The FlightBridgeED Podcast

In this episode of the FlightBridgeED MDCast, Dr. Mike Lauria explores the role of intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs) in managing cardiac dysfunction and cardiogenic shock, with a particular focus on critical care transport. The discussion begins with a review of cardiogenic shock physiology, emphasizing the dangerous cycle of declining cardiac output, reduced coronary perfusion, worsening myocard...

In this episode of the FlightBridgeED MDCast, Dr. Mike Lauria explores the role of Impella devices in managing cardiogenic shock, with a particular focus on critical care transport. Impella devices provide temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for patients experiencing severe cardiac dysfunction. They are commonly used as a bridge to recovery, high-risk cardiac interventions, surgical pro...

What begins as respiratory distress quickly spirals into a critical care nightmare. In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Eric Bauer is joined by Kari Young to break down a challenging case that tests clinical reasoning, airway management, and ventilatory decision-making under pressure. Together, they walk through the patient's presentation, discuss the DASH-1A airway assessment, and...

In this compelling episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Eric Bauer is joined by Kari Young, Advanced Practice Paramedic and educator, for another installment of The Nightmare Series. Together, they dissect a complex critical care case where the obvious diagnosis was only the beginning. What initially appeared to be a straightforward presentation quickly evolved into a diagnostic minefield involv...

This episode of the FlightBridgeED podcast focuses on acute decompensated left heart failure, especially in the transport setting. Dr. Mike Lauria frames these patients through the lens of the SCAI cardiogenic shock spectrum, with special attention to the earlier A and B stages that can be easy to underestimate. While the crashing, hypotensive cardiogenic shock patient often gets immediate attenti...

This episode of the FlightBridgeED podcast focuses on post-cardiac arrest care during critical care transport, particularly for crews moving patients from outside or critical access hospitals to higher levels of care. Dr. Mike Lauria frames the post-ROSC patient around a simple mental model: help the heart, hunt for the cause, sustain the brain, and then provide all the other good critical care su...

This episode provides an overview of cardiogenic shock and explains why it remains such a major problem despite decades of progress in treating acute coronary syndromes. Dr. Mike Lauria notes that while STEMI and other ACS outcomes have improved dramatically with better systems, PCI, and modern cardiac care, mortality from cardiogenic shock has stayed stubbornly high. A central theme is that cardi...

This episode is an overview of acute right heart failure , with a strong emphasis on why the right ventricle is so vulnerable and why clinicians often miss its role in critically ill patients. Dr. Mike Lauria explains that, unlike the left ventricle, the RV is designed to pump against a low-pressure, high-compliance pulmonary circulation. That makes it especially sensitive to sudden increases in a...

This week’s FAST Replay is a double feature! Two talks that tackle high-stakes medicine from completely different angles, but with the same underlying theme: thinking differently when the usual approach isn’t enough. First up, Brittany Bernardoni takes us into the rapidly evolving world of Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR) . From the limitations of conventional CPR to the growing...

We’re continuing our FAST Replay series, bringing you full sessions recorded live from past FAST conferences as we build toward FAST26: Austin. This episode features Jeff Jarvis and covers a wide range of topics that directly address how we practice in EMS. From trauma care to airway to cardiac arrest, this session walks through current position statements and evolving recommendations, including:...

This episode focuses on the critically ill patient with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and explains why this subgroup is especially dangerous in emergency and transport medicine. Dr. Mike Lauria distinguishes PAH from the broader label of “pulmonary hypertension,” emphasizing that elevated pulmonary pressures can come from several very different disease processes, but group 1 PAH is a rare...

This episode reviews the newly released 2026 pulmonary embolism guidelines with an emphasis on what matters most for critical care and transport clinicians: identifying the sickest PE patients early and recognizing how quickly they can deteriorate. Dr. Michael Lauria stresses that although pulmonary embolism is common, the subset with hemodynamic instability carries very high mortality and often r...

We’re continuing our FAST Replay series, bringing you full sessions recorded live from past FAST conferences as we build toward FAST26: Austin. This episode is a talk from FAST25: Lexington that covers a lot of ground, but it all comes back to one question: Why are we doing what we’re doing? From cardiac arrest to seizures to traumatic arrest, this session challenges some of the most common practi...

