Paramedic training doesn’t just end the minute an EMT graduates from their school or program. In today’s world, medical needs and environments are constantly evolving, and professionals need versatile skillsets to attend to a wide range of emergencies daily.

Patient care providers—doctors, first responders, nurses, and a number of other experts—all must rely on a deep toolbox of life-saving equipment. Caring for patients requires that care providers know when, where, and how to use these tools and that they keep them ready to go at all times. This is more than just a professional duty – it’s a moral obligation. Care providers can face serious consequences when they fail to prepare and correctly use their tools. 

A medical suction pump is a key piece of equipment during oral surgery. The right suction pump improves patient outcomes, reduces the risk of complications, and can promptly intervene in the event of a serious dental emergency. Here are four key reasons dentists should invest in a quality medical suction machine. 

Airway management is a necessary intervention in many patient emergencies — from airway compromise to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. However, depending on how severe the patient’s condition is, and the invasiveness of the intervention, airway management often causes negative effects to patients’ mental and physical health. 

Drug overdoses, sudden injuries, respiratory issues, and myriad other health concerns can trigger cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death, but many of these deaths are preventable. Every year, more than 383,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals. Bystanders providing CPR immediately can double or triple the chance of survival. The figure is even higher when trained first responders are prepared to perform CPR while managing the airway. Airway management is key to successful CPR, and first responders must have the right equipment ready to go. 

For years, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has declared May to be “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month,” providing an opportunity to educate patients, families, caregivers and health care providers about the unique needs of those living with asthma and allergies. 

Before the fall of 2022, most people were not thinking much about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), even though most children get the illness by age 2, and even adults get the disease. But a remarkable surge of RSV cases, coupled with a heavy flu season and ongoing COVID-19 infections, is creating a trifecta of respiratory diseases that is wreaking havoc and pushing hospitals to the limit, and EMTs are seeing an uptick in calls concerning those facing serious symptoms.

Age, weak muscle tone, chronic illnesses, and changes in the throat and esophagus increase the rate of airway obstructions in the elderly. A recent study that used spirometry measures as a clinical indicator of airway obstructions in patients aged 60-93 found an obstruction rate of 22.5% t. This suggests that many elders live with partial obstructions that compromise overall function and health. When they experience an injury or illness, it’s easy for a partial obstruction to become a life-threatening full obstruction. Here’s what you need to know.