1EMT-P

Always check your patient's ABC's & listen with a scope for a full minute!

Which AED/CPR/First Aid program would you recommend & why? I am looking for alternatives to both the AHA & ARC.

It's hard to say what this is w/o having a 12 lead, but I seriously doubt that this is WPW. I suspect that this patient is either experiencing a possible pacemaker failure or that his pacer needs to be adjusted. I would like to know what he was doing prior to this episode and also how long ago his pacer was implanted. Typically pacer batteries are only good for about 10 years!

I like their draft, I think they did a good job given the fact that some agencies are more advanced than others!

I would vote for the CBT and King as well.

Yes!

Do they have a lights & siren protocol where you work? We had a protocol that covered when we could use lights & siren...

The Combitube was not designed as a replacement for the ET Tube, it was designed as an adjunct airway to be used when an ET Tube could not be placed or when a trained provider was not available.

In short if an EMT completes an airway course, along with a practical and written exam then yes he or she should be able to place a CBT.

The SAM splint makes a good C-Collar and it also can be used as an arm board for IVs :!:

I have been using the Combitube in the field since the early 90's and in my opinion it is a good airway adjunct to have, but it does have age and size limitations. Not to mention the fact that it can be difficult to intubate around.

If I were you, I would cut back on caffeine and I would make an appointment to see your family Dr. ASAP :!: GOOD LUCK :!:

The public education system in this country is in such as mess that students are not learning the basic skills that they need to function in the real world :!: It is not their fault that they were not taught certain concepts and ideas in school :!:

It is also not their fault that they are not being taught certain concepts, ideas and skills in EMT and/or Paramedic class :!: It is the EMS Administrators, EMS Agencies, EMS Employers, EMS Instructors, and EMS Medical Directors faults for not demanding that the educational standards be improved :!:

It wasn't that long ago that old MICPs were given a bag of drugs, an EOA and a 40 Lb heart monitor and sent out to into the field :!:

I don't have a problem with testing new personnel, but I do have a problem with some of these Old Bicarb Medics trying to keep things the way they were in the 1970's & 1980's.

We can improve EMS education and improve the quality of care without resorting to using some of the old outdated methods :!:

I usually check the unit before the shift starts.

Does your agency and/or state require you to maintain NR status?

I think that there needs to be some additional studies done on Poly-Heme before it is used in the field.

The Pros of Poly-Heme are: 1. That it might improve survival after trauma. 2. That patients might avoid the risks associated with blood transfusions. 3. That patients might avoid a decrease in internal organ damage/ function.

The Cons of Poly-Heme are: 1. That it might cause death. 2. That it might cause internal organ damage. 3. That patients might become infected with Hepatitis or HIV. 4. That it might cause a rash. 5. That it might cause a temporary increase in blood pressure.

I don't usually use saline locks on trauma patients, I usually use 16 or 18 ga of NS running at KVO.

Do any of you use Saline Locks instead of IVs on trauma patients?

What do you think about Poly Heme being used in the field?

I would like to see a national EMS licensing exam similar to what the LPNs & RN's take instead of the NR.

How's the Paramedic job market in southwestern PA? How are the protocols? What's the medical command process like?

I would obtain glucose levels on both patients.

I wouldn't give medication unless the patient had signs & symptoms of an allergic reaction such as coughing, cramps, hives, itching, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, swelling of the face, tongue or throat, nausea, vomiting or wheezing.

I usually give Albuterol 2.5-5.0 mg via HHN PRN, Benadryl 25-50 mg IM/IV, Tagament 300 mg IV, Solu Medrol 125 mg IV.

I was talking with a friend of mine from Maine and he told me that they were using Fentanyl, O2, Nitro & ASA ( F.O.N.A. ) for chest pain.

I am in favor of EMT-I's being able to administer limited medications as long as they have completed the EMT-I certification process along with a pharmacology class and exam and are authorized by their EMS agency, Medical Command, Medical Director and State Office of EMS to do so.