As a paramedic for nearly 20 years, Jeff Rehman has tales about what happens when an emergency call takes a turn for the worse and results in the loss of life -- or loss of a finger.
Like the time four or five years ago, when Rehman, who works for North Metro Fire Rescue District Station 61 in Broomfield, was trying to intubate a semi-conscious patient with a severe head injury. While Rehman was trying to keep the tube in place, the disoriented man bit down and took a chunk out of Rehman's finger.
Unpleasant incidents such as that are possible whenever medical workers have to reach into patients' throats to clear food, vomit or blood from airways before they can perform CPR.
Some of those injuries might be a thing of the past if a new medical device Rehman created catches on.
Rehman spent the past 31/2 years designing and refining an improved oropharyngeal evacuation tool. That's the technical name for a 10-inch bendable rubber tube that can vacuum and scoop material out of a patient's airway.
The tool is important because paramedics must clear the airway of a severely injured and possibly unconscious person before they can supply oxygen.
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