Category: AEMT
- How People Die: Suffocation ()
There are numerous ways a person can be suffocated (the process of asphyxiation). Sometimes there is nothing structurally wrong with the airway, but something wrong with the air itself (low oxygen environment, poison gases). Perhaps the patient is suffocating because the there is a problem not with the airway, but the lungs. An infection of […]
- How People Die: Choking ()
The human body is replete with a host of defense mechanisms that protect from microorganisms, the environment, insects, etc. The most vulnerable target on the human body is the airway. Airway is the term used to describe the circuit that brings air from the environment and into the lungs. There are numerous reflexes, structures, and […]
- Medical Terminology 3 ()
- Medical Terminology 2 ()
- Medical Terminology Part 1 ()
- Introduction to Medical Terminology ()
Medicine (as a practice) as we know it has only existed for around 120 years. Medicine as a study has existed since civilization first began. The academic treasures of the ancient world were assimilated into the Roman empire (which lasted almost 1000 years). The medical knowledge of the years were translated into Latin and marched […]
- Arterial Blood Gas Determination ()
Like spirometry, EMS generally does not perform ABG collection or analysis. The following information is more hypothetical and intended to demonstrate the connection between a patient and a disorder. Blood gas analysis is a commonly used diagnostic tool to evaluate the partial pressures of gas in blood as well as acid-base content. Understanding and use […]
- Disorders of Acid Base Balance ()
Normal arterial blood pH is restricted to a very narrow range of 7.35 to 7.45. A person who has a blood pH below 7.35 is considered to be in acidosis (actually, “physiological acidosis,” because blood is not truly acidic until its pH drops below 7), and a continuous blood pH below 7.0 can be fatal. […]
- Respiration and Acid Base Balance ()
Proper physiological functioning depends on a very tight balance between the concentrations of acids and bases in the blood. Acid-balance balance is measured using the pH scale, as shown below. A variety of buffering systems permits blood and other bodily fluids to maintain a narrow pH range, even in the face of perturbations. A buffer […]
- Chemical and Neurological Control of Involuntary Respiration ()
Involuntary respiration is any form of respiratory control that is not under direct, conscious control. Breathing is required to sustain life, so involuntary respiration allows it to happen when voluntary respiration is not possible, such as during sleep. Involuntary respiration also has metabolic functions that work even when a person is conscious. The Respiratory Centers […]