deep in their hot blood. Both use the teaching of their common father to mask an almost animal like instinct for conflict, money lust, and the desire for carnal pleasures. But do not be deceived, they are not flawed, because all life forms deal with the same basic vices. In essence they are perfect cousins trapped behind walls of division.

Since they both share a common ancestry it is moronic to believe that one should leave their homeland and allow the other to stay. It is impossible to envision a scenario where one race leaves to colonize another world because either race would necessarily leave behind all that makes them who they are. They would lose their base, their common culture, their common familial history. When Vulcans were exiled from their homes and their world was blown to pieces they did not loose their divine birth right. At the same time, while Romulans toiled the land and inhabited places far from that of their common father, they did not forfeit their biological claim to the Promised Land- some may argue that they never truly left the common home at all. Both hold valid dueling claims to a history and a place that neither can deny. So why can’t they share their rich history, their rich culture, and be proud of their common ancestry. Why can’t they live side by side seamlessly basking in the light of the creator. Is it possible that the reasoning of “good neighbors need strong fences” is illogical? Could a race of life forms that are prone to war and blood feuds, brought on under the banner of the raptor, be able to abandon the old ways for the chance at a better life?

After all with so much in common why not celebrate the common core in both races of life forms. Why not come to a compact whereby Vulcans give up their absolute claim to the family land, and the Romulans give up their anger over suffering another kind of Diaspora, so that the son’s of their common father can live together as one. It sounds so easy when we are talking about an imaginary world born of Gene Rodenberry’s mind. I think it may be as simple as the realizing that- “koolana shab wahad”,” todos somos un solo pueblo” or to put it in other terms – “kulna chab ekhad”, “we are all one people.”

It’s funny how Hollywood and Sci-Fi can mimic the news and real life.

Author: Tark Aouadi
“The piece above that I wrote which some have said speaks to the Arab Israeli Conflict, some have said speaks to our own countries immigration problems, or our fragile relations with Cuba or the need to include Puerto Rico as an official state of the USA. I guess it means different things to different groups of people.”

Events coming to Seattle, Washington:

  • July 31 – Aug. 2, 2015, Galacon, Seattle Center
  • March 18 – 20th 2016, Supernatural Official Convention, Hyatt Regency – Bellevue
  • April 7 – 10th, 2016, Emerald City Comicon, Washington State Convention Center

The Importance of the Bair Hugger in the Operating

Staying Warm During Surgery With Bair Hugger

The Bair Hugger forced air warming system is an amazing product and a remarkable invention. Most people who have had surgery have heard of the product before but have no idea what the history is behind this amazing invention nor do they understand the importance behind the device. People just know that the Bair Hugger is the key to a successful surgery and shortens the recovery time post surgery. This hospital and operating room staple has been a trusted asset and has warmed over 130 million patients worldwide. So what is the story behind on of the most dependable medical inventions? How did it become so essential in the surgical room and why do doctors and hospitals trust it unquestionably? It is important to understand how an operating room works in understand the importance of the Bair Hugger.

Get the facts: http://www.fawfacts.com

Before 1987, there was a myriad of issues that faced people in the operating room before the invention of the Bair Hugger. The main issue that a majority of surgical patients faced was getting hypothermia in the operating room. Hypothermia is when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. It can occur anytime after the body temperature passes below 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius. It is defined as a medical emergency and when your body temperature drops your heart, nervous system and other organs are unable to function properly. Hypothermia conjures up visions of the outdoors, freezing water and snow. Even though an operating room is not considered a cold, harsh environment, it can be for some patients. Operating rooms are kept below 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit so below the normal body temperature. The cold operating room is the single biggest reason why there is a risk of hypothermia in the operating room. The cold room isn’t the only reason why patients can suffer from hypothermia.

The operating room must be kept at a lower temperature to help keep the operating personnel comfortable. If the operating room is too warm then the personnel can become uncomfortable. They have to wear multiple layers of clothing that can include sterile gowns and lead aprons. All these layers of clothing combined with a high-level of stress can cause the surgeons to sweat. Sweat doesn’t seem like a big deal but if the OR personnel are not careful, they could potentially sweat into the patient’s open surgical incision which could cause an infection. Also, the room must be kept cold to help prevent humidity from building up in the room. The condensation can also cause serious risks to the patient. The moisture can build up to the point where it almost “rains” and it can contaminate the sterile operating environment. As the moisture moves along the surface of the operating room it can pick up bacteria. This condensation can also potentially fall into the open surgical incision causing a serious infection. Keeping the operating room a lower temperature also helps slow the growth of bacteria viruses and other organisms.

Patients can get hypothermia for other reasons besides a cold operating room. The longer a person must undergo a surgery, the more likely they are to get hypothermia. Patients are not clothed during surgery so the longer the surgery; the longer their body will be exposed to the cold in the operating room. The drugs that are used for the surgery also can cause issues with the body’s thermoregulatory control system. The IV fluid is usually cold and can decrease the body temperature. Anyone that has had an IV drip can testify to the fact that the fluid is cold going in the body. Certain anesthetic drugs can also cause the body temperature to drop. A majority of patients become hypothermic during the first hour of surgery. Some patients are able to return to a normal temperature post surgery. However, some patients are unable to regulate their body temperature without assistance from a warming device. These issue force the need for air warming system.

Hypothermia does not affect every single patient undergoing surgery. There are certain patients who are more susceptible to hypothermia than others. Elderly patients are more susceptible to hypothermia. As we age, our bodies are not able to regulate temperature very well and our ability to sense cold lessens with age. People suffering from hypothyroidism, stroke, severe arthritis, Parkinson’s and neuropathies are all more likely to become hypothermic during surgery. These two different groups of people are typically more dehydrated and malnourished than the general population which factors into their susceptibility to hypothermia. Certain medications like antipsychotics and sedatives can also impair the body’s ability to return to a normal temperature.

There are several complications and even the possible risk of death when the body reaches hypothermic levels. Intraoperative core hypothermia can cause coagulopathy, surgical wound infection, and possibly myocardial complications, which are all very serious problems. Patients are three times more likely to suffer from cardiac complications and surgical site infections. Surgical site infections are caused when the bacteria enters the wound and causes an infection. There is also a higher risk of developing pressure ulcers. Hypothermia causes the blood vessels to constrict and cause decreased blood flow to tissues and can create favorable conditions for bacteria to grow.

The solution to this common problem is the Bair Hugger. It’s a complicated process how it works. This forced air warming system helps to maintain the body’s temperature during surgery. A plastic, disposable blanket is placed over the patient’s body and warm air is circulated through the blanket. The warm air circulating in the blanket helps to keep the patient warm. The first hour of surgery is very critical and the Bair Hugger is the best way to help prevent hypothermia during that precarious time. For over 25 years, the Bair Hugger has warmed over 50,000 patients a day in over 80 percent of the hospitals nationwide. There have been over 170 studies conducted on the safety of the Bair Hugger and each study has confirmed what hospitals and doctors already agree on, the Bair Hugger is a very crucial asset in the operating room.

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