Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/83690
Take care of your feet Dr. Detten tells newly diagnosed diabetes patients to take care of their feet. Diabetes can damage nerve endings and blood vessels in the feet, making it difficult to notice an injury. Diabetes also makes it more difficult for the body to fight infection. Below are tips to keep your feet healthy. Always wear socks and shoes. Moisturize your feet every evening. Have your feet checked by a physician at every appointment. Get early treatment for any foot problem. Learn more CoxHealth offers prediabetes and diabetes education. For information about classes in Springfield, call 269-3900. For information about classes in Monett, call 354-1280. See the calendar on pages 10-12, or visit coxhealth.com for more information on upcoming classes. Could you have diabetes and not know it? Take our quiz and find out. Visit coxhealth.com/diabetes. Saving lives As part of a class project at College of the Ozarks, Lori Vanderpool made a presentation to the college's administration about the importance of having Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) on campus. The administration agreed and purchased 14 AEDs. They then asked Lori if she would become an instructor to train first responders how to use the devices. "I became a certified American Heart Association First Aid/CPR and AED instructor after taking instructor training classes taught by Beth Keith at CoxHealth," says Lori, a campus nurse and clinic administrator at the college. "An AED is a computerized device, which can check a person's heart rhythm. It can recognize a rhythm that requires a shock and it can advise the rescuer when a shock is needed," says Beth, training center coordinator at the CoxHealth Education Center, Cox College. Currently 150 faculty, staff and students have been trained and certified in CPR and the use of an AED at the college. In February, Lori and the college's first responders were called into action. An associate professor found a student lying on the floor, not breathing, and she immediately called 911. Four student firefighters arrived and quickly began CPR and hooked up the AED. The student was in cardiac arrest. "The AED shocked the student's heart back to a manageable rhythm," says Lori, who supervised the rescue. The student is now a senior at the college. coxhealth.com 5