In prehospital and emergency settings, oral suctioning may be overlooked as a basictask 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.

As deep winter approaches, it’s time to think about temperature-related emergencies. Regions across the country will experience freezing temperatures, along with sleet and snow. As a prehospital professional, you will be called to treat patients suffering a range of weather-related issues. To prepare for the onslaught of winter, let’s review some of the dangers of hypothermia.

Users of battery-powered portable suction devices often comment that it “sucks”. This can be interpreted in two ways: either negatively or positively. When the negative sentiment applies, there’s no need to despair or throw the unit across the room.

Portable suction is only used in the field on select calls and not daily. However, when it is needed, it can make the difference between a patient who leaves the hospital and one who dies of aspiration pneumonia after successful resuscitation.

Frequently, when we consider airway maintenance, we think of removing fluids and harmful substances from the trachea, but what happens when the trachea itself is part of the problem?

As an EMS provider, you know traumatic injury plays a central role in many emergencies. Trauma calls make up a large percentage of responses and take a tremendous toll on lives throughout our country. Here are a few stark statistics from the National Trauma Institute:

The total cost of natural disasters reached more than $203 billion worldwide in 2023. Catastrophes such as hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, floods, and earthquakes displace millions of people every year and send thousands to emergency departments.

Chief among a health care provider’s worst nightmares, apart from losing a patient, is unintentionally harming one. In addition to a feeling of failure or shame, a poor outcome carries the risk of a malpractice allegation.

It’s a scary moment for even the most experienced first responder: A baby has been delivered in the hospital parking lot and isn’t breathing. Or a newborn’s parents call, sobbing, and report that their baby is in respiratory distress.