Many people, from infants and children to adults with certain medical conditions, rely on tracheostomies for breathing assistance. A tracheostomy — which involves placing a tube through the front of the neck into the windpipe (trachea) to provide an air passage — is necessary in many cases, but it can also come with various risks and airway management concerns for patients and their providers. 

Roughly 1.5 million Americans are affected by neuromuscular disorders annually, and patients with neuromuscular disorders experience a host of airway complications resulting from muscle weakness. It’s important that EMS providers remain knowledgeable about different types of neuromuscular disorders and their symptoms so they’re able to provide the best treatment and airway management techniques for their patients. 

Prehospital suctioning of critically ill patients is a core skill that all first responders must master. Before the advent of suction machines, patients were faced with the terrifying realities of inadequate or nonexistent suction. Now, first responders have a number of options.

Emergency responders are the people on the frontlines of every accident, crisis and disaster. But over time — and especially in recent years — being subjected to these stressful, traumatic situations can cause burnout and negatively affect their mental health.

They may not always be on the frontlines, but health care risk managers play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of patients. There is a time, however, to celebrate these professionals.

Patients come in all shapes and sizes, and the weight of your patient is an important consideration when deciding which treatment techniques to employ and what equipment to use. 

Difficult to precisely define and encompassing a wide range of situations, medical errors nevertheless can be devastatingly costly patients and to health care providers. Protecting against these mistakes is expensive, as well, with the value of the medical malpractice insurance market estimated by some to be over $17 billion and premiums increasing rapidly in recent years.