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Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) arrested after threatening police officers and first responders trying to perform medical aid at a rodeo.

texastribune.org/2023/08/11/ro

"The congressman later told Terry that in his attempt to care for the patient, he thought it was safe to put a gumball in the patient’s mouth as a way to elevate her blood sugar. But in an exchange included in the report between Terry and White Deer EMS provider Kimberly Thomas, Thomas says that the gum presents a choking hazard to patients having a seizure, and that most gum is sugar free and thus would not address low blood sugar."

Personal note ... As a one-time trained first responder, you don't put anything in a victim's mouth, especially someone suffering a seizure. You clear the area and let the seizure run its course. You make sure the victim isn't choking. That's it. Let the paramedics deal with it once the seizure ends. Seizures usually run their course in a couple minutes.

I had to do that twice. Once was in an office job. I heard someone yell "Call 911!" I went over and found someone straddling a victim suffering a seizure; he was about to give the man a precordial thump! I said "No!" and told everyone to clear ...

The other time was in a baseball dugout in the Arizona summer. I saw a player lean over to vomit, then he fell to the dugout floor and went into seizure. I worked with the trainer to be sure he didn't choke.

Both times, the seizure ended after about two minutes.

So the moral of the story is, sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. Keep the scene stable until professionals arrive.

Fin.

@WordsmithFL

What he said one million percent.

Never, ever try to put something in their mouth — you run the risk of hurting them as well as yourself.

@WordsmithFL

While in college I had a part-time job with an agency for disabled adults with developmental disabilities and this was one of the first things we learned. And yep, there were several times when I had to help a client. I also had to learn about the meds they were on, so at the age of 24 I was introduced to the DSM-IV.

@see_the_sus It astonishes me that someone who was a medical doctor and White House physician could be so incompetent. There were reports that he was drunk, another reason he should be nowhere near a patient.

@WordsmithFL

Not much astonishes me anymore, especially when it’s about a MAGA slime. All too often nowadays I just shake my head and “walk away.”

@WordsmithFL

I actually witnessed a person having a seizure like episode at the supermarket yesterday. Employees attending to her turned her on her side, made sure she wasn't choking and let it play out until paramedics arrived. Although shaking violently, she was conscious and breathing so I'm assuming they did the right thing under the circumstances.

@WaevetSmaevets Yes, that's exactly what you do. Turn the victim on their side which keeps the tongue from rolling back into the throat.

With the office victim I mentioned upstream, he was pushing 300 pounds, so putting him on his side was rather unlikely.

When the ballplayer's seizure finished, he crossed his arms over his chest and started to snore. The trainer and I looked at each other and laughed.

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