We’re continuing our FAST Replay series, bringing you full sessions recorded live from past FAST conferences as we build toward FAST26: Austin! This episode takes on a topic everyone talks about… but few fully understand: evidence-based medicine . What does it actually mean in EMS? This session breaks it down in a way that’s practical, honest, and directly applicable to how decisions get made in t...

Over the next several episodes leading up to FAST26: Austin, we’re bringing you full sessions recorded live from past FAST conferences straight from the session recordings! This episode features Bruce Hoffman , RN, paramedic, educator, and FlightBridgeED Senior Educator. Bruce is known for pushing beyond the “what” and getting into the why... challenging how we think, how we lead, and how we show...

In this episode of the FlightBridgeED OB Critical Care Transport series, Dr. Mike Lauria is joined by maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. Liz Gartner to tackle one of the most commonly missed and dangerous metabolic emergencies in pregnancy : diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). While DKA is familiar to most clinicians, pregnancy dramatically alters its presentation—often masking it behind symptoms tha...

In this episode of FlightBridgeED, Dr. Mike Lauria is joined by maternal-fetal medicine specialists Dr. Alex Pfeiffer and Dr. Liz Gartner for a practical, transport-focused deep dive into trauma in pregnancy . With maternal morbidity and mortality rising in the U.S. and more obstetric patients requiring transfer from smaller facilities, the team breaks down what changes when you’re managing trauma...

Episode Description I n this powerful and highly practical episode, Eric Bauer is joined by Dr. Scott Weingart for a deep dive into mechanical ventilation strategy, critical thinking in metabolic acidosis, and the nuanced management of obstructive lung disease. You’ll hear honest, experience-driven insights that challenge outdated protocols and provide a real-world framework for decision-making in...

In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Dr. Mike Lauria welcomes back Dr. Nick George to dissect a topic that’s long overdue for critical discussion: airway management in critical care transport—and whether your background matters. Does being a paramedic or a nurse predict first-pass success rate? Does prior training or clinical experience truly change how well you manage airways in high-st...

In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Dr. Mike Lauria is joined by Dr. Nick George, a retrieval and EMS physician currently practicing full-time in Darwin, Australia. Together, they break down the often-overwhelming topic of aortic emergencies in a way that’s brilliantly simple, practical, and immediately applicable for all providers—whether you’re in the ICU, on the flight line, or worki...

In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Eric Bauer sits down with Dr. Mark Piehl—pediatric ICU physician, trauma resuscitation expert, and inventor of the LifeFlow device—for a deep conversation that will reshape how you think about blood product administration in trauma care. From pediatric hemorrhagic shock to adult penetrating trauma, from urban EMS to rural ground teams, they unpack the most...

Get ready for a transformative episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, where host Eric Bauer teams up with EMS trailblazer Dr. Peter Antevy to dive into the life-saving world of pre-hospital hemorrhage control and blood product administration . Discover how whole blood is reshaping trauma care, doubling survival rates for patients bleeding out from trauma, OB emergencies, or medical crises. Dr. Ant...

In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Dr. Michael Lauria sits down with Dr. Bryce Taylor—flight physician, trauma educator, and surgical critical care expert—for a deep dive into one of the most visually shocking and physiologically demanding scenarios in transport medicine: the patient with an open abdomen. From trauma-based damage control laparotomies to the high-stakes management of ab...

What if the biggest mistake you’re making with your COPD vent patients isn’t in what you’re doing—but in how fast you’re doing it? In this episode, Eric Bauer takes us deep into the nuances of ventilating a COPD patient in acute respiratory failure. Through a complex case breakdown, Eric challenges conventional thinking around rate, tidal volume, and ventilator pressures, offering critical insight...

Join Eric Bauer and Dr. Mike Lauria as they dissect two challenging critical care transport cases centered on managing respiratory failure in obese and morbidly obese patients. Get ready for a deep dive into advanced physiological concepts, practical tips for troubleshooting ventilator settings, and real-world lessons you can apply to patient care right away. From recognizing unique challenges in...