jli0814

Analysis of Out-of-Hospital Pediatric Intubation by an Australian Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.  Burns BJ, Watterson JB, Ware S, Regan L, Reid C. Analysis of Out-of-Hospital Pediatric Intubation by an Australian Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. Ann Emerg Med. 2017;70(6):773-782.e4. [PMID: 28460858] Background & Objectives: Adequate establishment and maintenance of a patent airway is one of the hallmarks of …

Article Bites #5: Pediatric Intubation – What’s the first pass success rate in a physician-staffed helicopter retrieval service? Read More »

Clinical Scenario: In June, we posted the following scenario for comment: EMS is called to the scene of a “possible stroke”.  The patient is a 75 yo female who was last known normal at 8 pm the night before when she went to bed with plans to watch TV before going to sleep.  She fell when she …

Stroke Destination: An Opportunity for Innovation in System Design Read More »

Article: Association of Prehospital Blood Product Transfusion During Medical Evacuation of Combat Casualties in Afghanistan With Acute and 30-Day Survival Shackelford SA, Del junco DJ, Powell-Dunford N, et al. Association of Prehospital Blood Product Transfusion During Medical Evacuation of Combat Casualties in Afghanistan With Acute and 30-Day Survival. JAMA. 2017;318(16):1581-1591. [PMID: 2906742] Background & Objectives: …

Article Bites #4: Learning from the Military – Association between Prehospital Blood Product transfusion & survival for Combat Casualties Read More »

By Christopher Galton, MD NRP When we start our EMS careers, the path forward seems easy.  You want to run every great call there is to run and you tell yourself that the path to becoming the best paramedic or EMT is through sticking tubes into people, covering up holes in the chest, and driving fast …

Mentorship Matters. Read More »

by David Ismael Arbona Calderón, MD Case Scenario: A 48 y/o unconscious male presented with dizziness and weakness in his office. On arrival of paramedics, patient is diaphoretic and unresponsive, but with pulse and spontaneous respirations. Initial assessment reveals a glucose level of 23 mg/dL. Paramedics find the patients current medication list in the patient’s …

Can you leave them be? A Review of The Recommendations of Hypoglycemia Treat and Release Protocols Read More »

by Stephanie Louka, MD Case Scenario: Paramedics are called to the home of a 59 year old male patient with an LVAD who was found unconscious and unresponsive by family members.  He was last seen 2 hours earlier acting normally. There is no evidence of trauma. Family members are unaware of any recent illness or …

The Arresting LVAD patient: A Review of the Updated Recommendations Read More »

by Melody Glenn, MD From 2008-2012, Francisco Cantú worked as an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol in the deserts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Line Becomes a River is a memoir describing his experience, and like any talented memoirist, he uses his individual story to tell a bigger truth: violence has a …

Dispatches from the Borderlands Part I: A Review of The Line Becomes a River, by Francisco Cantú Read More »

On March 3rd, we published the following case stem: EMS is dispatched to the home of a 75 yo female for a “lift assist”.  Reportedly, the patient slipped out of bed when getting up in the morning and needs assistance in getting off the floor.  Per dispatch, she is alert and denies other complaints.  This is not the …

A Patient by Any Other Name: Approach to the “Lift Assist” Read More »

by Ritu Sahni, MD, MPH, FAEMS On the Friday before this past Thanksgiving, the President signed HR304, otherwise known as the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act.  In a year in which dysfunction would have been an improvement in the political world, this important legislation was passed in a bipartisan manner.  As EMS physicians, …

This is why we do advocacy Read More »

by Carly Loner, MD Case Scenario: EMS is called to the scene of a motorcycle accident involving a 42 year old male.  The patient was helmeted and his head is atraumatic, but he is confused.  Breath sounds are equal bilaterally. The patient’s abdomen is diffusely tender and he has an open left femur fracture that …

Tranexamic Acid: Does it Have A Role In Prehospital Management of Trauma Patients? Read More »