NZUS01 KLZK DDHHMM
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ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-262000-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
600 AM CDT FRI JUN 26 2009
...MEDICAL ASPECTS OF LIGHTNING...
THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK.
GOVERNOR MIKE BEBEE HAS DECLARED IT LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS
WEEK IN ARKANSAS AS WELL. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...THE
ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...THE ARKANSAS
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM...THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS...THE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OF ARKANSAS...AND ENTERGY
ARKANSAS INCORPORATED ARE SPONSORS OF THE WEEK IN ARKANSAS.
THE TOPIC FOR TODAY IS THE MEDICAL ASPECTS OF LIGHTNING.
STATISTICS SHOWING HOW BIG A PROBLEM LIGHTNING IS.
LIGHTNING IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF STORM RELATED DEATHS IN THE UNITED
STATES...OUTPACING HURRICANES AND TORNADOES IN MOST YEARS.
A LIGHTNING STRIKE CAN RESULT IN A CARDIAC ARREST...STOPPAGE OF THE
HEART...AT THE TIME OF THE INJURY...ALTHOUGH SOME MAY APPEAR TO HAVE
A DELAYED DEATH A FEW DAYS LATER IF THEY ARE RESUSCITATED BUT HAVE
SUFFERED IRREVERSIBLE BRAIN DAMAGE.
ACCORDING TO STORM DATA...A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUBLICATION...
OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS...THE U.S. AVERAGED 62 REPORTED LIGHTNING
FATALITIES PER YEAR. DUE TO UNDERREPORTING...THE FIGURES ARE MORE
REALISTICALLY AT LEAST 70 DEATHS PER YEAR. ONLY ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUCK ARE KILLED...LEAVING 90 PERCENT WITH VARIOUS
DEGREES OF DISABILITY.
ODDS OF BECOMING A LIGHTNING VICTIM
U.S. 2008 POPULATION 300 MILLION
ODDS OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING 1 IN 700 THOUSAND
IN A GIVEN YEAR /REPORTED DEATHS
PLUS INJURIES/
ODDS OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING IN 1 IN 400 THOUSAND
A GIVEN YEAR /ESTIMATED TOTAL DEATHS
PLUS INJURIES/
ODDS OF BEING STRUCK IN YOUR LIFETIME 1 IN 5000
/EST. 80 YEARS/
ODDS YOU WILL BE AFFECTED BY SOMEONE 1 IN 500
BEING STRUCK /TEN PEOPLE AFFECTED FOR
EVERY ONE STRUCK/
WHO GETS INJURED.
WHILE ABOUT ONE THIRD OF ALL INJURIES OCCUR DURING WORK...WORKERS
COMPENSATION COMPANIES ARE OFTEN RELUCTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INJURY
OR PAY RELATED MEDICAL EXPENSES. ABOUT ANOTHER THIRD OF INJURIES
OCCUR DURING RECREATIONAL OR SPORTS ACTIVITIES. THE LAST THIRD OCCURS
IN DIVERSE SITUATIONS...INCLUDING INJURIES TO THOSE INSIDE BUILDINGS.
HOW LIGHTNING INJURY AFFECTS PEOPLE.
LIGHTNING TENDS TO BE A NERVOUS SYSTEM INJURY AND MAY AFFECT THE
BRAIN...AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM...AND THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.
WHEN THE BRAIN IS AFFECTED...THE PERSON OFTEN HAS DIFFICULTY WITH
SHORT-TERM MEMORY...CODING NEW INFORMATION AND ACCESSING OLD
INFORMATION...MULTITASKING...DISTRACTIBILITY...IRRITABILITY AND
PERSONALITY CHANGE. A GREAT QUOTE SUMS IT UP PERFECTLY...
PATIENTS HAVE DIFFICULTY IN ALL AREAS THAT REQUIRE THEM TO ANALYZE
MORE ITEMS OF INFORMATION THAN THEY CAN HANDLE SIMULTANEOUSLY. THEY
PRESENT /APPEAR/ AS SLOW BECAUSE IT TAKES LONGER FOR SMALLER THAN
NORMAL CHUNKS OF INFORMATION TO BE PROCESSED. THEY PRESENT AS
DISTRACTIBLE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SPARE CAPACITY TO MONITOR
IRRELEVANT STIMULI AT THE SAME TIME AS THEY ARE ATTENDING TO THE
RELEVANT STIMULUS. THEY PRESENT AS FORGETFUL BECAUSE WHILE THEY ARE
CONCENTRATING ON POINT A...THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PROCESSING SPACE TO
THINK ABOUT POINT B SIMULTANEOUSLY. THEY PRESENT AS INATTENTIVE
BECAUSE WHEN THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT THEY ARE GIVEN EXCEEDS
THEIR CAPACITIES...THEY CANNOT TAKE IT ALL IN.
