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. 

While tachycardia can be a sign of respiratory distress, it also can be a complication of interventions to treat respiratory distress, including suctioning. First responders and medical providers must have a clear understanding of the link between tachycardia and suctioning so that they can reduce the risk of patient injuries and improve both long- and short-term outcomes. 

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.

Geriatric patients are more likely to experience respiratory emergencies such as pneumonia, aspiration, and severe respiratory infections. A range of physiological changes, including muscle atrophy, can make airway assessment and management more difficult. 

It’s that time of year again, as May flowers are blooming, trees are dropping pollen and seasonal allergies are causing coughing, sneezing and a host of other uncomfortable symptoms. Maybe you can already verify it, but experts predict that 2022 will be a particularly bad year for allergies, as allergy season is getting longer each year and symptoms continue to worsen across the country.