A Case It is a typical day in the emergency department. An 83 yo female is brought in by EMS after family called 911 because the patient was not herself. The patient’s vital signs are reportedly within normal limits, so she is triaged to a regular room in the emergency department where handoff is given …
The EMS-ED Handoff: A Critical Moment in Patient Care Read More »
by Elizabeth Odom, MD MPH EMS MEd editor: Maia Dorsett MD PhD (@maiadorsett) Case Scenario It’s a hot summer day and EMS is dispatched to an old farmhouse on the edge of the town for a patient who has been ”generally weak” and now unable to get out of bed. Upon arrival, paramedics find a …
Screening & Treating: EMS and the Sepsis Care Continuum Read More »
by Aurora Lybeck, MD and M. Riccardo Colella, DO Abstract: First responders, including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), fire departments, and law enforcement officers (LEOs), are often the first to respond to suspected opioid overdoses. The heroin epidemic has been worsening throughout the US and Canada, from coast to coast and in every state and province. …
Synthetic Opioid Overdose: Practical Considerations for Emergency Medical Services Read More »
by Tom Grawey, DO Case Scenario: It is the first couple hours of your shift on the rig while you\’re working on some chores at the station. Your partner mentions that his wife is running her first marathon today which happens to pass through your coverage area. While some of your colleagues are scattered throughout …
When You’re Stuck in the Middle: Caring for Residents During Major Events. Read More »
The 2018 EMS Subspecialty LLSA Articles have been released by ABEM. The Communications Committee has put together the following review of all 12 articles to keep you up to date and ready for the test when it eventually comes out… 1. Brown JB et al. Not all prehospital time is equal: influence of scene time …
by P. Brian Savino, MD; Melody Glenn, MD; Karl A. Sporer, MD Paramedics respond the scene of a 65-year-old male complaining of chest pain. EKG is suspicious for STEMI. They give an aspirin and start to administer oxygen, even though the patient’s SpO2 is 97%. Based on their county protocols, medics transport the patient to …
California’s Quest for Evidence-Based EMS Protocols: Chest Pain Read More »
by Melody Glenn, MD Perhaps the success of Harvard sociologist Matthew Desmond’s Evicted, Poverty and Profit in the American City, lies in its engaging style, reading more like a page-turning novel and less like an academic analysis. Through following the ups and downs of its colorful characters, we realize the profound impact that stable housing …
Book Club Sessions: Evicted, Poverty and Profit in the American City Read More »
by Maia Dorsett, MD PhD (@maiadorsett) Recap of the Case: A 64 yo male is having dinner with his family when he begins to feel lightheaded and nauseated. As he stands up to leave the table, he collapses to the ground. His family calls 911. As he is unresponsive with agonal respirations, the call is …
One size does not fit all: Should we be using mechanical CPR in OHCA? Read More »
by Adam Rieves, MD (@AdamRieves) and Brandon Bleess, MD (@BBBleess) EMS MEd Editor: Maia Dorsett (@maiadorsett) Clinical Scenario: EMS is called to the home of an elderly gentleman with altered mental status. On arrival, they find an elderly male who is muttering to himself. Per his daughter, he has had decreased oral intake and confusion …
Be All End-Tidal: The Expanding Role of Capnography in Prehospital Care Read More »
by Kevin Baumgartner, MD EMS MEd Editor: Maia Dorsett (@maiadorsett) Case: EMS is dispatched to the scene of a Motor Vehicle Accident. They arrive to find a 45 year old male who was riding his bicycle when he was hit by a car traveling at approximately 35 mph. Eyewitnesses state that the man was thrown …
Yes or No? Prehospital Endotracheal Intubation For Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury Read More »
