Dr. Thomas Kandra

"It prevents the electrical conduction of nerves from stimulating the muscles to contract," explained Dr. Thomas Kandra, a pulmonary and critical care specialist who practices at Eastern Maine Medical Center.Symptoms can emerge within minutes of eating contaminated shellfish, he said Thursday, and may progress rapidly from tingling of the lips and fingertips to an inability to move the arms and legs to â€" most deadly â€" the inability to breathe, which is caused by the paralysis of the muscles that control the action of the lungs.

Victims also may experience difficulty swallowing and loss of eyesight.In rare cases, the heart muscle may be affected, Kandra said.

The extent of the damage depends on many factors, including how much toxin is ingested, the age and health of the victims, and how long it takes them to reach medical care.

Victims may need to be placed on mechanical ventilation until they recover, Kandra said.Patients rarely have their stomach pumped; since the poison acts so quickly, it's often too late for such a measure to be effective and needlessly increases discomfort.Sometimes, he said, victims are dosed with liquefied charcoal, which helps prevent further absorption of the toxin into the bloodstream.

Patients typically are monitored for heart and brain abnormalities and may be given medications to decrease anxiety and discomfort.Health care providers work to prevent complications of inactivity such as pneumonia and blood clots.

"Basically, we're giving the patients time to clear the toxins themselves," Kandra said.In most cases, paralysis subsides as the body rids itself of the poison, he said.

The results will be interpreted by Thomas Kandra, M.D., and his staff at Penobscot Respiratory.Dr. Kandra is a Pulmonologist who is board certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine.He is Medical Director of EMMC's Sleep Center of Maine and has 12 years of experience in the sleep disorder field.

"These were some of the sickest people I've ever taken care of," said Dr. Thomas Kandra, a critical care specialist at EMMC."There's so little data available on treating acute arsenic.We were all trying to learn as we went along."

Kandra, who has practiced in Bangor since 2000, has only praise for the health care system that responded to the arsenic poisonings - doctors in Caribou who first suspected something other than common food poisoning, consultants at the poison control center who responded promptly to the tentative diagnosis, pharmacists who researched the intravenous treatment option, laboratory staff who compiled reams of data, and nurses who provided emotional support to families as well as expert bedside care to victims.

"The response of the [health care] system was incredible," Kandra said.

TOMMY AND MATTHEW AGREE.
...
DR. THOMAS KANDRA IS WITH THE SLEEP CENTER OF MAINE.

HE SAYS RESEARCHERS ARE LEARNING MORE AND MORE ABOUT HOW LACK OF SLEEP CAN AFFECT THE BODY.

KANDRA SAYS THE ANSWER FOR MANY SLEEP APNEA PATIENTS IS A C-PAP MASK.

IT PUMPS IN AIR, FORCING THE AIRWAY TO STAY OPEN AND THE PATIENT TO FINALLY REST.

The results will be interpreted by Thomas Kandra, M.D. and Thomas Rajan, M.D. and their staff at Penobscot Respiratory.
...
Dr. Kandra and Dr. Rajan are Pulmonologists who are board certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine.
...
Dr. Kandra is the Medical Director of EMMC's Sleep Center of Maine and has 12 years of experience in the sleep disorder field.

The results will be interpreted by Thomas Kandra, M.D. and Thomas Rajan, M.D. and their staff at Penobscot Respiratory.
...
Dr. Kandra and Dr. Rajan are Pulmonologists who are board certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine.
...
Dr. Kandra is the Medical Director of EMMC's Sleep Center of Maine and has 12 years of experience in the sleep disorder field.