Child Abuse Injuries: Part 2/2

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. Last post, I covered how a given history for an injury may be a signal that an injury was intentionally inflicted. Today, I'm going to cover how the injury itself may give off clues for an abusive injury. Injuries suspicious of abuse:1. Injury is beyond the child's developmental level: You'll notice this is the first clue I gave concerning the history. But, it also plays into the injury itself and I'm going to...

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Child Abuse Injuries: Part 1/2

I read a lot of ficiton. Okay, suspense fiction. What I find missing is an area that seems to be in few books yet inherently has a lot of conflict. Child abuse. What fiction titles are you aware of that as a central theme center around child abuse?April is Child Abuse Awareness Month so I thought I'd do a few posts about child abuse injuries and how medical providers pick up on the fact an injury may be intentional or inflicted. As a pediatric...

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Exciting News!!!

Really, what is the point of having your own blog if you can't share exciting news!I'm honored to have signed a book contract with Kregel Publications for my novel, currently titled, Lilly's Ashes. It will be coming out in Spring of 2012. I'm very thankful to my agent, Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary, for taking a chance on me as a "debut novelist" in these hard economic times. It just shows his amazing talent as an agent for landing this...

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STAT C-sections

I'm so pleased to announce a new guest blogger here at Redwood's Medical Edge. Adelheideh Creston (I call her Heidi) is an RN specializing in obstetrics and neonatology. Her expertise will be an excellent addition to adding medical fact to your fiction. Today, she focuses on what the general guidelines are for vaginal delivery after C-sections. All right men... no blushing.STAT Sections, TOLAC, VBAC, Let's think about all that..... STAT C-section...

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1860's Medicine: Laurie Kingery (Part 3/3)

It's been my pleasure to host Laurie this week. In her final post she gives a brief overview of medicine during the 1860's. This is great information for any historical writer. Thanks Laurie for all of your hard work!THE STATE OF MEDICINE IN THE 1860'SA writer always wants to make her hero an admirable person, perhaps even exceptional for his time, but still realistic. Nowhere is this more of a challenge, I believe, than when one's hero is a...

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1860's Medicine: Laurie Kingery (Part 2/3)

Laurie continues her three part series today with an excerpt from her novel, The Doctor Takes a Wife. This scene makes me thankful I'm a nurse now and not in the 1860's. An Excerpt from The Doctor Takes a Wife, by Laurie Kingery(Love Inspired Historicals, January 2011)This excerpt illustrates just how limited the physicians of the nineteenth century were—no I.V's, no aspirin, no antibiotics or anticonvulsant medications…Just then, a harsh, guttural cry erupted from the woman on the bed. Her spine arched like a tightly-drawn bow."She's having a...

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1860's Medicine: Laurie Kingery (Part 1/3)

I'm pleased to host guest blogger and fellow ER nurse, Laurie Kingery. Laurie works combined ED (both adult and pediatrics) at a Level I trauma center. She will be posting this week about her research into medicine during the 1860's and her novel The Doctor Takes a Wife. Welcome, Laurie!Researching THE DOCTOR TAKES A WIFEIn 2009, when I was in the planning stage for my book, The Doctor Takes a Wife, the second book in the "Brides of Simpson...

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Types of EMS Calls

It's tax day! Are you suffering? Feeling the need to call 911? Dianna Benson, Redwood's resident EMS expert, is back for her monthly post. Today, types of EMS calls... in case you're feeling the need for a little 911 service. But more importantly, for accurate descriptions in your ms. This should give you lots of ideas.Hopefully, dispatch will be able to provide us with the type of EMS Call we’re responding to, and Calls fall into two categories:1)     ...

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Medical Question: Carol's Answer

Last post, Carol provided a detailed question for a manuscript in progress about giving Benadryl to a 2y/o boy who some nasty kidnappers have taken. They want the child to be quiet. The child is rescued by the police and taken to the ER. What is treatment in the ER for this fiction scenario? Check last Wednesday’s post for her full question.Benadryl can be a tricky drug, particularly in the pediatric population. I am a pediatric ER nurse and have...

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Medical Question: Using Medication to Subdue Kidnapped Child in Manuscript

Carol asks the following question concerning a manuscript in progress: 2yo boy is given a drug [I'm thinking Benadryl but open to suggestions] to keep him quiet for several hours. He's rescued by his mom/cops and put in the ambulance to head for the ER.When they find him [about 5 hrs after being taken], his pulse is strong but a bit on the slow side and his O2 is fine.  They hurry but no lights/sirens/etc. Does that sound right?I'm thinking they would take him to the ER for observation and possibly admit to watch him until he's fully out of...

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Medications in WWII: Part 3/3

Today is Sarah's final post on medications used during WWII. I think this has been a fantastic overview for any historical writer. Thank you, Sarah, for all your hard work.Medications in World War II (Part 3)Illness and injuries are a great way to build conflict and drama in your novel—but they’re hard on your characters. Be a nice author and learn how to treat them properly. In my World War II novels, A Distant Melody, A Memory Between Us and Blue...

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Medications in WWII: Part 2/3

Today, we're continuing with Sarah's series on medications used during WWII.Medications in World War II (Part 2)Illness and injuries are a great way to build conflict and drama in your novel—but they’re hard on your characters. Be a nice author and learn how to treat them properly. In my World War II novels, A Distant Melody, A Memory Between Us and Blue Skies Tomorrow (coming August 2011), my characters suffer from pneumonia, combat injuries, and...

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Medications in WWII: Part 1/3

I'm so pleased to have Sarah Sundin back this week. Her WWII research posts are always very popular. This week, she'll be focusing on medications used during WWII. Welcome back, Sarah!Medications in World War II (Part 1)Illness and injuries are a great way to build conflict and drama in your novel—but they’re hard on your characters. Be a nice author and learn how to treat them properly. In my World War II novels, A Distant Melody, A Memory Between...

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