As you first approach your patient, you hear him snoring and notice the familiar sound of gurgling coming from his mouth. You immediately know you will be working to manage his airway—all within seconds of looking at, listening to, speaking with, and touching the patient. In fact, the first few seconds when you approach your patient will likely give you the most clinical information about your patient’s condition. You are bombarded with your patient’s information rapidly, sometimes instantaneously.

The EMS industry seems to have different trends constantly—new technologies and improved techniques bombard you on what seems like a daily basis. In 2019, these trends appear to have a deeper focus on the EMS system as a whole and the ultimate goal of improving the system and focusing on the patient. Let’s look at a few EMS trends to watch in 2019 and how they can impact you and your practice.

Emergency personnel and first responders are surrounded by a vast assortment of equipment every day. From cardiac monitors to suction units to airway supplies to IV medications—you name it, you have access to it on your rig or in your department.

Few EMS procedures are as important as tracheal intubation. This procedure can also be challenging, and not just for novice providers. If skills are not initially mastered and frequently practiced, intubation success rates plummet and placement of an advanced airway doesn’t occur.

The weather is still cool in much of the country, and warm springs have not yet given way to hot summers. Oppressive heat is just around the corner, though, so now is the perfect time to brush up on sun safety. Many first responders focus solely on the effects the sun can have on patients. EMS professionals are just as vulnerable, especially in hot regions where they must spend long days in the sun. Here are five things you need to know to keep yourself safe while tending to patients.

Training is an essential part of your job. With the demands of your work schedule, balancing your time with your family, and your weekly obligations, you may find yourself struggling to find the motivation to put in extra time for training. But even the most skilled practitioners need to train—and train often—in order to best serve their patients when airway emergencies occur.

Aspiration pneumonia is a life-threatening complication resulting from the inhalation of airway contaminants and pathogen overgrowth. Multiple substances are directly toxic to the lungs or can stimulate an inflammatory response when aspirated—gastric acid from vomiting is the most common aspirated substance.

As the cold begins to thaw across the country, many families begin planning their spring and summer vacations. With students out of school and families taking road trips, more people are on the road in the summer, which unfortunately means that car accidents increase during the summer months. Now is the time for your agency to begin preparing for the inevitable uptick in summer auto accidents. Here’s what you can do to save lives:

Emergency medicine is constantly evolving, and new technologies and techniques are emerging all the time. With this bombardment of innovation, we sometimes see less value placed on basic skills, such as oral suctioning. As an EMS provider, you must adapt to new technologies and techniques but always fall back on your most basic skills.

Improving your oral suction technique starts with a desire to improve your skills, no matter how basic. Let’s discuss how you can improve basic suctioning skills despite the ever-changing nature of the EMS world today.

The ABCs of patient care begin with the airway. Is your patient’s airway patent? Can your patient maintain his or her own airway? Are there any obstructions or contaminants obstructing the airway? Questions like these are likely second nature to you, and you probably don’t even realize you are asking them when caring for your patients.