You’ve responded to the same nightclub three times this month. Every call is the same: a young adult found unresponsive, most likely the result of an overdose on heroin. The patient is a male in his mid-twenties, pupils pinpoint, he’s barely breathing and showing the early signs of cyanosis. You load him onto the stretcher, place him in your unit, and race to the nearest hospital.

In prehospital and emergency settings, oral suctioning may be overlooked as a basic task that is performed without harm to the patient. The reality is, oral suctioning is not without its risks and complications. In addition to complications related to the procedure itself, oral suctioning complications may arise because of ineffective or incorrect technique. Let’s explore the various oral suctioning procedure complications and discuss ways you can prevent them in your patients.

Precision and skill is required for Advanced airway management, especially in vulnerable patients. When performed correctly, initiating nasopharyngeal airways is very safe—and much safer than the alternative of doing nothing. Many first responders are reluctant to initiate a nasopharyngeal airway, citing fears of complications. But this route can enable intubation in patients with an intact gag reflex. Proper training can promote greater confidence, so don’t let fear deter you from practicing this life-saving technique. Forewarned is forearmed, so let’s look at some potential complications. 

Media depictions of natural disaster preparedness tend to highlight immediate needs, such as clothing, food, shelter, and access to medical care. Long after the glaring lights of the news media have turned to another natural disaster, however, survivors of the previous disaster may continue to face health issues. First responders must prepare not only for the immediate effects of natural disasters, but also for the long-term health consequences. Here are the most common lingering effects of natural disasters.

While the EMS industry has been struggling with a labor shortage for years, the COVID-19 pandemic turned this shortage into a nationwide crisis. According to the American Ambulance Association, annual turnover among paramedics and EMTs ranges from 20% to 30%. Employees are also starting to leave their jobs faster, as almost one-third of EMS workers left their ambulance company after less than a year in 2020. Across many parts of the country, we are seeing cuts to services and longer wait times for ambulances, leaving companies scrambling to find solutions. 

Some patients have a high risk of pulmonary aspiration when under anesthesia and require a technique called rapid sequence intubation (sometimes referred to as rapid sequence induction). It helps prevent aspiration by reducing the interval of time between loss of consciousness and inflation of the endotracheal tube cuff. Without the right equipment, rapid sequence intubation becomes impossible. Here’s what you need to have on hand to properly perform this technique.

The stats speak for themselves. Respiratory distress is what sends 10% of children to emergency departments. Additionally, one in seven seniors has a lung disease. Between 1980-2014, more than 4.6 million American adults died from chronic respiratory diseases. 

Many EMS personnel and healthcare providers have had to carry the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects over the past two years. According to a national survey, nearly 27% of the EMS workforce has had to quarantine at some point during the pandemic, and on average, respondents said over 18% of their practitioners have contracted COVID-19. They’ve endured all this while working on the frontlines to keep people safe and mitigate the spread of the virus. 

Most patients know only about continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. But in emergency medicine, CPAP has many uses, particularly for neonates with respiratory distress. 

Cardiac arrest is a nightmare scenario for most first responders. Recent research suggests survival rates are as low as 6 percent when cardiac arrest happens outside the hospital. Immediate intervention is required, but if suctioning is required, treating a patient in cardiac arrest can be challenging. Here’s what you need to know about the procedure.