EARLY ON...SURVIVORS MAY COMPLAIN OF INTENSE HEADACHES...RINGING IN
THE EARS...DIZZINESS...NAUSEA...VOMITING AND OTHER POST-CONCUSSION
TYPES OF SYMPTOMS. SURVIVORS MAY ALSO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY
SLEEPING...SOMETIMES SLEEPING EXCESSIVELY AT FIRST AND THEN ONLY
TWO OR THREE HOURS AT A TIME. A FEW MAY DEVELOP SEIZURE-LIKE
ACTIVITY SEVERAL WEEKS TO MONTHS AFTER THE INJURY.
PERSONALITY CHANGES / SELF-ISOLATION.
MANY LIGHTNING VICTIMS MAY SUFFER PERSONALITY CHANGES BECAUSE OF
FRONTAL LOBE DAMAGE AND BECOME QUITE IRRITABLE AND EASY TO ANGER.
PEOPLE WHO WAKE UP AFTER THE INJURY OFTEN DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY
TO EXPRESS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM...MAY NOT RECOGNIZE MUCH...BECOME
EMBARRASSED WHEN THEY CANNOT CARRY ON A CONVERSATION...WORK
AT THEIR PREVIOUS JOB...OR DO THE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY USED TO
HANDLE. AS A RESULT...MANY ISOLATE THEMSELVES...WITHDRAWING FROM
CHURCH...FRIENDS...FAMILY AND OTHER ACTIVITIES. FRIENDS...FAMILY AND
CO-WORKERS WHO SEE THE SAME EXTERNAL PERSON...MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHY
THE SURVIVOR IS SO DIFFERENT. FRIENDS SOON STOP COMING BY OR ASKING
THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES. FAMILIES WHO ARE NOT COMMITTED TO
EACH OTHER BREAK UP.
OBVIOUSLY...DEPRESSION BECOMES A BIG PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE
CHANGED SO MUCH AND LOST SO MUCH. SUICIDE IS SOMETHING ALMOST
ALL SEVERELY INJURED PEOPLE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT AT ONE TIME OR
ANOTHER. OCCASIONALLY...THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE
OR WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING MAY RESORT TO ALCOHOL AND
OTHER DRUGS...PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY USED THESE
OPTIONS. FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THE SURVIVOR MUST REMAIN SUPPORTIVE
EVEN THOUGH IT MAY REQUIRE AN ADJUSTMENT IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE SURVIVOR. AN INJURY SUCH AS THIS AFFECTS THE ENTIRE FAMILY...NOT
JUST THE PERSON HIT.
FATIGUE.
SURVIVORS OFTEN COMPLAIN OF BECOMING EXHAUSTED AFTER ONLY A FEW HOURS
OF WORK. THIS MAY BE BECAUSE TASKS THAT THEY USED TO DO AUTOMATICALLY
NOW REQUIRE INTENSE CONCENTRATION. MANY RETURN TO WORK BUT FIND THAT
THEY CANNOT DO ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES REQUIRED AT THEIR JOB.
MEDICAL TESTING.
THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF MEDICAL TESTS...
ANATOMIC TESTS TAKE A SIMPLE PICTURE /X-RAY/ OR MEASUREMENT /BLOOD
COUNT/...AND
FUNCTIONAL TESTS SHOW HOW SOMETHING IS WORKING /PET...
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING/.
SOMETIMES FUNCTION CAN BE ASCRIBED TO THE ANATOMIC TESTS BUT OFTEN
IT CANNOT. THE MENTAL CHANGES OF A LIGHTNING SURVIVOR ARE FUNCTIONAL
/HOW THE BRAIN WORKS/ CHANGES...NOT ANATOMIC. ANATOMIC TESTS SUCH AS
A CT SCAN AND MRI ARE USUALLY NORMAL. MORE FUNCTIONAL SCANS SUCH AS
PET AND SPECT MAY SHOW CHANGES BUT ARE HARD TO OBTAIN DUE TO THEIR
RELATIVE INFREQUENCY IN MEDICAL CENTERS. TO USE AN ANALOGY...IF AN
ELECTRIC SHOCK WERE SENT THROUGH A COMPUTER...THE OUTSIDE CASE WOULD
PROBABLY LOOK OK /SIMILAR TO A PHOTO OR X-RAYS OF THE PERSON/...THE
COMPUTER BOARDS ON THE INSIDE WOULD PROBABLY LOOK OK AND NOT BE FUSED
NOR MELTED /CT...MRI FOR THE PERSON/...BUT WHEN YOU BOOT UP THE
COMPUTER IT WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING FILES...MAKING
CALCULATIONS...PRINTING...ETC. THIS SITUATION IS SIMILAR IN A PERSON
WITH BRAIN INJURY WHO HAS SHORT-TERM MEMORY PROBLEMS...DIFFICULTY
ACCESSING AND CODING INFORMATION...DIFFICULTY ORGANIZING OUTPUT...
