Published in AEMT. Tags: shock and resuscitation.
Introduction Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common injury occurring in the United States with an incidence of approximately 54 per million persons per year. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, approximately 280,000 living survivors of traumatic SCI were reported in the United States in 2017. The prevalence of nontraumatic SCI is […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: artificial ventilation.
Introduction Barotrauma is damage to body tissue secondary to pressure difference in enclosed cavities within the body. Barotrauma is commonly observed in scuba divers, free-divers, or even in airplane passengers during ascent and descent. The most common organs affected by barotrauma are the middle ear (otic barotrauma), sinuses (sinus barotrauma), and the lungs (pulmonary barotrauma). Pulmonary barotrauma […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: artificial ventilation.
Introduction Bag valve mask ventilation is a skill of utmost important for emergency providers. It is not easy and requires practice to master as it will be utilized in emergent settings. Proper patient positioning is critical to the procedure. The tongue often falls to the back of the pharynx which can occlude the airway. The […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: airway assessment, airway management.
Introduction To be skillful at airway management, the provider must know the critical anatomical, physiological, and pathological features related to the airway. They should also be aware of the various tools and methods that have been developed for this purpose. It is additionally important to know the indications, contraindications, and complications of endotracheal intubation. It […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: airway management.
Laryngeal mask airways (LMA) are single-use or reusable supraglottic airway devices which may be used as a temporary method to maintain an open airway during the administration of anesthesia or as an immediate life-saving measure in a difficult or failed airway as outlined in the difficult airway algorithm published by many societies of anesthesiology worldwide. Introduced into clinical practice […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: airway management.
Airways suctioning is indicated for multiple reasons. Most commonly, suctioning is done for the removal of secretions from the respiratory tract, but sometimes also for the removal of blood or other materials like meconium in specific cases. Airway suctioning is also performed for diagnostic purposes. For example, airway secretions may be sent for microbiological and […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: shock and resuscitation.
Introduction Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an acute, diffuse, inflammatory form of lung injury and life-threatening condition in seriously ill patients, characterized by poor oxygenation, pulmonary infiltrates, and acute onset. On a microscopic level, the disorder is associated with capillary endothelial injury and diffuse alveolar damage. ARDS is an acute disorder that starts within […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: Emergency Medications.
Nitrous oxide is an odorless, colorless, non-flammable gas. While nitrous oxide is not flammable, it will support combustion to the same extent as oxygen. It leads to a state of euphoria, explaining its nickname, ‘laughing gas.’ Nitrous oxide is the least potent inhalational anesthetic. Nitrous oxide requires a concentration of 104% to reach one minimum alveolar […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: Emergency Medications.
Nitroglycerin is a vasodilatory drug used primarily to provide relief from anginal chest pain. It is currently FDA approved for the acute relief of an attack or acute prophylaxis of angina pectoris secondary to coronary artery disease. Off-label, non-FDA-approved uses include treatment for hypertensive urgency/emergency, coronary artery spasm, angina secondary to cocaine use, congestive heart failure (CHF), and chronic anal fissures. Along […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: Emergency Medications.
Over the past two decades, the rate of overdose from opiates has increased significantly. While many factors have contributed to opioid overdose in the United States, the rate of overdose appears to be highest in rural communities compared to those living in urban areas. For example, in West Virginia, where over 50% of the population resides […]