Today I sit down with Dr. Joseph Martin, (IG: @JaTXerd) a Family Practice and Addiction Specialist who is now an EMS physician, to talk about mental health in our first responders. Spoiler alert: it has a lot to do with sleep deprivation, uncertainty, community, and organizational support ..read more

Today I sit down with Dr. Joseph Martin, (IG: @JaTXerd) a Family Practice and Addiction Specialist who is now an EMS physician, to talk about mental health in our first responders. Spoiler alert: it has a lot to do with sleep deprivation, uncertainty, community, and organizational support ..read more

Cold weather incoming! This is just a quick review of carbon monoxide poisoning treatment options, as well as what differentiates cold water immersion from regular drowning. We anticipate an increase in the number of Carbon Monoxide (CO) related calls in the system as people use charcoal grills and generators for heating. Symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, syncope, altered mental status, and neurologic symptoms such as weakness, numbness, or paresthesia. During these winter events we frequently have calls with multiple patients. Anyone with RED FLAGS should be treated wit ..read more

Sometimes a small dose of epinephrine or norepinephrine can keep a patient from becoming hypotensive during intubation, or may help bridge the patient to a continuous infusion. Dr. Pickett talks about simple methods for mixing and administering push doses of these pressors and how to administer the infusion. NOTE: It is ASSUMED you already know the indications, contraindications, and side effects of these drugs. This video is NOT a comprehensive review of these medications. Available on YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, and Feedburner! https://youtu.be/__PWK4P85xc ..read more

Like Starsky and Hutch, like peanut butter and jelly, like Riggs and Murtaugh, the inseparable duo is back together for Medic Mindset for an episode of the Thinking Series, this time on abdominal pain. Feast your ears, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The audio is like butter. Available on YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, and Feedburner! https://youtu.be/qCpk3f3zPP8 ..read more

Snakebites are a common patient encounter for #EMS here in Texas, though virtually all states have venomous snakes of one kind or another. Dr. Spencer Greene (@ToxSpencer) walks us through some pearls and pitfalls of caring for these patients. TL;DW: “Dry bites” are very uncommon. Most victims are not drunk young males that are intentionally messing with wildlife. Most are people who didn’t even know the snake was there. Don’t mess with wildlife. Snakes are not aggressive. They want to be left alone. Admire from a distance. If you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone. Do NOT bring the sn ..read more

YES I KNOW THE THUMBNAIL HAS EPISODE 4 and it’s episode 49. But we have a YouTube channel now so that’s why we have different episode numbers. It’s less confusing than renumbering everything. ANYwhomst, this is our takedown of the week long winter weather event that crippled the region starting around Valentine’s Day. The impacts to EMS were many and required a lot of creative thinking by responders. We are so proud of the bravery, ingenuity, and dedication that they showed during this event. Got some time? This is the story ..read more

Vaccines are finally available. I’m getting mine, and you should too. How do they work? Are they safe? What are the side effects? What are the particulars of administration ..read more

Bamlanivimab is a monoclonal antibody for treating mild to moderate COVID-19. You’ve probably heard of it as it has rolled out here in Texas in force. What does it do and how is it given ..read more

Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership that has helped speed development of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. But what does that mean for safety of these treatments? TL;DR: The program does not cut safety corners. It supports industry to rapidly develop capability without the financial risk usually associated with experimental therapies ..read more