EMS Today

Paramedics in a rural setting respond to a young man who is unresponsive, barely breathing, has pinpoint pupils and has fresh needle marks along his arm veins. Recognizing this as an opiate overdose they assist ventilations and attempt to administer IV naloxone, but have difficulty starting an IV line. They heard about nasal naloxone, so they squirt a vial of naloxone into the patient’s nose with...

Congenital syphilis is a severe and often life-threatening infection seen in infants whose mothers were infected.

Firefighter/Paramedic Kate Freshman joins the Not A-Fib Podcast to discuss providing care while being recorded live on "Live Rescue" on A&E, and how she became involved with Women in Fire, which led her to create "Fire Up St. Louis.” They also discuss her work on a peer support committee, working to channel members to the right resources to address mental health issues before they are in crisi...

This podcast reviews RSI research related to paramedics with nurse anesthetist Penny Chiasson. She is also a hypnotherapist with Genesis Hypnosis. Article discussed: Alzaatreh, M. Y., Alsadi, M. R., Alkhsealat, Y., Alhemedi, M., & Alrabab’a, M. H. (2022). Pre-hospital rapid sequence induction by paramedics: A scoping review. Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma & Acute Care (5) 40. Connec...

Eric Chase and Asbel Montes share stories of grace. Accountability still exists and grace allows for forgiveness. Pursue excellence from a place of grace.

Manual ventilation is a basic skill that every emergency medical services (EMS) responder is expected to perform proficiently. Improper manual ventilation may result in significant morbidity; however, there is no feedback mechanism or method of control for the volume, pressure, or frequency during manual ventilation. In this study, we aimed to quantify the ventilation parameters of manually delive...

This podcast discusses the latest research in EMS bleeding control with Will Chapleau who is a paramedic, nurse, educator and writer. Article discussed: IPMI. (October 1, 2023). International Prehospital Medicine Institute Literature Review, October 2023. Journal of Emergency Medical Services. https://www.jems.com/patient-care/international-prehospital-medicine-institute-literature-review-october-...

Eric Chase talks with Daniel Sundahl in a wide-ranging conversation, which includes post-traumatic growth.

Respiratory distress is one of the most common emergencies resulting in a 911 call. Whether it be an asthma attack, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation or complication of pneumonia, difficulty breathing is a symptom that prehospital providers encounter quite frequently. Most patients that call for emergency medical services for breathing problems have known-disease pathologie...

This podcast discusses hypoglycemia research and practice in EMS with Eric Chase who is a comedian, paramedic and educator. Article discussed: Li, J. (2023, September 6). Article Bites: Is it safe to treat and release patients with hypoglycemia? In EMS1 after previously being printed by NAEMSP. 

Dan Griffiths, Chris Winger, Kimberlyn Tihen, Mark Selapack, Brent Osborne and Alex Pafford (Team Mustang from the Spring 2023 Ambulance Service Manager Course) join the podcast to discuss their research project, "Saving Our Medics: The Case for Early Intervention." The focus of their project was identifying mental health issues in providers before it becomes a crisis.

Advanced airway management in EMS systems around the country ranges from surgical airways to laryngoscopy, either video or direct, to the use of a supraglottic airway (SGA) device. As a “blind” airway device, the King Airway has largely replaced the Combitube as the civilian and military SGA of choice due to its design and ease of use. However, over the past decade, there have been many other SGAs...

Bram Duffee, PhD, EMT-P, discusses “call jumping” in rural EMS with Latimer Hoke, M.Ed, NR-AEMT, who is a first responder and educator. Article discussed: Hoke, L. (2023, August 22). Not Truly Off-Duty: True ‘First’ Responders in Rural Areas. Journal of Emergency Medical Services. https://www.jems.com/operations/not-truly-off-duty-true-first-responders-in-rural-areas/ Connections: If you want to c...

In this episode we talk with Devin Howell, DO, AEMT-CC, about his journey from EMT to EMS medical director.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality, responsible for approximately 15,000 deaths per year in United States. The deleterious cardiac effects associated with PH (e.g. Right Ventricular disease) render this population particularly susceptible to decompensation. Hypoxemia, acidosis and hypercapnia are not well tolerated in PH and will ac...

Eric Chase sits down with Oklahoma City Fire Department Lieutenant Danny Brown as he shares his story of failure and brokenness and how support from his wife, fire family and counseling helped him to realize it's ok to let go.

On this episode, Dr. Bryan Bledsoe joins the podcast to discuss a January article from JEMS, which he co-authored with Dr. Jeff Salomone, titled " Traumatic Cardiac Arrest (TCA): Maybe We Could Do Better? " Additionally, we discuss his introduction to writing textbooks and his views on EMS education moving into the future.

Management of acute respiratory distress isn’t an exact science. Good patient outcomes rely on your ability to assess ventilation, oxygenation, work of breathing (WOB), lung function, airway resistance and air flow. The number of treatment choices is increasing, and they’re becoming more complex. Does your patient need medication, suctioning, airway management, ventilation, intubation, non-invasiv...

Not every patient experiencing a moderate level of hypoxemic respiratory failure does well on a high-flow nasal cannula. (Photo courtesy Hamilton Medical AG)When I first started as a hospital respiratory therapist, the nasal cannula was our go-to low-flow (LFNC) device, designed to deliver an FiO2 of approximately 24 to 44% at flows of 1 to 6 liters per minute. When patients needed more oxygen, we...

In this episode of the STAT Financial Health: EMS Personal Finance podcast, we talk with Amy Eisenhauer, also known as The EMS Siren, about starting a side-hustle or small business while working in EMS. 

Infection control consultant Katherine West identifies mosquito-borne diseases and gives prevention measures for EMS providers.

Mark Flauter introduces the first episode of his "Not A-Fib" podcast and discusses his role as deputy chief of EMS for the Florissant Valley (MO) Fire Protection District. Mark highlights several issues facing EMS, including personnel retention, leadership, career development, education, recruitment and mental health. Next month's episode features Dr. Bryan Bledsoe. He invites listeners to share t...

Dov and Raphael get into some of the worst pet peeves that EMS responders experience. They happen to us all, in every profession, but in EMS when lives are in the balance, pet peeves take on a whole new meaning. Give a listen and write in the comments some of the pet peeves that you've experienced on the job. We'd love to hear from you what really gets your goat on the job. Together, we may not be...

We all have it, some of us use it, but few use it to its full potential. I’m referring to the measurement of end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2). The objective of this presentation is how to tell from those “expellings” the best way to optimize survival after cardiac arrest (CA). Our objectives will be to measure and use ETCO2, as an invaluable guide to resuscitation care. Read the full article here...

It's time to rethink strategies and tactics to unify the workforce and achieve equity. Eric Chase has a conversation with Alanna Badgley, Anthony Almojera and Bryony Gilbey.