May 19th, 2019
In this week's podcast, you will learn
1. The pathophysiology behind an asthma attack
2. The three types of asthma attacks
3. The role of bronchodilators and corticosterioids in the treatment of asthma.
Additional Resources for Students
The Pathophysiology of Asthma-The Khan Academy
What is Asthma-Dr. Alex Thomas
Paramedic Student Review Questions:
Of the following, which would be considered an extrinsic trigger for an atopic asthma attack?
A. Viral infection
B. Bacterial infection
C. Stress
D. None of the above
The correct answer is C. Stress. The other responses indicate nonatopic asthma triggers and all of them are instrinsic.
Why might your bronchodilator not be effective in the status asthmaticus patient?
A. Medicine is out of date
B. Severity of the bronchospasm
C. Rapidity of respiratory rate
D. Poor cardiac output
The correct answer is B. Because the bronchospasm is so severe, there may be difficulty in getting the medicine down to the lower bronchioles.
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May 7th, 2019
Trauma has become the most frequent cause of death of the OB patient in the United States. Although maternal mortality due to other causes such as infection, hemorrhage, hypertension, and thromboembolism, has declined over the years, the number of maternal deaths due to penetrating trauma, suicide, homicide and motor vehicle accidents has risen steadily. Accidental injuries occur in 6 to 7 % of all pregnant patients. Penetrating trauma accounts for as many as 36 % of maternal deaths. In this podcast the student will:
1. review the statistics that deal with death of mother an baby after trauma;
2. understand the importance of aggressive resuscitation of the mother as a treatment modality;
3. grasp the role of IV infusion and its effect on the secretion of oxytocin.
Additional Resources
Bosson, Nichole, et al. “Evaluation of Trauma Triage Criteria Performance in a Regional Trauma System.”
Prehospital Emergency Care, 2019, pp. 1–10.
Cairo, Sarah B., et al. “Prehospital Education in Triage for Pediatric and Pregnant Patients in a Regional Trauma System without Collocated Pediatric and Adult Trauma Centers.”
Journal of Pediatric Surgery, vol. 53, no. 5, 2018, pp. 1037–1041.
Nawrocki, Philip S., et al. “Interfacility Transport of the Pregnant Patient: A 5-Year Retrospective Review of a Single Critical Care Transport Program.” Prehospital Emergency Care, vol. 23, no. 3, 2018, pp. 377–384.
TMM Review
Your patient is a 25 year, 28 week gestational female. She has been shot twice in the abdomen. The best course of action for survival of the fetus would be to
- apply MAST trousers and inflate the legs only
- aggressively resuscitate the mother
- infuse 20 cc/kg of normal saline
- rapidly transport to the local medical center
The best course of action for the survival of the fetus after any trauma to the mother is to be aggressive in her resuscitation. Keep in mind that the baby is dependent upon the mother for oxygenation, glucose delivery as well as waste removal. Any disruption of this could be fatal to the fetus.
A bolus of 20 cc/kg of fluid will stimulate the secretion of what hormone that may help with the reduction of bleeding in the pregnant patient?
- Oxytocin
- Vasopressin
- ADH
- Epinephrine
Because it is secreted from the same area of the pituitary gland as is vasopressin (also known as anti diuretic hormone or ADH), the administration of a bolus of fluid will stimulate oxytocin.
Which of the following is the MOST useful in determining the fetal age?
- Fundal height
- Abdominal circumference
- Conception date
- Date of last menses
Determining fetal age is very useful when considering factors that may influence survival of the baby after an early delivery. The MOST useful as well as the most accurate is the conception date of the fetus, although this may not be known.
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April 28th, 2019
This is the second part of our Autism and What EMS Needs to Know series. My guests are Dustin Young, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Tillamook Family Counseling Corporation and Nick Watts, Community Paramedic with Tillamook County EMS. In this week’s presentation the student will
- Identify the changes in autism as a child transitions into an adult.
- How autistic patients learn how to self-regulatef their behavior.
- What EMS should know to minimize confrontations with autistic patients.
- When to and when not to restrain autistic patients.
Some resources that you might find helpful in learning more about autism include:
Auggies Hope-The idea of Auggie’s Hope is to advocate for Autism. A lot has changed in the past few years but their core belief of advocating for special needs has not. They have grown and continue to focus our mission training first responders on how to help a special needs family in crisis.
Autism Risk Management- Are you searching for autism training curriculum for police and law enforcement? Dennis Debbaudt develops current, relevant, sustainable and memorable autism and law enforcement curriculum and digital video content. Debbaudt has over two decades of experience in autism and law enforcement curriculum development.
National Autism Association-Toolbox of resources for interactions between first responders and patients with autism.
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April 22nd, 2019
This week’s podcast will be a two parter! Recently I was with the paramedic students at Arkansas State University and they requested a podcast on the EMS response to autism. In response to their request, I’ve changed the format just a bit from that of a monologue to an interview. My guests are Dustin Young, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Tillamook Family Counseling Corporation and Nick Watts, Community Paramedic with Tillamook County EMS. In this weeks presentation the student will
- Learn what autism is
- How the autistic patient may present
- Learn what some of the telling rituals that the autistic patient may do.
Some resources that you might find helpful in learning more about autism include:
Auggies Hope-The idea of Auggie’s Hope is to advocate for Autism. A lot has changed in the past few years but their core belief of advocating for special needs has not. They have grown and continue to focus our mission training first responders on how to help a special needs family in crisis.
Autism Speaks-For people with autism, learning to interact with first responders is critical. On the other hand, it is just as essential for first responders to understand autism and be prepared to respond effectively and safely to situations that arise involving individuals on the spectrum.
Autism Society-Tips for First Responders-Great information for interactions between EMS and patients with autism.
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April 14th, 2019
In this episode of the Ten Minute Medic, we take a look at the ability of your patient to make competent decisions. At the end of this podcast, the student will
1. Understand the difference between competency and capacity
2. Understand the legal ramifications of failing to recognize competency
3. Understand the ASSET method of assessing competency.
In the podcast, I reference an article entitled, "EMS, Capacity and Competence". That full article can be found at this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470178/
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April 8th, 2019
In this episode, the paramedic student will:
1. Understand the pathophysiology behind the cellular immune response
2. Be able to recognize the differences between anaphylaxis and a localized allergic reaction
3. Understand the role of epinephrine and diphenhydramine in the treatment of anaphylaxis.
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March 27th, 2019
It's that time of the year when EMS students begin to sign up for their NREMT exams. In this podcast, we take a look a couple of urban legends regarding the exam, how the exam is constructed and what you can do to give yourself that added edge when you are sitting in front of that computer in the testing center.
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March 22nd, 2019
In this episode of the Ten Minute Medic the listener will:
1. understand the pathophysiology behind the development and destruction of clots after trauma;
2. learn the findings of the CRASH 2 study regarding TXA administration;
3. review one potential protocol for the administration of TXA.
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March 12th, 2019
At the end of this podcast the paramedic student will:
1. understand the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia
2. understand the treatment of hypoglycemia
3. be able to differentiate the different levels of hyperglycemia
4. verbalize the treatment approaches for hyperglycemia
Please consider leaving us a rating with your favorite podcast delivery service. Doing so will help us to reach more paramedic students!
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February 25th, 2019
Some forms of diabetes have been called a disease of lifestyle. There is no doubt that, in western culture, it is increasing. In this two part podcast we will :
1. review the anatomy and physiology of the pancreatic system
2. understand the role that insulin, glucose and glycogen play in homeostasis
Thanks for listening!
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