Do Palpable Pulses Correlate to Systolic Blood Pressure in Hypotensive Trauma Patients?
Do Palpable Pulses Correlate to Systolic Blood Pressure in Hypotensive Trauma Patients? In Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), we learned that a carotid, femoral, and radial pulse correlates to certain systolic blood pressure (SBP) in hypotensive trauma patients. Specifically, ATLS stated: Carotid pulse only = SBP 60 – 70 mmHg Carotid & Femoral pulse only […]
Who Needs a Traction Splint?
Who Needs a Traction Splint? Jeremy Singleton, RN CFRN CCRN CEN NREMT The human femur takes an enormous amount of force to break and is, therefore, an injury often associated with some of the higher acuity patients seen in emergency medicine. The kinetic energy necessary for such an injury, along with the close proximity of […]
Time for Spinal Immobilization to Die in Trauma Patients
Background: It has been common practice in trauma to place patients in cervical collars and on long backboards (LBBs) to achieve spinal immobilization. LBBs are used to help prevent spinal movement and facilitate the extrication of patients. Cervical collars (C-Collars) are used to help prevent movement of the cervical spine and often are combined with […]
Private/For Profit EMS
Historically, smaller communities have not recognized ambulance services as being on a similar priority level as fire departments or the police. Most people did not believe EMS agencies deserved to receive public funding. That was until it became apparent that medical transportation services are just as important as other public safety systems. Before these EMS […]
Air Medical Services: The Evolution of Aircraft as Ambulances
For a long time, air medical transport has been an important aspect of emergency and critical care. In case of a medical emergency, an air ambulance company should be able to move patients to and from healthcare facilities so that they can get the medical treatment that they need. Flight crews play a large role […]
How EMS Services Including Ambulances Went from Punishment to Prestige
Before World War II, many hospitals provided emergency ambulance service in large cities. However, the war effort led to severe shortages in manpower, and it soon became difficult for EMS providers and hospitals to maintain their ambulance operations even during medical emergencies. Because of this, many city governments turned their emergency services over to the […]
Sudden Ambulance Death Syndrome
Stay and Play We’ve all had those critical patients: the ones circling the drain when we show up who bring the “pucker factor.” As EMTs and paramedics, our first reaction is to “grab and go” and get that patient to the familiar environment of our ambulance. It makes sense, right? That’s our office, all of […]
When to Transfuse: Diagnostic Tools
When to Transfuse: Diagnostic Tools The ability to transfuse critically ill patients before they even reach the hospital doors is becoming a reality for more programs every day. Over the past several years the tides have shifted to favor blood in for blood out, highlighting the importance this component plays in our normal physiology. There […]
IV Flow Rate Restrictions with Commonly Used Equipment
The relationship between IV catheter gauge and flow rate seems to be widely understood, but there could be standard practices in your fluid administration that are making your sweet 16 gauge in the AC perform more like a 20 in the hand. The limitation isn’t with the catheter itself, but rather the different equipment […]