EMS Today

What Is the Major Organism Threat Today?

Infection control expert Katherine West explains why antibiotic resistance is a big problem right now.

The Economics of Co-Response: Designing a Sustainable Approach

Jonathon Feit gave this presentation for the Co-Responder Outreach Alliance.

Common Conditions Misdiagnosed as Asthma

As you enter the house your patient looks at you anxiously. He’s sitting upright, leaning forward. You note circumoral cyanosis and obvious respiratory distress as he attempts to speak. As you approach, you place him on oxygen with no relief. Upon auscultation of his chest, you note wheezing throughout his lung fields. You and your partner begin to administer a common bronchodilator albuterol when you remember — all that wheezes is not asthma.

Read the full article on EMS Airway.

A Modern Approach to Basic Airway Management

You arrive on scene and find a 68-year-old man is lying on the couch with difficulty breathing. He’s obese and obtunded, with severe respiratory distress.

His wife tells you he has a history of congestive heart failure. He appears pale and diaphoretic, with snoring, slow, shallow breaths and his initial oxygen saturation is 72%. What are the most important first steps in managing his airway and breathing?

Read the full article on EMS Airway.

Pediatric Burn Injuries

Special thanks to Debbie Herrell from Shriner's Hospital and Terrence Sheehy with Dare County (NC) EMS.

Introduction

• Welcome back to the EMS Handoff Podcast
• Hosts: David Blevins and Bradley Dean
• Special guest: Debbie Herrell, expert in pediatric burn injuries from the Shriner's Hospital and Terrance Sheehy with Dare County EMS

Overview of Pediatric Burn Injuries

• Unique considerations in treating pediatric burn patients
• Differences in burn classifications and assessing burn depth
• Importance of understanding the susceptibility of children's skin to burns

Pain Management for Pediatric Burn Patients

• Effective methods for providing pain relief to pediatric burn patients
• Pharmacological options and non-pharmacological interventions
• Distraction techniques tailored for pediatric patients

Addressing Emotional and Psychological Impact

• Understanding the long-lasting emotional and psychological effects of burn injuries on children
• Providing psychosocial support to pediatric burn patients and their families
• Involving parents and caregivers in the healing process and connecting them with appropriate resources

Resources and Training Opportunities

• Highlighting organizations such as the American Burn Association and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
• Resources, training programs, and certifications specific to pediatric burn care
• Importance of interagency collaboration between EMS providers and burn centers

Conclusion

• Thanks to Debbie Herrell for sharing her expertise on pediatric burn injuries
• Reminder to subscribe for future episodes of the EMS Handoff Podcast
• Stay safe and keep up the great work in the field

Note: These show notes provide a brief summary of the 65th episode of the EMS Handoff Podcast featuring a discussion on pediatric burn injuries. For a comprehensive understanding, please listen to the full episode.

Violent Encounters in Healthcare

This week on the EMS Handoff Podcast, Hosts Bradley Dean and David Blevins take on the North Carolina EMS Expo and this episode brings together the Handoff team and the founder of Dt4EMS, Jason Brooks, to talk about the violence toward healthcare providers. There is a lot of information about the encounters and how to preemptively identify different threats, and ways to evade if needed. If you want to bring this to your service, reach out to Jason below.

 

Contact us

Bradley Dean: Bradley.dean@handoffmedia.com

David Blevins: David.blevins@handoffmedia.com

 

Guests

Jason Brooks. jbrooks@dt4ems.com

Physicians On Scene with Dr. Howie Mell

This week on the EMS Handoff Podcast, Hosts Bradley Dean and David Blevins bring on Howie Mell, a paramedic turned physician who talks all about physicians in EMS. This podcast is for those who happen upon a scene and offer to help, to those that have given orders. Have you ever wondered what you should do with physicians and what authorization do they have on your dispatched scene?

 

Contact us

Bradley Dean: Bradley.dean@handoffmedia.com

David Blevins: David.blevins@handoffmedia.com

 

Howie Mell - howie.mell@gmail.com

Artificial Intelligence, ’Special Populations’ and the Economics of Community Paramedicine

Here’s a talk Jonathon Feit gave at the National Association of Mobile Integrated Healthcare Providers in March 2023.

Where Pressure Meets the Patient: Proper Mask Application for Noninvasive Ventilation

When applying a device to deliver noninvasive ventilation (e.g., CPAP or BiPAP) to a patient, many providers forget to pay attention to one of the most critical aspects of using these lifesaving devices: the mask that assists to deliver oxygen at the flow rate set on the device.

Read the full article here on EMS Airway.

Is There a Doctor on the Plane?

In this episode, Dov and Raphael get into high-flying and hijinks of responding to medical emergencies that take place in flight.

From emergency calls of fainting and blood pressure problems to full-on anaphylactic shock and CPRs, Dov, and Raphael talk about a series of real-life stories of medical intervention from 35,000 feet and up. What would you do if you were asked to be the medical responder on-board a mid-air flight?