Melbourne thunderstorm causes respiratory problems

After a blisteringly hot 38 degree Monday, Victorians were treated to a cool change and a refreshing storm at around 6pm.

Unfortunately, the cool change brought more than a drop in temperature, in addition to fallen trees and damaged buildings, the severe weather spread copious amounts of pollen into the air, which contributed to respiratory problems which have killed at least 2 people.

Those allergic to Rye Grass were the most affected. Nearly seven times the standard amount of 000 calls were received between 6pm and 11pm, as emergency workers struggled to keep up with the demand for services. 

The only 24-hour pharmacy in the inner-west suburbs ran out of Ventolin Inhalers, as did St. Vincent's hospital, which was forced to open a second emergency department.

Hundreds of calls were also made to State Emergency Services to report building damages. 

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Yes!  and ..... you have to wonder how the hell would Hospitals cope if there was a Terrorist attack or a more "major disaster" (of some kind?) -  here in Melbourne?  (or anywhere in Oz in fact .....?)  Pathetic how they were struggling to cope!   Frightening in fact!

BTW - this is the first time in my entire life I have ever heard of "Thunderstorm Asthma"??

Either "new" ?? - or -  I have been living "under a rock" ???  ....... lol   (be nice!)

I agree Foxy, our emergency services are woefully understaffed and inadequate. I recently had a medical emergency (acute glaucoma) and went to A&E in my local hospital in the early hours on a Saturday morning. Sat in the waiting room for 3 hours after seeing the triage nurse who did not recognise my symptoms as an emergency. Gave up at 8.30am and went to see a doctor at a surgery that I knew was doing a Sat morning shift. Waited another couple of hours to see him but at least he did recognise my condition as urgent and sent me off to another hospital with a letter telling me to get there quick smart. Got there after long drive and did see a doc immediately but he couldn't treat me because a specialist had to be called in who turned up 6 hours later. He gave me laser surgery to release the pressure but I was very lucky to have not gone blind in the eye with all the waiting time. Our medical services have become really run down and we desperately need more staff in emergency centres. 

 

 

 

Hey - nice to "see you"   :-)  and so sorry to hear your story!  Yes - in the long run - you were very lucky!

 It is appalling what is going on........a friend of mine recently -  and - who lives 2 1/2 hours from me - got "bypassed" by -  NINE YES NINE -  Hospitals and ended up 15 mins from me on the coast here!!!  I could not believe it!  Ambulance went right thru'  Melbourne city/suburbs and ended up here on the coast!

She told me she could hear them on their '" 2-way radio link" (or whatever it is called?)   - begging to be let in -  from hospital to hospital!  They kept getting turned away!  Disgusting and ..........................

Unbelievable!

Foxy, about five years ago I read an article in a scientific magazine about the discovery that rain at a particular time makes the impact of rye grass pollen much worse. Because of the ongoing rain this year, southern Victoria has more rye grass than possibly ever before.

That's what this incident was about. Haven't heard it called thunderstorm asthma before. That sound a bit sensationalist to me.

Haven't heard of the term 'thunderstorm asthma' before but do think weather patterns, particularly in relation to things like 'summer storms' can trigger migraines, sinus headaches that sort of stuff in some people....something to do with the barometric pressure levels apparently .......

My eldest son who suffers from migraines from time to time believes he has been affected in such a way once or twice....

 

 

It is very scary.

They would never cope here in SA.  We have Ambulances ramping here all the time and people being looked after by the ambulance crews.  So no ambulances to go out for emergencies as it is.

Twice now, despite being in the Ambulance Fund for 40 odd years, needed an ambulance to transport hubby to hospital and no ambulances available.  So I have had to take him by car.

Not good.

For those not in the know RAMPING means that Ambulances line up outside the Emergency Departments and park there until patients can be admitted, looked after by the crews.  Can only get them into Emergency if it's Life Threatening.  Sometimes 4 hours, which not only ties the crews up but the Ambulances as well.

No beds available and patients in hallways.

Geez, the shock jocks and commercial TV news people have got to you lot.

Did you read the bit that said "Nearly seven times the standard amount of 000 calls were received between 6pm and 11pm"?

Now, please explain how any system can build in the capacity to be able to instanty cope with that size of increase in demand.

 

“Thunderstorm Asthma” is the name given for similar events in England, Canada, Italy and the United States. So it is not “sensationalism” but a very real term. During thunderstorms pollen grains absorb a lot of water and then rupture.

In 1994 in London, 640 people with asthma or breathing difficulties visited the emergency room, a number 10 times higher than the expected number of asthma patients on any given day, 280 of those patients had never had asthma before. There is very little rye grass seeds used in turf in London.

Many people who experience “thunderstorm asthma” are usually asthmatics and those who suffer from hayfever.

You are correct in the thought that we are lacking in services. Your taxes and donations are wasted by the governments. I worked in a hospital under a labor government and over 6 years it was completly updated costing many millions. The place was an example to all similar institutions

There was a change in government and the place was closed down and became a housing estate after being razed to the ground. Need I say more?

I went to emergency last week ( chest pain ) and found the staff very thorough. They made sure I had no heart problem even though I had told them of my Emphysema ie rapid breathing. About four years ago when I had a slipped disc and was taken to the hospital by ambulence I had the same thorough treatment at LRH. I had to convince them I had a person next door who could assist to get back home. I could not walk at all and had to use a chair on castors to move about. Three days later it settled down enough to get about.

Any hospital anywhere in the world will be stretched beyond limits when there is a large increase in admissions.

Sorry to hear that you are so crook mate. I hope things improve soon.

