Tag: ems operations
- Simple Extrication ()
First, make sure the car is in park When approaching a vehicle that has been in a motor vehicle collision, the medics should make sure the vehicle is in ‘park’ or in gear with the parking brake deployed. Turning off the ignition is another move that can make the accident safer. If the tires are […]
- Vehicle Extrication ()
The goal is to get the patient out of the car One of the most common EMS calls are motor vehicle collisions (MVC). The patient could be seriously injured or just not. The patient may be able to get out of their car and walk around or not. If the patient is able to get […]
- Calling For The Bird ()
Indication for medical air transport The only real indication is that the patient needs the services of a different hospital other than what can be arranged for that is within a reasonable distance for ground transport. Hospitals may arrange medical air transport either by rotary or fixed wing (depending upon the distance that needs to […]
- Medical Air Transport ()
Best used in rural areas with less access to hospitals There are numerous advantages for the use of medical air transport. Depending upon the operation, some can provide special therapies that would never be possible in an ambulance. For the most part, the personnel employed by medical air transport agencies are highly trained and experienced. […]
- How To Ensure The Scene Remains Safe At Weapons Of Mass Destruction Incidents ()
What is a weapon of mass destruction (WMD)? A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natural structures (e.g., mountains), or the biosphere. The scope and usage of […]
- START For Mass Casualty Triage ()
The assessment that you will perform as a member of the triage team is simple. You will assess each patient in terms of respirations, pulse, and mental status. By virtue of this simple assessment, the medics should be able to determine (in less than 30 seconds) if a patient is dead/dying, immediate, or delayed. Remember, […]
- Mass Casualty Incident ()
What to do if the call is bigger than what the ambulance service can handle Mass casualty incidents are incidents that have more patients than what can be provided by the local ambulance service. How would the medics know they are in the middle of a mass casualty incident? Ambulance – Medic One to dispatch […]
- Multiple Patient Incidents ()
Anytime an ambulance arrives, a scene size up is conducted by the medics. After determining if the scene is safe and if a mechanism of injury exists, the medics must determine the number of patients. Usually, ambulances respond to a single patient, but what would happen if there were more than one patient? First, the […]
- How To Ensure The Scene Remains Safe ()
Who needs to be safe? The first priority for safety is the ambulance crew. If the scene suddenly becomes unsafe, nobody should expect the medics to still be on scene. Even if the medics have made contact with the patient, the medics have every right to leave when the situation becomes unsafe. The second priority […]
- The Dangers Of Ambulance Driving ()
Risk benefit of emergency response The question of risk benefit can be summed up in a simple expression, ‘is the juice worth the squeeze?‘ Very often, ambulance services decrease ambulance response times by mandating the ambulances respond in emergency mode. These asinine and potentially lethal mandates result in ambulance crews risking their life to make […]