As every paramedic quickly learns, paramedic training doesn’t end with graduation from paramedic school. The realities of high stakes emergencies demand more attention, thought, and flexibility than the theoretical challenges presented in school. But on-the-job experience is not enough. Continuing education allows you to master new skills, remain abreast of current research, and practice skills you use only infrequently at work.

Pumpkin patches are open, mums are on display on porches across the nation, and kids everywhere are planning their Halloween costumes. Halloween is an exciting time. Not only does it give families a chance to binge on candy and make-believe; it also marks the start of the holiday season. Many kids already have well-developed holiday wish lists by the end of October.

Portable suction failure is a major contributor to patient morbidity when first responders otherwise follow correct protocol. A 2013 study published in Prehospital and Disaster Medicine assessed the rate of portable suction failure over two years in more than 9,500 portable suction units. Overall, 2.4 percent failed. This suggests that two in every hundred patients got inadequate care instead of potentially life-saving, prompt suction.

A school district in Ohio plans to make tactical trauma kits available in every classroom, beginning this fall. The kits are similar to those used on battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s a decision that has some parents scratching their heads. After all, these are children, not soldiers. But injuries in school are rapidly increasing due to mass shootings and other tragic events. These tactical kits can and will save lives. Your agency may want to consider getting behind similar measures in your local school system. Having the right equipment can be a matter of life and death following a tragedy.

The weather may still be hot throughout most of the country, but walk into any grocery or home improvement store and you’ll see signs of fall: pumpkins, mums, apple cider, and straw bales. Cooler weather and the holiday season it brings will be here before you know it. Now is the time for emergency management agencies to begin preparing for holiday emergencies. Public outreach can save lives, so consider planning a public education seminar about common holiday emergencies before the temperature begins dropping.

Pulmonary aspiration presents a serious risk to the elderly and infirm, patients experiencing medical emergencies, intubated patients, and anyone undergoing medical or dental procedures. The right suction unit is the most powerful weapon in the fight against aspiration. Ideally, it can prevent aspiration altogether by maintaining a patent airway. Mortality and morbidity associated with pulmonary aspiration are high, with the most common consequence being aspiration pneumonia. One study suggested the 30-day mortality rate for aspiration pneumonia was 21 percent. Understanding this potentially lethal syndrome is key to preventing and treating it.

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children under the age of 15, and when natural disasters strike, children are often the first casualties. The health and social costs of emergencies and natural disasters often last for years or even decades. Floods in South Asia, for instance, left 1.8 million children out of school. This presents the possibility that the floods may affect children for the rest of their lives.

A portable suction device is an indispensable part of your emergency medical kit. Airway management can save lives following drowning, traumatic injuries, respiratory infections, and numerous other injuries and ailments. The right portable suction device saves lives. The wrong portable suction device can be a source of endless frustration and may even injure patients’ airways.

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.