by admin | Jan 30, 2019 | News, Research Alert
Creating a patent airway by cricothyrotomy is the ultimate maneuver to allow oxygenation (and ventilation) of the patient. Given the rarity of airway management catastrophes necessitating cricothyrotomy, sufficiently sized prospective randomized trials are difficult to perform. Our Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) documents all cases electronically, allowing a retrospective analysis of a larger database for all cases of prehospital cricothyrotomy.
by admin | Nov 15, 2018 | News
This large nationwide cohort study showed that rehabilitation indeed contributed to a reduction of in-hospital mortality. These findings underscore the importance of adopting rehabilitation as part of the treatment of COPD.
by admin | Nov 14, 2018 | News
Crews with the Nashville Fire Department were called to the Westin Nashville in downtown Wednesday morning for a carbon monoxide incident. The leak was reported around 6:45 a.m. at the hotel on Clark Place.
by Andrew Merelman, BS, NRP, FP-C, Richard Levitan, MD, FACEP and Richard Levitan, MD, FACEP | Nov 14, 2018 | Articles, Featured Articles
By Andrew Merelman, BS, NRP, FP-C , Richard Levitan, MD, FACEP
You arrive on scene and find a 68-year-old man is lying on the couch with difficulty breathing. He’s obese and obtunded, with severe respiratory distress. His wife tells you he has a history of congestive heart failure. He appears pale and diaphoretic, with snoring, slow, shallow breaths and his initial oxygen saturation is 72%. What are the most important first steps in managing his airway and breathing?
by admin | Nov 13, 2018 | Articles
By Keith Widmeier, BA, NRP, FP C
A difficult airway is one in which the EMS provider identifies potential attributes of the patient that would make it difficult to utilize a bag-valve mask (BVM), insert an extraglottic airway, perform a laryngoscopy, and/or perform surgical airway interventions. It’s the ability to appropriately assess the patient’s airway that allows providers to predict which will be difficult, optimize their first attempt and ensure the highest likelihood of success when managing a patient’s airway. Thorough airway assessments help drive your clinical decision-making and help determine the tools you choose to wield when managing a particular airway.
by admin | Nov 13, 2018 | News
On Aug. 30, 2018, the authors of the Pragmatic Airway Resuscitation Trial (PART) published “ETI vs. SGA: The Verdict is In” in JEMS—a review of the findings of their study which compares a supraglottic airway, specifically the King airway, with endotracheal intubation.
by admin | Nov 12, 2018 | Articles
By Jeremy Brywczynski, MD
A 9-1-1 call is received for a 68-year-old male with breathing problems. Upon arrival, the crew finds the patient confused but able to speak in short phrases. Initial vital signs are: BP 148/89, pulse 110 sinus rhythm, respiratory rate 28 and labored, O2 saturation 84% on room air and a fingerstick glucose of 145. The patient’s oxygenation and work of breathing improve markedly with 100% O2 by non-rebreather face mask. Physical examination is remarkable for increased work of breathing with rhonchi found bilaterally at the lung bases (worse on the left). No wheezing is present.
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