A few years ago we were dispatched to a cardiac arrest. It was for a 40 year old woman, and the residence was flagged on our MDT because of guns and swords in the house. We pulled up behind our ambulance. An EMT jumped out of the passenger and ran (literally) into the house. I [...]
EMS: Calling, Job, or Prison Sentence?
May 13, 2012 By 1 Comment
EMS Web Summit: It’s Going to Be Huge
May 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I remember how exciting my first EMS conference was. As a new paramedic I was in awe of what the speakers had to share, and wondered how they became so knowledgeable about the topics they presented. Now Jim Hoffman, a true pioneer in online education and podcasting at EMS Office Hours, has made several nationally [...]
The Permisson Paradox
May 1, 2012 By 6 Comments
Rogue Medic has a great post about medical oversight for EMS, and I am looking forward to reading part 2. It reminded me of a JEMS column Bryan Bledsoe wrote a few years ago titled Adios Rampart. Both debunk the myth that patients can be kept safe if paramedics must request permission before doing something [...]
Ten Months to Become A Medical Assistant, 150 Hours to Become An EMT?
April 16, 2012 By 3 Comments
On weekdays, sandwiched between diverse groups of frequent EMS users having their paternity test results read before millions of viewers, are commercials for schools that train people to become medical assistants. Those commercials appear between others for lawyers, sub-prime loans, and ones soliciting volunteers for pharmeceutical trials. For people who are, or were, medical assistants, please [...]
What Should the Basic EMS Package Include?
April 10, 2012 By 5 Comments
When you pick a cell phone, cable, or internet plan, packages range from basic to premium, extreme, or turbo. When you call 911, that choice is made by local system design and a dispatch triage program. On EMS Office Hours, Jim, Josh, and I discussed whether certain medications should be included in the BLS scope [...]
EMS, Fishing, & Cystic Fibrosis
April 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I’ve worked with some extraordinary people since I started in EMS. One of the most extraordinary people, hands down, is Captain Kevin Przybyl. I met Kevin on my very first day in EMS on a tour of the volunteer ambulance station I had joined. Later I worked with him at a private company that went [...]
Now That Doctors Specialize in EMS, Shouldn’t We?
March 31, 2012 By 11 Comments
Last Sunday the EMS gods were nice enough to me to wait until after EMS Office Hours to punish me, so that I could join Jim and Josh for a great discussion about one community considering combining fire, police, and EMS into one service. We also talked about Community Paramedics, which would create a specialty [...]
It’s the Basics, Stupid
March 22, 2012 By 1 Comment
The most media attention ever given to a call I was on was a house fire with children trapped. Two toddlers were pulled out by firefighters who were doing CPR. My patient was a three-year-old girl, and we rushed her to the ambulance. After a few chest compressions, a few squeezes of a bag valve [...]
A Positive Wang Intubation Study
March 16, 2012 By 1 Comment
For those of you who do not follow EMS research closely, for the last 10 years Henry Wang has dared to question the effectiveness of paramedic intubation. While this has made him one of the least popular names mentioned over adult beverages at EMS conferences, most people admit that what he’s found is true. Paramedics [...]
