Users of battery-powered portable suction devices often comment that it “sucks”. This can be interpreted in two ways: either negatively or positively. When the negative sentiment applies, there’s no need to despair or throw the unit across the room.

Portable suction is only used in the field on select calls and not daily. However, when it is needed, it can make the difference between a patient who leaves the hospital and one who dies of aspiration pneumonia after successful resuscitation.

Frequently, when we consider airway maintenance, we think of removing fluids and harmful substances from the trachea, but what happens when the trachea itself is part of the problem?

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:

The total cost of natural disasters reached more than $203 billion worldwide in 2023. Catastrophes such as hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, floods, and earthquakes displace millions of people every year and send thousands to emergency departments.

Chief among a health care provider’s worst nightmares, apart from losing a patient, is unintentionally harming one. In addition to a feeling of failure or shame, a poor outcome carries the risk of a malpractice allegation.

It’s a scary moment for even the most experienced first responder: A baby has been delivered in the hospital parking lot and isn’t breathing. Or a newborn’s parents call, sobbing, and report that their baby is in respiratory distress. 

A hospital visit can save a patient’s life. It can also destroy it if they pick up a virulent healthcare-associated infection (HAI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that on any given day, 1 in 31 hospital patients has at least one HAI.

The most critical treatment you provide is airway management. Whether intubating the patient in cardiac arrest, dislodging an obstruction, or simply assisting respirations, the speed and effectiveness of your treatment as a paramedic can mean the difference between life and death for your patients. So, let’s review three critical airway management steps you can’t afford to miss: assessment, equipment, and intervention.

Emergency medical responders are responsible for saving lives every day. Their knowledge and skills enable them to quickly assess and treat patients who may be unconscious, unable to communicate, or located in remote terrain.