Category: EMT
- Clean versus Disinfect ()
Cleaning is what happens when the something is soiled. Disinfecting deals with killing microorganisms (which can only be seen under a microscope). Cleaning is generally accomplished by spraying a disinfectant onto the soiled object then wiping it clean with a rag. Disinfecting is generally accomplished by spraying a surface disinfectant onto the object. Examples of […]
- That Homeless Guy is Somebody’s Son or Father ()
It is very easy to dehumanize the violent, drugged, or mentally ill. It’s not a ‘them against us’ arrangement. EMS is there to help. Don’t get caught up taking sides. Reality is never polarized.
- Emergency Moves ()
The purpose of an emergency move is to move a patient out of immediate danger. Danger could come in the form of fire, close proximity of explosives or other hazard, or move the patient out of the way to get to a different patient. An emergency move could be used to quickly move a cardiac […]
- Lifting And Moving Patients ()
Many students who come to a georgiaemsacademy EMT-0 program have never had to pick anything up in their entire lives. Georgiaemsacademy cadre spend much time working with students with the interest of developing good lifting technique and the ability to operate an ambulance stretcher. A big part of an EMS crew members job is to […]
- Death and Dying ()
EMS personnel are routinely confronted with no win situations. Despite the expectation that EMS can bring anybody back from the dead or at least prevent the inevitable in the nearly dead, medics eventually understand that not everyone will make it. Feelings of invincibility and invulnerability will likely fade away after an EMS crew member has […]
- Pathogens Are Microorganisms That Exist Even Though You Can’t See Them ()
Micro-organisms and their activities are vitally important to virtually all processes on Earth. Micro-organisms matter because they affect every aspect of our lives – they are in us, on us and around us. Microbiology is the study of all living organisms that are too small to be visible with the naked eye. This includes bacteria, […]
- Personal Protective Equipment ()
Standard precautions work under the assumption of that all patients have a contagious disease. There is no way to know if a patient has a contagious disease, therefore using standard precautions for all patients is a key skill to possess in the prehospital environment. Understanding the threat and possessing situational awareness will ensure the EMS […]
- Standard Safety Precautions ()
Prior to working in healthcare, or even training to work in healthcare, a physical examination is usually performed to determine a baseline health status. Immunizations are assessed to be current. The following are examples of healthcare immunizations that are screened in pre-training and pre-employment screening: Tetanus Hepatitis B (MMR)Measles/mumps/rubella (German Measles) Chicken pox (varicella) Influenza […]
- Evidence Based Decision Making ()
Traditional medical practice is based on medical knowledge, intuition (the ability to understand something completely without the need to think about it), and judgment (the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions). High quality patient care should focus on procedures that have been proven useful in improving patient outcomes. Emergency Medical Services […]
- Research ()
Before 1800, medicine was completely different than it is today. In those days, it wasn’t uncommon to treat a patient with cancer or an infection by cutting the patient and allowing the patient to ‘bleed out the infection’. The barbaric act was a practice that was thousands of years old and finally died out by […]