Latest News and Testimonials
I just wanted to say a huge thanks to James and the team for providing an amazing service for us last year. We will 100% be using you chaps next year.
What can I say? If Carling made Paramedics… See you again in 2018 and thank you for a top service.
After being let down by ** **** we were desperate for medical cover at our event. I was lucky enough to stumble across RTC Medical Solutions. WOW, just WOW! What a team!! Great service, great attitude, smart, punctual, friendly and experienced. Can’t express how impressed we are by their professionalism. Thanks for providing an exceptional service.
‘ We would not consider engaging any other team to look after our 100+ kids at our kart race events across the UK,
professional, compassionate, caring, faultlessly reliable and cost effective too’
James Shemmeld at RTC Medical Solutions is an asset to our club for his professionalism and high standards in his specialist area of work, all of which came to the fore when dealing with one of our runners who I can say is now fully recovered.
I just wanted to thank you all for helping get my dad back to the UK. You made the whole trip worry and hassle free and nothing was too much trouble. You are a credit to the ambulance service, thank you x
Your team are a credit to the event sector! After being let down last minute RTC Medical supplied us with 3 crewed emergency ambulances for our event. We can’t thank you enough
The team at RTC went that extra 1000 miles. My son was injured in Benidorm and unable to travel by air. James and the team really pulled the rabbit out of the hat for us with an ambulance journey non-stop home. Not only was the journey smooth and trouble free, they also provided a DVD player, food and drinks for the entire journey. Thank you so much for everything, we will never forget everything you did for us.
Our Blog – Latest News
Event Medical Services – Diabetes Type 1 or 2, do you know the difference?
Event Medical Services – Diabetes Type 1 or 2, do you know the difference?
Event Medical Services – Diabetes Type 1 or 2, do you know the difference?
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes have different causes. Whilst both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are characterised by having higher than normal blood sugar levels, the cause and development of the conditions are different. Event Medical Services – Diabetes Type 1 or 2, do you know the difference?
It’s not always clear what type of diabetes someone has, despite what many people think. For instance, the typical assumption is that people with type 2 diabetes will be overweight and not inject insulin, while people with type 1 diabetes will be, if anything, underweight. But these perceptions just aren’t always true. Around 20% of people with type 2 diabetes are of a healthy weight when diagnosed, and many of them are dependent on insulin. Similarly, people with type 1 diabetes will in some cases be overweight.
Because both types of diabetes can be so varied and unpredictable, it’s often difficult to know which type of diabetes someone has.
If someone is overweight have they got Diabetes?
It’s not safe to assume that an overweight person with high blood glucose levels has type 2 diabetes, because the cause of their condition might in fact be attributable to type 1. In some cases, when the type of diabetes is in doubt, your health team may need to carry out specialised tests to work out which type of diabetes you have. This way, they can recommend the most appropriate treatment for your diabetes.
Common differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Despite the uncertainty that often surrounds a diagnosis of diabetes, there are a few common characteristics of each diabetes type.
These differences are based on generalisations – exceptions are common. For instance, the perception of type 1 diabetes isn’t strictly true: many cases are diagnosed in adulthood.
This information should be seen as a rough guide to the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, rather than hard and fast rules.
Common differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes
Type 1:
Often diagnosed in childhood
Not associated with excess body weight
Often associated with higher than normal ketone levels at diagnosis
Treated with insulin injections or insulin pump
Cannot be controlled without taking insulin
Type 2
Usually diagnosed in over 30 year olds
Often associated with excess body weight
Often associated with high blood pressure and/or cholesterol levels at diagnosis
Is usually treated initially without medication or with tablets
Sometimes possible to come off diabetes medication
How type 1 diabetes develops
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means it results from the immune system mistakenly attacking parts of the body. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the immune system incorrectly targets insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Nobody knows why this occurs, or how to stop it. The immune systems of people with type 1 diabetes continue to attack beta cells until the pancreas is incapable of producing insulin.
People with type 1 diabetes need to inject themselves with insulin to compensate for the death of their beta cells. Everyone with type 1 diabetes is insulin-dependent.
