EMS Today

Giving Grace

Eric Chase and Asbel Montes share stories of grace. Accountability still exists and grace allows for forgiveness. Pursue excellence from a place of grace.

Manual Ventilation Performance by EMS Responders

Manual ventilation is a basic skill that every emergency medical services (EMS) responder is expected to perform proficiently. Improper manual ventilation may result in significant morbidity; however, there is no feedback mechanism or method of control for the volume, pressure, or frequency during manual ventilation. In this study, we aimed to quantify the ventilation parameters of manually delivered breaths using a simulated lung.

Read the full article here.

Hemorrhage Control Insights from Research

This podcast discusses the latest research in EMS bleeding control with Will Chapleau who is a paramedic, nurse, educator and writer.

Article discussed: IPMI. (October 1, 2023). International Prehospital Medicine Institute Literature Review, October 2023. Journal of Emergency Medical Services. https://www.jems.com/patient-care/international-prehospital-medicine-institute-literature-review-october-2023/

Finding Benefits within Challenges

Eric Chase talks with Daniel Sundahl in a wide-ranging conversation, which includes post-traumatic growth.

Non-Respiratory Disease Pathologies That May Complicate Airway Management

Respiratory distress is one of the most common emergencies resulting in a 911 call. Whether it be an asthma attack, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation or complication of pneumonia, difficulty breathing is a symptom that prehospital providers encounter quite frequently.

Most patients that call for emergency medical services for breathing problems have known-disease pathologies that are respiratory in nature. For example, patients with asthma, an obstructive pulmonary disorder, often present with chest tightness, wheezing and difficulty breathing.

Nebulized albuterol and supplemental oxygen are normally first-line interventions for the typical asthma attack. Providers understand the mechanism of action for those medications since they aim to correct the impaired respiratory processes as a result of disease.

Read the full article here.

Hypoglycemia with a Comedian

This podcast discusses hypoglycemia research and practice in EMS with Eric Chase who is a comedian, paramedic and educator.

Article discussed: Li, J. (2023, September 6). Article Bites: Is it safe to treat and release patients with hypoglycemia? In EMS1 after previously being printed by NAEMSP. 

Team Mustang

Dan Griffiths, Chris Winger, Kimberlyn Tihen, Mark Selapack, Brent Osborne and Alex Pafford (Team Mustang from the Spring 2023 Ambulance Service Manager Course) join the podcast to discuss their research project, "Saving Our Medics: The Case for Early Intervention." The focus of their project was identifying mental health issues in providers before it becomes a crisis.

Supraglottic Airways: A Look From Above

Advanced airway management in EMS systems around the country ranges from surgical airways to laryngoscopy, either video or direct, to the use of a supraglottic airway (SGA) device. As a “blind” airway device, the King Airway has largely replaced the Combitube as the civilian and military SGA of choice due to its design and ease of use. However, over the past decade, there have been many other SGAs, particularly iterations of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA), that have come to market. It is the wide and varied options for an SGA that have necessitated this evaluation as we hope to provide guidance to EMS agencies in choosing a device for their service.

Read the full article here.

’Call Jumping’ in Rural EMS

Bram Duffee, PhD, EMT-P, discusses “call jumping” in rural EMS with Latimer Hoke, M.Ed, NR-AEMT, who is a first responder and educator.

Article discussed: Hoke, L. (2023, August 22). Not Truly Off-Duty: True ‘First’ Responders in Rural Areas. Journal of Emergency Medical Services. https://www.jems.com/operations/not-truly-off-duty-true-first-responders-in-rural-areas/

Connections: If you want to connect with the Latimer Hoke you can reach him at latimerhoke@gmail.com and to connect with the show, reach out through www.ProfessorBram.com.

Achieving Long-Term Goals

In this episode we talk with Devin Howell, DO, AEMT-CC, about his journey from EMT to EMS medical director.