Good to hear that your heart was ok Geo and your experience a good one. It's true that for major en masse emergencies any hospital will be overstretched but when I went to A&E there was only one doctor working on a weekend shift. How many urgent cases can one doctor attend to adequately if several cases turn up at the same time? The hospital I am speaking of caters to a fairly large and growing population so such inadequate staffing in an A&E on a weekend is not acceptable. In rural areas one has to travel fairly large distances if rerouted to another hospital for treatment. In the case of heart attack, stroke or other emergencies like mine the time delay to get treatment can have significant detrimental consequences.

Robi - you need to demand that the hopsital has more medical/nursing staff and fewer penny-pinching administrators on massive salaries, and who NEVER work on weekends.

Spot on Barak. I have worked within medical systems and know they are top heavy with managers. My fear though is that the NSW State LNP government is allowing some of our country hospitals to run down with the view of privatising them in the future.

Wouldn't surprise me at all.

I could write a book on what I know about hospitals but I think I would need to move to the Shetland Isles to escape the assassin.

--and I could write an encyclopedia on people who think they know everything and I wouldn't have to escape anywhere.

Arghhhhhhhhh - such a MEAN.....................Xmas Panda!

Reading in the paper just this past week, the enormous payments made to some doctors, I'm not surprised the hospitals are short staffed, they can't afford more.  I think sometimes the specialists see the government as a bottomless pit.

It was never refered to by that name, but it is well known to asthmatics that 'thunder storms' predict an increase in asthma symptoms. Trouble was, if the asthma attacts were bad enough to require  ambulances, it could have been like having a whole emergancy room full of patients suffering  heart attacks. They all need immediete treatment. And to run out of ventolin - well that would have been akin to telling someone sorry there is no more air to breath.

Nam Norma - did the article that told you about "the enormous payments made to some doctors" also tell you about the enormous payments made to some hospital administrators?

In my life time I have seen  that hospitals were always controlled by women ( Matrons).

They were forced out and taken over by men. Directors of nursing and other fancy titles.

Care of patients and hygene went downhill.  I speak from 45 years in the trade.

Barack, I know what you're saying. But isn't it the same everywhere these days, CEOS etc all on massive payouts while the companies go broke. I've always found the staff at my local hospital absolutely wonderful. 

A fourth death has been attributed to Melbourne's "thunderstorm asthma" emergency on Monday night, and it was lucky there were not more according to the state's Health Minister.

Source + details of phenomenon here.

I have COPD and find this really scary. Far more so for those who haven't experienced respiratory problems for a while and have nothing on hand to help. At least the more recently diagnosed would have a Ventolin inhaler on standby if they're like me.

I go to 'Lungs in Action' exercise classes and one lady in the group is extremely vulnerable to allergens and other triggers. I have to shower before the class now because any of my perfumes trigger a serious response as did some hay bales left over from a social function in the exercise space.

Very scary to see how quickly some can succumb. Lungs seize and obviously heart rate skyrockets.

Appreciate the concerns over health funding but the everyday ramifications for some folk concern me even more.

i had never heard that expression before,  either,    but as one who suffers woeful sinus problems,   i certainly felt it,    a couple of days i couldnt go out,     have been coming out in huge itchy lumps,   as a result of the pollen,     i do have a cortozone cream that helps relieve it,   but its been terrible for people like  my neibhour,   who IS  asthmatic,    poor woman gasps for breath,   

Thunderstorm asthma claims fifth life in Victoria and six people remain in intensive care — four of them critical. Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services said hospitals were continuing to treat 20 people for a number of related conditions aside from those in intensive care.

More than 8,500 people have received hospital treatment since Monday's outbreak.

ABC source story here.

A medico friend told me today that the worst impact of this was in the western suburbs. Not sure why.

The thunderstorm asthma emergency last week has claimed the life of a sixth person.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-27/sixth-person-dies-from-thunderstorm-asthma-emergency/8061380

....... the sad toll ......  29/11  ....... is now 8 people!  Alarming!

Just getting off the subject - my Doctor said all seniors should get the Shingles Vaccine, has anyone at YLC had it yet? I hate having Vaccines if they are not necessary. I have never had the Flu Vaccine either, my husband had it and it was the worst Flu he had ever experienced.

To answer your query re Shingles Vaccine Hola several people on YLC have had it, I paid to have it as having had Shingles in my eye I never want to go through that again. If you are over 70 the vaccination is free. There is a Topic on it I think in the health section.

Re Melbourne Astma I remember when working in the late 70s there,  a day the temperature dropped 20 degrees in an hour from 38 but no thunder the phones and ER went wild with the cases of Asthma. Barometric pressure has a lot to do with it too no deaths then but maybe there were more available medical staff. Very important for any asthmatic to have Ventolin in date on hand at all times - they can be bought over the counter amazing number of Asthmatics run out but don't replace them.

 

HOLA...I've never had any of the childhood diseases e.g. chicken pox..measles etc and I was talking to my doctor at the beginning of this year and he told me it's not unusual for people over 50 to contract these diseases and when they do..they suffer more...

So in February I had it done...no after effects and I do recommend it especially if you're over 70 and can get it for free...



Viv and Thea -  Thanks for the  information - Seeing I'm 73 next week maybe I should get them, a lovely Birthday present and it doesn't need to be wrapped up.

Hola worth checking out if you need updating with other vaccinations too, e.g.  Whooping Cough is pretty nasty for an older person as well as for infants we might infect, our immune systems are not so good as we age.

It really makes you wonder about the  "Chemtrails"    that are talked about often and question if it might really be happening?

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