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So this happened: http://www.ems1.com/fatal-incidents/articles/1890660-Medic-pronounces-still-breathing-woman-dead/ Kinda makes you want to facepalm, doesn't it? I'm curious if anyone else has heard of similar incidents.

Sure, EMS can't provide the whole gamut of care that many psych patients require, but think about this: Who are often the first people to deal with psych crises outside of the hospital? That's right, we are. Therefore we find ourselves in the unique position where we can either escalate...

+1,000 internets for me!

California is rolling out Community Care Paramedic pilot programs, and I'm curious to see whether they are given the leeway to transport psych patients to actual psych facilities rather than the ED. I can't stand seeing disruptive psych patient clogging up the ED while they wait for an eval and...

I'm always a little leery about people getting hired on as an "EMT for a day". If you're working for an ambulance service, you are working under your medical director's license and are usually covered by their insurance as well, whereas if you freelance you are very much on your own, legally...

This

Alright, hold the phone... This seems like a case of ignorance, if you want my opinion. Please tell me that you weren't thinking AMI because aVR and aVL were showing some elevation. I just had a similar ECG presented to me where a medic was concerned that their "STEMI" patient wasn't sent...

I'm sure most of you have had the call where law enforcement calls an ambulance for an arrestee who's having a "seizure" (acute incarceritis). But I had one the other night that positively made me laugh. Called out per LE request at a gas station and pulled up to see a few cops standing...

Someone taught me a great trick a while ago if you have a LP15. Throw it into AED mode and it'll give you a metronome and prompt for ventilations, plus a two minute timer. Sure, it takes a shade longer to analyze, but it's worth it for everything else it provides. And if you're overstocked on...

Wow, that's an incredible outcome for such a long down time! And amazing job on her friends' part. What are peoples' protocols for treating a hypothermic code? The region where I work says only one shock and just CPR, no dugs, until the patient is warmed.

Sometimes what patients need most is just someone to talk to. I often have great conversations with people on the way to the hospital, and letting them talk takes their mind off of whatever is wrong with them. Occasionally on interfacility trips I'll even take little detours if there's...

I used to like psych patients. Until I got the tar beat out of me by one. We were able to subdue him in the end, but it taught me to never trust any patient. I'm always on guard now, and have since been much more likely to immediately restrain or retreat. I also have an audio recorder which...

The swine study was very dramatic, showing markedly reduced cerebral blood flow when the devices were inflated to manufacturers recommended specs (by 15-50%). But I suppose that I'll have to reserve a complete condemnation until there is further research... As far as SGAs being more...

I saw this video a few years ago and decided try out the thumbs down grip as well as placing both NPAs and an OPA... It's like magic. I sh*t you not. I got some weird looks and a little resistance from some people at first, but once they saw how darn effective it is, they reluctantly got...

Excellent

Interesting that the thigh is emphasized over the deltoid... that isn't mentioned in our protocols at all, and I hadn't heard that before. That being said, I had an anaphylaxis patient a few weeks ago that turned around after the second dose of Epi 1:1k IM in the deltoid. Seemed to work...

While the aspirin won't hurt her, it doesn't sound like the appropriate treatment for this patient. Palpitations are not "chest pain", they are palpitations. Calm and reassess, calm and reassess. Also, 30 minutes is quite a wait for an ambulance if you're in an urban environment, which I...

Anaphylaxis is deadly if untreated… For the BLS provider: boogie out of there, call for an ALS rendezvous if possible, make base contact to get permission to use the epi pen, give O2 and treat for shock. Bigest thing to be mindful of in kids is the increased workload on the heart due...

Aaaaaaand welcome to EMS! Here's to hoping that they honored that DNR!

When cops call you to "check someone out", they're just doing a CYA move. They want you to take a set of vitals and quickly make sure there aren't any immediate life threats that require your intervention. Often anybody who gets hit with a taser or injured in any way will automatically get...