Published in EMT. Tags: respiratory.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment uses a machine to pump air under pressure into the airway of the lungs. Medics use CPAP to treat patients with pulmonary edema or congestive heart failure. The reason patients with pulmonary edema experience shortness of breath is due to high blood pressure and blood pooling in the pulmonary […]
Published in EMT. Tags: respiratory.
High Blood Pressures In The Pulmonary Capillaries Decreases Diffusion Of Oxygen From The Environment Pulmonary edema is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the lungs. This buildup of fluid leads to shortness of breath. Pulmonary edema is often caused by congestive heart failure. When the heart is not able to pump efficiently, blood can back up […]
Published in EMT. Tags: respiratory.
Asthma is a chronic lung disease. It affects the bronchioles (airways) which are the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. When the patient has asthma, their bronchioles can become inflamed and narrowed. This can cause wheezing, coughing, and tightness in the chest. When these symptoms get worse than usual, it is called […]
Published in EMT. Tags: toxicology.
When EMS are dispatched to a toxicological emergency, the importance of the scene size up cannot be underestimated. Much of the scene size up can be performed while enroute to the scene. If the call was made as a suicide attempt, the medics should ensure police are enroute as well. Suicidal patients sometimes attack ambulance […]
Published in EMT. Tags: toxicology.
Commonly Overdosed Medications For a variety of reasons, patients will take more than the prescribed amount of a medication. The reasons for overdosing range from intentional (suicidal or recreational) to accidental. The most common overdose that EMS will encounter is insulin. Patient’s take insulin at various times of the day, but fail to properly measure […]
Published in EMT. Tags: toxicology.
A poison is any substance that is harmful to your body. You might swallow it, inhale it, inject it, or absorb it through your skin. Any substance can be poisonous if too much is taken. Poisons can include: Carbon monoxide from gas appliances – The main culprit for carbon monoxide poisoning is kerosene space heaters used […]
Published in EMT. Tags: toxicology.
These Drugs Are Illicit, But Not Narcotics Despite all the confusion created over 100 years ago by the 1914 Harrison Anti-Narcotic Act, people can high without the benefit of the opium. There are plenty of ways to get high without opium. The following illicit drugs are not narcotics, and as such they do not respond […]
Published in EMT. Tags: toxicology.
According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 85.6 percent of people ages 18 and older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime, 69.5 percent reported that they drank in the past year, and 54.9 percent (59.1 percent of men in this age group and 51.0 percent of women in […]
Published in EMT. Tags: toxicology.
Narcotics Are Drugs Derived From Opium Opium is a highly addictive non-synthetic narcotic that is extracted from the poppy plant. The opium poppy is the key source for many narcotics, including morphine, codeine, and heroin. The poppy plant, Papaver somniferum, is the source of opium. It was grown in the Mediterranean region as early as […]
Published in EMT. Tags: toxicology.
According to Poison Control gave guidance to 2.1 million people in 2020. Poisoning occurs for a variety of reasons, however it is understood that humans come in contact with these poisons from the environment, a consequence of the economy, or forensic (criminal) reasons. Toxicology is the branch of science concerned with the nature, effects, and […]