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You just can't trust those TV doctors!
According to a February 15, 2010 article in the Vancouver Sun, TV viewers should watch medical dramas for the entertainment value and not the medical treatment methods. The article cites a recent study at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Researchers at Dalhousie screened every episode of the four highest-rated U.S. medical dramas - Grey’s Anatomy, House, Private Practice, and the last five seasons of ER. The researchers found that the television “doctors” and “nurses” performed incorrect seizure first aid nearly half the time.
“Television dramas are a potentially powerful method of educating the public about first aid and seizures,” study author Andrew Moeller, a third-year medical student at Dalhousie, said in a statement. “Our results ... are a call to action. People with epilepsy should lobby the television industry to adhere to guidelines for first-aid management of seizures.”
Three investigators independently analyzed each of the 59 identified seizure depictions and rated the responses by the TV “doctors” and “nurses” according to guidelines set by the Epilepsy Foundation of America. Inappropriate responses occurred in 25 cases. These included holding someone down and putting something in the person’s mouth.
Proper first aid for seizures is:
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Stay calm
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Move objects away
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Protect head from injury
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Gently turn on side to keep airway clear
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Do not restrain
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Do not put anything in the mouth
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If person is wandering, gently guide them away from hazards
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Be friendly and reassuring as consciousness returns
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Call ambulance if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, there is no known history of seizures, seizures repeat without stopping, or if the person is injured, pregnant, or has diabetes.
More information about seizure first aid is available here:
Seizure Types and First Aid Information Sheet
Seizure First Aid poster
If you would like first aid information sheets or posters for your family, school, or workplace, please contact the BC Epilepsy Society at 604-875-6704 or at info@bcepilepsy.com
This study was supported by Epilepsy Canada and the BC Epilepsy Society is a member of this organization.
Posted by Elvira Balakshin at February 22, 2010 11:00 AM
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