The call came in as a “child down.” No other information was available. As your unit races to the scene, you do a quick mental inventory of the equipment you may need: pedi bag, airway bag, spinal immobilization, trauma bag. As with any emergency, your pulse is racing, but when the call involves a child, there is always an added layer of stress. Is your equipment ready? Did you inventory the pedi bag this morning? Can you recall the drug dosages, in case the child is in full arrest? A million questions flash through your mind ..read more

  Let's face it: Pediatric patients can be intimidating. They're small, they cry a lot, they require different medication dosages, and, fortunately, we don't run into them with great frequency ..read more

Here are a few questions for all you paramedics out there: When was the last time you decompressed a tension pneumothorax? How many surgical airways have you performed? Have you ever delivered a baby in the prehospital setting? And how many times have you performed a rapid sequence intubation ..read more

It was the third vehicle crash of the shift. The first two were minor – low-speed fender benders with minor injuries. This one was different: a high-speed impact involving an unrestrained driver. The facial injuries were extensive ..read more

In the field of EMS, maintenance is critical. Our trucks must be kept in good working order, our drugs must be up to date, and even our knowledge base must be tweaked regularly to ensure we keep up with new trends in the field and keep our skills sharp ..read more

As deep winter approaches, it’s time to think about temperature-related emergencies. Regions across the country will experience freezing temperatures, along with sleet and snow. As a prehospital professional, you will be called to treat patients suffering from a range of weather-related issues. To prepare for the onslaught of winter, let’s review some of the dangers of hypothermia ..read more

One of the most stressful emergency calls a paramedic will encounter is a child who can’t breathe. Pediatric emergencies are stressful enough; in the case of an obstructed airway, stress levels can go through the roof ..read more

The call is going smoothly. The elderly woman had gone into cardiac arrest just minutes before you arrived, but immediate CPR and rapid defibrillation were rewarded with a weak return of pulses. Your IV is flowing and the patient is intubated. But just because you have secured an endotracheal tube does not mean the airway is completely protected ..read more

As an EMS provider, you know traumatic injury plays a central role in many emergencies. Trauma calls make up a large percentage of responses and take a tremendous toll on lives throughout our country. Here are a few stark statistics from the National Trauma Institute ..read more

While it may seem like a minor consideration to some, EMS providers know that patient positioning plays a crucial role in the quality, safety and effectiveness of medical treatment. In fact, an article from the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) states that patient positioning is 90% of the airway management battle. Positioning lays the groundwork for the process of treatment and airway management, and providers should therefore continue to enhance their knowledge of different patient positions, and factors to consider when choosing the right position for airway management and respir ..read more