March 2012
17 posts
1 tag
Less medics →
So there is a shortages of medics and instead of figuring out ways to recruit and keep more medics it seems the trend is just to reduce the amount of paramedics. I found this article on an EMS blog and think it is a breath of fresh air.
“I think this from a clinical standpoint, this is the right next move for the community,” he said. “I think it’ll make a real big difference in our ability to...
11 tags
11 tags
On right ventricular MI.
(As a general disclaimer, you should never go outside of your protocol or medical direction. Depending on what state you live in you could be decertified, brought into legal complications if possible actions cause patient harm, and you could harm a patient. The following discussion is being introduced as informative, and if you agree with it should be presented to your administration for their...
10 tags
7 tags
KISS
Here’s a story:
We get dispatched to a patient’s residence for an unresponsive female. Upon our arrival an elderly female was found in her bed responsive only to deep painful stimuli, breathing at 32 per minute with white liquid oozing from her mouth, her lung sounds are congested with equal chest rise and fall, pulse at 115, oxygen saturation at 93% on room air, glucose at 180 via fingerstick,...
10 tags
Gossip is bad? →
JEMS recently ran a story making the statement that gossiping in a company is bad and even said,
come to view the practice of gossiping as a safety hazard in organizations.
In it JEMS makes the statement that the best way to combat it is by simply abstaining from gossiping. It seems that could have a positive effect but is that enough? Should we do more to keep gossiping to a minimum? Is...
11 tags
Should Epi be used in cardiac arrest? →
In a new article by JAMA the effects of epinephrine in cardiac arrests is actually to a patient’s overall survivability. Very interesting article and am looking forward to the follow ups.
5 tags
12 rules for life →
Saw this online while stumbling and thought it was interesting.
Sometimes we just need to remember what the 12 Rules of Life really are:
1. Never give yourself a haircut after three margaritas.
2. You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn’t move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn’t, use the tape.
3. The five most essential words for a healthy,...
9 tags
Medics save abandoned baby →
Excerpt:
NEW YORK — A barely breathing newborn girl was resuscitated by paramedics last night after she was heartlessly dumped into the arms of a perfect stranger on a Brooklyn street, authorities said.
11 tags
Tennessee Ambulance Crew Saves Highway Patrol... →
We never know what we are going to run up on in an ambulance. These medics were coming up on an accident after finishing a transport and saved a life. Others involved have said if they weren’t there the officer would have likely died.
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11 tags
What the FBI taught me about patient interactions....
(For any in the law enforcement community, do not worry, I will not be releasing any sensitive information. I would never want to aid someone committing a crime.)
The FBI along with ICE allowed a few of us in the EMS community to participate in a joint training on Hostage negotiation. During the training I was amazed at how much the training we were going through related to some of our everyday...
9 tags
Ambulance rollover →
Many accidents noted recently. Hope the medics involved in this accident are ok.
11 tags
EMT with murder on her mind. →
An EMT from Houston has been arrested and is being charged with trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband a Houston firefighter.
8 tags
Trying to focus on what's important. →
Rogue medic posted up a very good essay on where we should be focusing a lot of improvement and how it’s so often neglected. Very good essay and it links to the podcast of a discussion on the topic.
9 tags
“No longer shall I paint interiors with men reading and women knitting. I will...”
– Edward Munch ( I always think of respiratory patients with this quote thanks to AMLS)
9 tags
Top Ten Questions You’re Better Off Not Asking →
Here is a great little article about a few of the questions we all ask ourselves and our patients out in the field. How did that get in there? - classic.
Here’s the link:
http://www.ems1.com/search/articles/444853-top-ten-questions-youre-better-off-not-asking/