ETC.
MORE USEFUL IS A FUNCTIONAL TEST OF HOW A PERSONS BRAIN IS
WORKING...A NEUROCOGNITIVE OR NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST. THESE TESTS
ARE ADMINISTERED BY A QUALIFIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST...NOT BY A
PSYCHIATRIST. THE TESTS CONSIST OF A 6 TO 8 HOUR BATTERY OF TESTS
INCLUDING MEMORY...IQ...AND ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITY. SURVIVORS OF
LIGHTNING AND ELECTRICAL INJURY USUALLY HAVE A CHARACTERISTIC PATTERN
OF DEFICITS.
DELAYED PROBLEMS.
ANOTHER COMMON...OFTEN DELAYED...PROBLEM FOR SOME SURVIVORS IS
PAIN...ALSO DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY AND MANAGE. THE PAIN MAY NOT BE
FROM CHRONIC INTENSE HEADACHES BUT MAY BE IN THE BACK /PERHAPS FROM
COMPRESSION AND DISC INJURY FROM THE INTENSE MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS
WHICH MAY THROW A PERSON SEVERAL YARDS AT THE TIME OF THE INJURY/...
OR IN AN EXTREMITY. SOME MAY HAVE NERVE ENTRAPMENT SYNDROMES AND A
SMALL NUMBER MAY EVENTUALLY DEVELOP SYMPATHETICALLY MEDIATED PAIN
SYNDROME.
SOMETIMES THE RIGHT TEST IS NOT AVAILABLE.
SOMETIMES THE FUNCTIONAL TESTS THAT ARE ORDERED ARE TESTING THE
WRONG THING. AN ELECTROMYOGRAM /EMG/ MEASURES ONLY THE MOTOR FIBERS...
WHICH ARE SELDOM AFFECTED BY LIGHTNING INJURY. SMALLER PAIN-CARRYING
NERVE FIBERS ARE NOT TESTED BY EMG SO THAT A NORMAL EMG MEANS LITTLE
WHEN ORDERED FOR SOMEONE WITH PAIN. LIKEWISE...THE STANDARD EEG
PRIMARILY MEASURES SURFACE READINGS OF THE BRAIN AND MISSES SEIZURE
ACTIVITY IN SEVERAL DEEPER REGIONS.
DECREASED LIBIDO AND IMPOTENCE ARE OFTEN REPORTED.
HELP EXISTS - LIGHTNING STRIKE AND ELECTRIC SHOCK SURVIVORS
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP.
AN ORGANIZATION OF TREMENDOUS HELP TO SURVIVORS...FAMILIES...
PHYSICIANS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS IS LIGHTNING STRIKE AND ELECTRIC
SHOCK SURVIVORS INTERNATIONAL /LSESSI/...A SUPPORT GROUP FORMED IN
1989 BY A LIGHTNING VICTIM.
LSESSI HAS PRINTED MATERIALS...OFFERS TREMENDOUS SUPPORT...NETWORKS
SURVIVORS WITH OTHERS IN THEIR AREA...AND PROVIDES AN ANNUAL MEETING
WHERE SURVIVORS COME TOGETHER FOR SUPPORT AND LECTURES FROM
PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK WITH LIGHTNING AND ELECTRICAL SURVIVORS
AND THEIR FAMILIES.
LSESSI CAN BE REACHED AT...
PHONE...910-346-4708
MAIL...P.O. BOX 1156...JACKSONVILLE NC 28541-1156.
E-MAIL...INFO@LIGHTNING-STRIKE.ORG
WEB ADDRESS...WWW.LIGHTNING-STRIKE.ORG/
FOUR FACTORS NECESSARY FOR RECOVERY.
THE FOUR MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN OVERCOMING DISABILITY FROM
LIGHTNING INJURY /OR FROM ANY ILLNESS OR MAJOR INJURY FOR THAT
MATTER/ ARE...
1...A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS NETWORK
2...BECOMING YOUR OWN ADVOCATE AND LEARNING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
ABOUT THIS DISABILITY
3...A PHYSICIAN WILLING TO LISTEN...READ...LEARN AND WORK WITH THE
SURVIVOR AND THEIR FAMILY
4...A SENSE OF HUMOR.
PREVENTION.
FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN TREATING SURVIVORS IS PREVENTING LIGHTNING
INJURY. ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED MAKE POSSIBLE NATIONAL LIGHTNING
SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK HOPE IT WILL HELP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY LEARN HOW
TO AVOID INJURY. PREVENTION IS THE KEY.
&&
THIS FACT SHEET IS COURTESY OF DR. MARY ANN COOPER...ASSOCIATE
PROFESSOR...DEPARTMENTS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AND BIOENGINEERING...
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF LIGHTNING SAFETY CAN BE FOUND ON THE
INTERNET AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LZK
$$
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