With the number of mass shootings across America increasing each year, there is a growing focus on integrated response, placing paramedics and EMTs side-by-side with law enforcement when called to scenes of violence. As tactical medical response evolves to meet these growing needs, so does our medical equipment. But the restrictions that go along with tactical scenarios—namely, take only what you can carry—mean that each piece of equipment must be fundamental to the mission. There is no room for excess. Let's explore five things to include in your tactical trauma kit.

Fear of visiting the dentist and undergoing oral surgery can make patients reluctant to seek dental care and increase their discomfort when they do. Many Americans suffer from some form of dental anxiety. Oral surgery to treat cavities, infections, broken teeth, and jaw and gingival health issues are among the most common medical procedures.

There’s no question that tracheal suctioning saves lives. It can maintain a patent airway in patients with infections who cannot clear their airway, and it’s a first line of defense against aspiration pneumonia and can prevent hypoxia in patients experiencing anaphylaxis and airway obstructions. Knowing the most common morbidities associated with tracheal suctioning is key to preventing bad outcomes.

You can tell a lot in the first few seconds of patient contact. Your initial survey begins the moment you step on scene. For example, there’s that “difficulty breathing” call that comes in the wee hours of the morning to an assisted-living residence you’ve responded to on countless occasions.

Few EMS procedures are as important as tracheal intubation. However, this procedure can also be challenging, and not just for novice providers. If skills are not initially mastered and frequently practiced, intubation success rates plummet, and placement of an advanced airway doesn't occur.

During a code, knowing where your supplies are located on your crash cart is just as important as having everything necessary. Navigating your way through a hectic code is much easier when you have the right items and an organized system for your crash cart. Here are some tips.

Every good nurse knows that the job involves much more than simply treating the patient’s current illness or injury. Instead, nurses should try to anticipate potential complications that could arise for their patients and implement measures to prevent them from happening.

You are called to a residence in the middle of the night. A frantic father meets you at the door and ushers you upstairs to his son’s room, where you find a four-year-old boy perched anxiously on the side of his bed. He is braced in a tripod position, his small arms rigidly fixed by his side as he leans forward, drooling into a puddle on the floor. The father noticed a fever last night when he put the boy to bed but is astounded by the child’s rapid deterioration.

Asthma is a common affliction, affecting 8% to 10% e of the population. Many childhood asthmatics grow out of the disorder in adulthood, so a disproportionate percentage of people with asthma are children. For most people, asthma is a minor inconvenience akin to – and often associated with – seasonal allergies. An unlucky fraction of asthmatics, however, have a more severe form of the illness.