Published in AEMT. Tags: cardiovascular.
Angina Angina is chest pain or discomfort you feel when there is not enough blood flow to your heart muscle. Your heart muscle needs the oxygen that the blood carries. Angina may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. It may feel like indigestion. You may also feel pain in your shoulders, arms, neck, […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: cardiovacular.
Introduction Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome that results from a functional or structural heart disorder impairing ventricular filling or ejection of blood to the systemic circulation. It is by definition a failure to meet the systemic demands of circulation. Heart failure remains a highly prevalent disorder worldwide with a high morbidity and mortality […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: Medication Administration.
In physiology, osmosis (Greek for push) is the net movement of water across a semipermeable membrane. Across this membrane, water will tend to move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. It is important to emphasize that ideal osmosis requires only the movement of pure water across the membrane without any […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: Medication Administration.
Introduction Intraosseous (IO) vascular access refers to the placement of a specialized hollow bore needle through the cortex of a bone into the medullary space for infusion of medical therapy and laboratory tests. The IO route is an option when standard venous access would delay therapy or is not easily obtained in the hospital or pre-hospital […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: pediatrics.
Trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and death in children. Trauma to the head is the most common anatomic site, and while facial fractures are infrequent, they can be severe and have life-long consequences. Younger patients have more elastic cartilaginous and bony structures in the face and a larger cranium: face ratio; thus, fractures in […]
Published in EMR. Tags: pediatrics, shock and resuscitation.
The only way to defeat pediatric shock is to stay in front of it The mechanism of injury can provide useful clues to finding shock in pediatric patients before it is too late. If the patient lost any blood, possibly ruptured a hollow organ, or became dehydrated after being locked in a hot car for […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: abdominal and genitourinary trauma.
Introduction Penetrating abdominal trauma is seen in many countries. The most common cause is a stab or gunshot. The most common organs injured are the small bowel (50%), large bowel (40%), liver (30%), and intra-abdominal vascular (25%). When the injury is close range, there is more kinetic energy than those injuries sustained from a distance. […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: abdominal and gastrointestinal disorders, infectious disease.
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus. In […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: abdominal and gastrointestinal disorders.
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a term used for any bleeding that occurs within the GI tract from mouth to anus. GI bleeding can be categorized into upper and lower in origin. The ligament of Treitz is commonly used as the point to differentiate the two. Bleeds proximal to the ligament are upper GI bleeds, and […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: abdominal and gastrointestinal disorders.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common problem with an annual incidence of approximately 80 to 150 per 100,000 population, with estimated mortality rates between 2% to 15%. UGIB is classified as any blood loss from a gastrointestinal source above the ligament of Treitz. It can manifest as hematemesis (bright red emesis or coffee-ground emesis), […]