Proper airway management in emergency medical settings can be life-saving and may prevent other complications, such as hypoxic brain injuries. Although most paramedics intuitively understand this, the stress of a high stakes emergency can make it difficult to provide skillful, quality care. Complications are common but largely preventable. Here is your quick-start guide to advanced airway management in 2018.

For many families, summer means picnics, fireworks, and time at the pool. These summer experiences can quickly turn into nightmares when a parent turns their back on a swimming child.

Respiratory emergencies can appear suddenly and seemingly without warning. In some patients, anaphylaxis sends the body into a state of crisis, making breathing difficult or impossible and obstructing the airway. As with any respiratory emergency, having the right suction unit ready and functional is key to managing the crisis. Here’s what you need to know about managing anaphylaxis and other respiratory emergencies.

As every first responder eventually learns, preparedness saves lives. Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) are increasingly common, with more than 14,000 such events documented in EMS databases in the 2010 National EMS Database of the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS).

Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes a slew of summer-related emergencies. From natural disasters to drownings to close encounters with stinging insects, the warm months usher in a plethora of deadly events that you, the emergency responder, must be prepared for.

Each year, the number of active shooter incidents seems to climb. Hardly a week goes by without a broadcast reporting a gun-wielding assailant leaving behind a trail of victims. In fact, between 2000-2016, statistics show a steady, upward climb of the number of incidents and the number of victims, with over 1,400 casualties produced during that 16-year period.¹

Spinal cord injuries are devastating events. In the U.S., most are the result of automobile collisions, but falls, penetrating injuries, and blunt trauma can also cause injury to the spinal cord, leading to a respiratory emergency. It is estimated that there are over 11,000 spinal cord injuries each year in the U.S., the majority (80%) of which affect males around the age of 37.¹ When the injuries involve the cervical vertebrae, specifically the midsection (C3 through C5), they can disrupt the phrenic nerve, which controls movement of the diaphragm, rendering the patient unable to breathe on their own.

We all know what an important role the 911 system plays in communities throughout the United States, but the role of EMS goes well beyond responding to fire and medical emergencies. Today, departments are realizing the impact they can have throughout their cities by getting involved in public outreach and education.

Pediatric airway obstruction may be a rare occurrence for EMS responders, but they are a frequent cause of pediatric death worldwide. According to the Mayo Clinic, choking is a common cause of injury and death among children.¹ And it could simply be a matter of time before you are called upon to relieve an obstructed airway or treat a child who is choking.

Mobile dentistry has become a progressive trend in medicine. By making dental care available to those who lack access to basic treatment, mobile dentistry improves the lives and health of populations around the world.