How type 2 diabetes develops
Type 2 diabetes is different. The autoimmune systems of people with type 2 diabetes don’t attack beta cells. Instead, type 2 diabetes is characterised by the body losing its ability to respond to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance.
The body compensates for the ineffectiveness of its insulin by producing more, but it can’t always produce enough. Over time, the strain placed on the beta cells by this level of insulin production can destroy them, diminishing insulin production.
Type 2 diabetes and insulin injections
People with type 2 diabetes may need to take insulin injections, usually for one of two main reasons:
Low sensitivity to insulin: The more excess body weight we carry, the less sensitive we are to insulin. Being insensitive to insulin means insulin doesn’t reduce blood glucose levels as much as it should. People with low insulin sensitivity often need to be injected with insulin to avoid hyperglycemia.
Beta cell failure: If you develop insulin resistance, you need more of it to keep your blood glucose levels stable. More insulin production means more work for the pancreas. Over time, the beta cells can become burnt out by the constant strain, and stop producing insulin altogether. Eventually, you can get to a similar situation as someone with type 1 diabetes, in which your body is incapable of producing the amount of insulin you need to keep blood glucose levels under control. Insulin injections are necessary in these situations.
Click Here for a short video on Diabetes
Event Medical Services – Diabetes Type 1 or 2, do you know the difference?
Information from Diabetes UK
Event Medical Services – Drug Awareness
Event Medical Services – Drug Awareness
Event Medical Services – Drug Awareness is commited to ensuring a safe drug free environment at all events we cover. We always aim to ensure we give the most up to date and relevant information.
Event Medical Services – Drug Awareness and the effects of MDMA
Acute Effects
A person may experience the intoxicating effects of MDMA between 20 and 60 after taking a single dose. Those effects include an enhanced sense of well-being, increased extroversion,27,53 emotional warmth, empathy toward others,54 and a willingness to discuss emotionally-charged memories.55 In addition, people report enhanced sensory perception as a hallmark of the MDMA experience.27,28
Use of even moderate doses of MDMA in crowded, warm environments—or during periods of vigorous, extended physical activity—can dramatically increase body temperature, with potential deadly consequences.
However, MDMA can also cause a number of acute adverse health effects. For example, while fatal overdoses on MDMA are rare, they can potentially be life threatening—with symptoms including high blood pressure (hypertension), faintness,8,56 panic attacks,57 and in severe cases, a loss of consciousness and seizures.58
Because of its stimulant properties and the situations in which it is often taken, MDMA is associated with vigorous physical activity for extended periods in warm environments. This can lead to one of the most significant, although rare, acute adverse effects—a marked rise in body temperature (hyperthermia).59–61 Research in rats shows that even moderate doses of MDMA interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature, potentially leading to deadly consequences in warm environments.6 Treatment of hyperthermia requires prompt medical attention, as it can rapidly lead to muscle breakdown or an electrolyte (sodium) imbalance, which can in turn produce kidney failure9 or fatal swelling of the brain, especially in women.62 MDMA use in combination with vigorous exercise causes dehydration,56,57 leading some people to drink large amounts of liquids. However, this could increase the risk of electrolyte imbalance or brain swelling because MDMA causes the body to retain water.63,64 One modest dose of MDMA can also reduce the pumping efficiency of the heart in people who use regularly,65 which is of particular concern during periods of increased physical activity.
