Individuals with special needs make up an increasing proportion of outpatient populations. Better equipment, more effective medications, and the rising cost of medical facilities mean more special needs individuals are being cared for at home by family, friends, and home health personnel.

This means you, as an EMS professional, will run into such patients with greater regularity.

The patient has been entrapped for almost thirty minutes. An unrestrained driver going 50 mph who lost control and struck a tree, he is now unresponsive, bleeding profusely, and has the outline of a steering wheel tattooed across his chest.

His face was crushed on impact. You’ve managed to insert an OPA, and you are suctioning his airway and providing ventilations, but his condition is deteriorating with each passing minute. At last, his legs are free, and the patient is packaged. The next critical juncture in patient care arrives: How and where will the patient be transported?

Airway protection can be life-saving for people who are experiencing the effects of both acute and chronic respiratory illness. But airway protection is not an antidote to respiratory failure, and will not necessarily prevent it. Indeed, some doctors even argue that the need for airway protection is a sign of respiratory failure because the patient cannot effectively exchange gases on their own. Prompt intervention in a respiratory emergency may prevent respiratory failure in some cases, although there are no guarantees.  

As we have witnessed through recent natural disasters, hospitals are not immune to power loss. Even a brief disruption in power can affect many critical systems within the hospital. Medical vacuum is one example.

Most hospitals rely on a central source for their vacuum. Generally, a pump, or pumps, in the basement creates the vacuum that is delivered throughout the hospital through a series of pipes. Without electricity, the pump cannot function, and the vacuum is lost. Let’s review how this impacts normal hospital function and ways to mitigate this issue.

March was National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (D.D.A.M.), an opportunity to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities and address the barriers they face in daily life. Around 15% of the world’s population live with a disability, a number that’s increasing annually due to demographic changes including population aging and a global increase in chronic health conditions.

Like with other minority patient populations, it’s critical that first responders understand the unique considerations for treating and performing airway management on patients with developmental disabilities, to provide the most safe and effective level of care possible and continue enhancing healthcare accessibility and services for these patients.

If you could design your own airway bag, what would you put in it?

The longer we work in the field, the more we develop habits and preferences that find their way into our daily routines. You carry certain tools on your belt or in your pouch; you set up for an IV or an intubation using a set pattern; and you place everything in a specific spot so that you can grab it in a rush. 

When working in the medical field, especially in a post-pandemic world, taking the necessary steps to prevent spreading infections to loved ones in your home is essential. With chronic exposure to sick patients, the likelihood of bringing home an unwanted virus is high. There are a variety of ways providers can utilize best practices to reduce the risk of exposure.

Pregnant patients exhibit various unique characteristics which first responders must account for during treatment.

A significant challenge responders encounter when treating pregnant women is navigating difficult airway anatomy and possible risks during airway management. A statistic from the Society of Critical Care Medicine reveals that the rate of failed intubation in pregnant patients is 8 to 10 times higher than in nonpregnant patients, and this is largely due to anatomical changes, hormone production and aspiration risks that occur during pregnancy.

The code is running smoothly, even though you have yet to secure an endotracheal tube. You are hastily setting up your airway equipment, good CPR is in progress, and the patient is being bagged when suddenly, the vomiting ensues. Fortunately, you’ve brought along your portable suction unit. You crank it on and get to work, but the vomit is proving a challenge. Instead of using a large-bore suction catheter, you’re stuck with only a small-tipped rigid catheter, which is rapidly losing the battle against the patient’s gastric contents.

As a paramedic, you are frequently called upon to treat respiratory emergencies. These emergencies come in many forms, from asthmatics to Those with emphysema to pediatrics suffering from obstructions. No matter the type of call, emergencies involving the respiratory system are some of the most critical you will handle. And recognizing the true respiratory emergency is the first step in treating it. It all starts with your assessment.