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Disclaimer:

Everything you read here should be considered fiction. Patient rights will always be respected. Any resemblance to persons living or not is purely coincidental.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Weekly Roundup - Tax Week 4/18/2014

My apologies to you, gentle reader, (I'm sure there is at least one person who reads this blog, surely?) and I apologize for the "Weekly Roundup" being the only thing you hear from the Ambulance Ranger these days.  More content to come, I promise.
The short update?
Lots of calls, then none.
Still plodding through Paramedic internship.
Still studying.
Still working.
yep, that's pretty much it.  Hope you enjoy this week's finds:

I think I will link to the NEW Ferno iNX stretcher every week.  Forever.  Or until we get a grant to buy them for our service.  Then I will post videos of us using them.  Or at least a picture of me sleeping on one.
http://www.jemseditorblog.com/2014/04/17/ferno-introduces-revolutionary-patient-transport-loading-system-at-the-fdic-conference-in-indianapolis/

Teaching tips - that awful moment when you realize everyone's asleep...
http://www.ems1.com/education/articles/1878798-6-training-tips-to-reach-unengaged-EMTs/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=exclusiveBlock1&nlid=1881013

Blood pressure - how to do it the right way
http://www.ems1.com/blood-pressure/articles/1882581-5-errors-that-are-giving-you-incorrect-blood-pressure-readings/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=exclusiveBlock4&nlid=1882308

I know a couple people who would be great at motorcycle medicine...
http://www.emsworld.com/article/11393194/motorcycle-paramedics-provide-faster-ems-response-at-special-events

Strokes, under-diagnosed:
"Analyzing federal health care data, a team of researchers led by a Johns Hopkins specialist concluded that doctors overlook or discount the early signs of potentially disabling strokes in tens of thousands of American each year, a large number of them visitors to emergency rooms complaining of dizziness or headaches."
http://www.emsworld.com/news/11398693/stroke-assessment

Furosemide - No, No, and No
http://www.emlitofnote.com/2014/04/pre-hospital-furosemide-no-no-also-no.html

Specifically targeting abdominal pain, another sacred cow gets slain:
"In this era of iPods and digital media, EMS pain management seems stuck in the days of boom boxes and cassette tapes. It’s time we tossed the old attitudes about pain management, like those old boom boxes, into the dustbin of history."
http://www.emsworld.com/article/10862823/ems-relief-of-abdominal-pain

$40 that might save your life, via Kelly Grayson - LET RESPONDERS FIND YOU!
The porch lights flashing switch is very cool, and something I had not seen:
http://www.ambulancedriverfiles.com/2014/04/16/when-you-need-the-good-guys-can-they-reach-you/

Kelly has been busy this week!  Great podcast discussion with Chris Cebollero on hot topics, clinical issues, and operational leadership lessons:
http://www.ems1.com/fire-ems/articles/1882760-Inside-EMS-Podcast-Reducing-spine-board-usage-EMS-leadership-styles/

And finally, a shout-out to our awesome dispatchers (you know who they are, the ones when you hear their voice on the line you KNOW you will be taken care of for your shift)
http://psc.apcointl.org/2013/03/21/so-you-want-to-be-a-dispatcher/



Friday, April 11, 2014

Weekly Roundup 4/11/2014

Important, for many reasons.  Not a "how-to" but more of a "how we got here"
http://www.jems.com/article/history-ems/how-heal-after-responding-tough-call

Active shooter EMS -- Discussion
"During an active shooter/active killing response, the first-arriving Fire/EMS responders, not special operations or tactical medical teams, must accept the responsibility for life rescue and medical operations and must work with first-responding law enforcement assets to rapidly deploy into the areas that have been cleared but not secured (warm/indirect threat zones) to initiate treatment and rescue injured victims."
http://www.jems.com/article/supporting-paradigm-change-ems-operation

Wake County EMS Evacuation pre-plan (outline) and A.J. Heightman's freaky night in a hotel:
http://www.jemseditorblog.com/2014/04/08/twas-the-night-before-mci-class/

Simple thoracostomy - a case for incision rather than needle decompression
(will be interesting to see what the study yields)
"To avoid the complications associated with needle decompression, a number of services in Europe have adopted simple thoracostomy as an option for chest decompression. Simple thoracostomy is a technique similar to the placement of a chest tube, traditionally done in the ED. It utilizes an incision with a scalpel and penetration directly into the thoracic cavity with forceps and a gloved finger to relieve the tension pneumothorax. The only major difference is that the chest tube isn’t inserted."
http://www.jems.com/article/patient-care/simple-thoracostomy-moving-beyond-needle

Ferno's new cot.  If it works, it's a game-changer for EMS:
http://www.fernoems.com/inx/
VERY similar to one we played with at EMS World, but this is all auto and will load into our tall 4wd ambulances.  I might be in love.

AND A little video crazed this week

How an EMT gets ready for work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahCuA6DsSGE#t=155

Forget the egg in a skillet "this is your brain on drugs" commercial.
Just show this to the kids, and they will stay away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UePInKAKgTA

It's so funny, because it's true...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9G5CfrQN4w#t=55

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Weekly Roundup 3/28/2014 (sorry it's late)

YESYESYESYESYESYESYES
I will be reading this, printing it, and re-using it:
http://theemtspot.com/2014/03/22/101-things-we-should-teach-every-new-emt/


Simulation -- not just for EMS
http://www.emsworld.com/news/11359882/la-doctors-practice-speeding-up-trauma-care

Funny, because it's too true:
http://www.savortheessenceoflife.com/2014/03/23/30-things-nurses-almost-say-but-then-dont/
I had the, um, privilege of working with some DC Fire/EMS folk a couple years ago.  They are getting focused, for sure, with bad press.  But you don't get smoke without...
http://www.jems.com/video/news/dc-woman-leaves-ambulance-while-crew-arg