MDMA can also produce other adverse health effects, including involuntary jaw clenching,53 lack of appetite,28,53mild detachment from oneself (depersonalization), illogical or disorganized thoughts, restless legs,28 nausea,56,57,66hot flashes or chills,8,56 headache, sweating,8,57 and muscle or joint stiffness.66
In the hours after taking the drug, MDMA produces significant reductions in perceiving and predicting motion—for example, the ability to judge whether a driver is in danger of colliding with another car. This emphasizes the potential dangers of performing complex or skilled activities, such as driving a car, while under the influence of this drug.67
Once MDMA is metabolized, or broken down in the body, its byproducts interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize MDMA.68 As a result, additional doses of MDMA can produce unexpectedly high blood levels, which could worsen the toxic effects of this drug.69 In addition, combining MDMA with other substances, such as caffeine,70amphetamines,71 the amphetamine-like mephedrone,72marijuana,73 or alcohol,74,75 may increase the risk of adverse health effects associated with MDMA.29
Sub-acute Effects
Recreational use of MDMA is often characterized by repeated drug taking over a number of days (binges), followed by periods of no drug taking. In one animal study, this pattern of use produced irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and heart damage.76 In the week following use of the drug, many people report depression, impaired attention and memory,77–79 anxiety, aggression,80 and irritability.78
Effects of Regular MDMA Use
Sleep disturbances, lack of appetite, concentration difficulties, depression,79 heart disease,81,82 and impulsivity83 have been associated with regular use of MDMA. In addition, heavy MDMA use over a 2-year period of time is associated with decreased cognitive function.84Some of these disturbances may not be directly attributable to MDMA, but may be related to some of the other drugs often used in combination with MDMA, such as cocaine, alcohol, or marijuana, or to adulterants commonly found in MDMA tablets. More research is needed to understand the specific effects of regular MDMA use.
For more information on Event Medical Services – Drug Awareness and Drug Addiction click here
National Institute for Drug Abuse
Event Medical Services – Heat Exhaustion
Event Medical Services – Heat Exhaustion
Event Medical Services – Heat Exhaustion
With the hot weather gripping the Nation, our advice on Event Medical Services – Heat Exhaustion will help you avoid Heat Exhaustion allowing you to make the most of this amazing weather.
Check for signs of heat exhaustion
The signs of heat exhaustion include:
- headache
- dizziness and confusion
- loss of appetite and feeling sick
- excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
- cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
- fast breathing or pulse
- temperature of 38C or above
- intense thirst
The symptoms are often the same in adults and children, although children may become floppy and sleepy.
If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion they need to be cooled down.
Things you can do to cool someone down
Follow these 4 steps:
- Move them to a cool place.
- Get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly.
- Get them to drink plenty of water. Sports or rehydration drinks are OK.
- Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good too.
Stay with them until they are better.
They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.
Call 999 if the person:
- is no better after 30 minutes
- feels hot and dry
- is not sweating even though they are too hot
- has a temperature that’s risen to 40C or above
- has rapid or shortness of breath
- is confused
- has a fit (seizure)
- loses consciousness
- is unresponsive
These can be signs of heat stroke.
While you wait for help, keep giving first aid and put them in the recovery position if they lose consciousness.
Preventing heat exhaustion and heat stroke
There is a high risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke during hot weather or exercise.
To help prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke:
- drink plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising
- take cool baths or showers
- wear light-coloured, loose clothing
- sprinkle water over skin or clothes
- avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm
- avoid excess alcohol
- avoid extreme exercise
This will also prevent dehydration and help your body keep itself cool.
Please Donate To Help Jovi Get To Nepal
Please Donate To Help Jovi Get To Nepal
Please Donate To Help Jovi Get To Nepal
In Jovi Mullen’s spare time she provides medical support at events across the UK with RTC Medical Solutions. When Jovi isn’t out saving lives at events she is a Student Radiographer at Bangor University.
As a student radiographer, she is hoping to spend 2 weeks in Nepal, learning about healthcare in Asia and to gain an insight into radiography there.
Healthcare in Asia has always interested Jovi, having been through the system herself a few years ago. She is also hoping to experience life as a Radiographer in Nepal, to experience healthcare in a small village and also to experience the culture difference between here and Europe.
Jovi is currently in placement at a large, trauma hospital, however, she wants to experience life in a small, community hospital, where advances in technology are limited and the services offered differ.
The trip is planned for 2 weeks in September, to enhance her skills at working with people from other ethnicities, backgrounds and social classes.
The programme will be arranged through GVI and £1500 of the money will be spent on insurance, accommodation, travel and securing the placement. Please Donate To Help Jovi Get To Nepal
RTC Medical Solutions will be sponsoring Jovi but she needs your help too.
Please click here to donate what you can to help Jovi get to Nepal, any donations help.