One of the scariest calls you will run into is a child in respiratory distress. Children are challenging, with their inability to articulate symptoms; their small veins and airways; and the fact that when they crash, they crash with a vengeance.

The storm had knocked out power across three counties, and unfortunately your zone was situated in the thick of the storm. Although your station was equipped with an emergency generator, the steady influx of calls had kept you from touching base. And now you're dispatched to an overdose at the nearby homeless shelter.

This morning, you glanced at your calendar and realized the quarterly meeting with your paramedic lieutenants was quickly approaching. As an EMS manager, you know these meetings provide a great opportunity for feedback from the field: which treatment strategies are working, and which ones are not; what common problems their personnel encounter on scenes; and if there are any equipment issues that must be addressed.

Have you ever needed to clear a patient’s airway in a location where in-wall suction was not available? If so, you definitely recognize the importance of having a reliable portable suction unit. Not only do you want your unit to be lightweight and deliver appropriate suction, you want to be assured that your rechargeable battery is not going to fizzle out on you at a critical time.

Users of battery powered portable suction devices often comment the device “sucks”. This can either be a negative or a positive comment. In the case of the former, there are 3 ways to increase the performance of your portable suction device in order to turn the negative into a positive comment.

The majority of portable suction devices are powered by sealed lead acid batteries. While a sealed lead acid battery is a very stable and reliable battery chemistry, the battery can lose capacity creating the need to purchase a replacement battery for your portable suction device. When buying a replacement battery for your portable suction device there are a few things you should keep in mind.

An internal disaster can occur in many forms, from a fire in the hospital’s kitchen to a hazardous chemical spill to a bomb threat. With the multitude of potential threats, planning to keep your hospital functioning during these times can be quite a challenge.

The more I work with alkaline batteries, the more impressed that I become. Packed in this compact cylinder is a modern miracle.