Tips for assessing sudden shortness of breath
Patrick LickissEMS1.com ColumnistsYou were asked to respond to a coffee shop for a 22-year-old male with increasing shortness of breath following a coughing fit; did you make the right decision? Assessment of respiratory patients, like most medical patients, involves an understanding of the anatomy and physiology which functions behind...
Remain calm: Assessing and treating panic attacks
Michael MorseEMS1.com ColumnistsAnxiety and emotion can spiral into respiratory compromise that is self-reinforcing, frightening and an EMS-treatable emergencySome patient encounters are keepers; other experiences need to be forgotten. Overcoming past calls is one of those skills that nobody teaches you in EMT school. Exorcising the...
8 questions for critical respiratory compromise patients
EMS1 SponsoredMake every assessment question count using this strategy to quickly assess respiratory patients who are unable to speak in phrases or sentences By Bob Sullivan Patients in severe respiratory distress or respiratory compromise are often unable to speak more than one or two words at a time, and attempting to do so makes...
Should medics intubate out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients?
EMS1.com ColumnistsExplore research findings about the impact of intubation on OOHCA survival and the patient's neurological status at dischargeBy Christopher T. Boyer The American Heart Association 2015 guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiac Care are somewhat inconclusive about advanced airway management for patients in cardiac...
5 things EMS providers need to know about opioid overdose and respiratory compromise
EMS1 SponsoredEMS providers need to understand the importance of airway management and monitoring for respiratory compromise along with naloxone administration for opioid overdoses By Bob Sullivan Timely recognition, airway management, administration of naloxone (Narcan), and continuous assessment of oxygenation and ventilation can be...
Sepsis detection and monitoring in EMS
Kenny NavarroEMS1.com ColumnistsTemperature, lactate and ETCO2 monitoring may provide field personnel with objective evidence to make a more accurate field diagnosis of systemic inflammatory response syndromeFor EMS providers to truly understand sepsis, they must also understand the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)...
Ventilating difficult airways in the field
Arthur HsiehEMS1.com ColumnistsAutomatic transport ventilators may improve ventilation rate, tidal volume and oxygenation for patients needing airway management and ventilator support EMS providers perform a myriad of functions while attending to patients in the field. Perhaps the most critical and intensive set of tasks are identifying...
Use capnography as a primary assessment tool for asthma and COPD exacerbation
EMS1 SponsoredQuantitative waveform capnography can help EMS providers recognize bronchospasm, spot ventilation derangements, and gauge the effectiveness of therapy By Kelly Grayson Obstructive airway disease is a constellation of chronic respiratory illnesses characterized by obstructed airflow through the terminal bronchioles and...
