Friday 27 April 2012

Wernicke Encephalopathy-Traditional Treatments-Difficult Intubation-Video Laryngoscopy

Glucose before Thiamine for Wernicke Encephalopathy – A Literature Review

Maybe that explains how the requirement for thiamine before glucose came about – confabulation. Many of our traditional treatments are better explained by confabulation, based on a persuasive hypothesis, than by any evidence of benefit to the patient. read more..


Ambulance Driver Arrested After Chase, Holding Co-Worker ‘Against His Will’

?????? ?? ???? ?????PHILADELPHIA, PA – A man is in police custody after he led police on a short pursuit in an ambulance all while holding a co-worker “against his will.” According to investigators, the incident began when police spotted the ambulance in an area where it shouldn’t have been. The ambulance, according to authorities, [...] read more..


New VuStik for Video-Laryngoscopy

The VuStik is a new, easy-to-use video laryngoscopy device. It uses your existing motor skills rather than requiring you to develop all new ones, and makes difficult intubation easier and visually verifies the correct placement of every ET tube. It offers several … Continue reading ? read more..

Suunto

Contest: Best Training Tip Wins a Suunto Ambit

In partnership with Suunto, TacticalGear.com is hosting a contest to win the industry's hottest watch, the Ambit. Recently launched, the wristwatch is in such high demand that it has sold out on many websites. For a chance to win this timepiece, share your best advice for training outdoors in the comments section of this post. read more..

Welwyn Garden City-Oaklands College-Horror Stories-Hertfordshire-Road Safety

Road safety: Paramedic shares experience

Paramedic Gary Sanderson joins police and fire service workers in sharing their horror stories with Oaklands College students at Welwyn Garden City's Hawthorne Theatre in Hertfordshire, U.K., as part of a road awareness presentation for new and aspiring drivers. read more..


Posts Outside the Service Area: Tips, Reviews, and Recommendations

I compiled this post in March but never posted it because of the transition to the EMS Blogs Network. There is some really great information in these posts. Enjoy. The Unwired Medic shares with readers the EMS blogs that he recommends. Visit his list and add your own recommendations in the post comments. With EMS [...] read more..

Emt Instructor Pleads Guilty-Emergency Medical Technician-Refresher Classes-Attendance Sheets

Former EMT instructor pleads guilty to falsely certifying that EMTs attended training classes

BOSTON, MA – A former emergency medical technician instructor accused of allowing police officers, firefighters, and other EMTs to sign attendance sheets for state-required refresher classes, even though they did not attend, pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, authorities announced today. Thomas Codair Sr., 50, of Medford, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in [...] read more..

Monday 23 April 2012

Emergency Responders-Vaccination Clinic-Earth Day Energy-Pertussis Cases-Booster Shots

Alternate Posting Location: Earth Day Energy and Money Saving Tips

At EMS1.com I have shared tips for saving energy at home or work. The tips I share in the post are saving us so much that our utility bill actually went down during the winter and I saved enough to get a whole month of energy use credit. In 2009 I wrote about doing the [...] read more..


The Importance of Booster Shots for Whooping Cough

A free vaccination clinic for emergency responders will be held on Friday, April 27th from 12:30 – 3:00 PM at Brookhaven Municipal Building in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania."The majority of pertussis cases, hospitalizations, and deaths occur in infants aged =2 months, who are too young to be vaccinated" read more..

Excited Delirium-Ignorance

Excited Delirium, Sedation, and Comments – Part II

This is the main problem.Ignorance leads to fear.But this does not lead to Yoda quotes.We should not be arrogant, assuming that we know everything about the drugs we use. That can be just as dangerous as ignorance, but we need to learn more about the medications we use. read more..

Meditation Practice-Zen Tradition-Doctrine-Notions

Finding Zen In A Career of Chaos

The Zen tradition holds that in meditation practice, notions of doctrine and teachings necessitate the creation of various notions and appearances that obscure the transcendent wisdom of each being’s Buddha-nature. Another way to think about is: A total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind. Zen is a way of being. It [...] read more..

American Company-Amazon

The Station is out there...

Okay. The new book is out at last. You should see it on Amazon, etc very soon (I'm told these things take a few weeks). In the meantime, you can buy it direct from the publisher. Don't be nervous about them being an American company, charging you in dollars... they have a UK distributor, so you shouldn't be waiting for weeks and you shouldn't be paying more than the book's value to get a copy.
You can buy it in hardback or softcover - it's up to you.
Follow this link:  www.thestationbook.com.
Please let me know what you think of it. remember it's a work of fiction and does not purport to reflect anything true or real about the ambulance service.....
Oh, and can you all please get your friends to buy it... plug it on Facebook and Twitter... give it a buzz if you like it. I want to do well with this one... it'll encourage me to write another one. I really don't care that I am blatantly plugging it. Nobody else is, so why not me? read more..

Thursday 19 April 2012

Workers Compensation-Health And Wellness-Health Care Costs-Employees

Fitness Team

Does your company have a wellness or fitness team?  Do your employees have a voice for their health and wellness concerns?  Is your organization proactive for reducing workers compensation and health care costs? There are employees in your organization that are screaming to be heard and they have good ideas!  Good ideas that can save [...] read more..

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Ski Trails

Race Report: Iola 15km Trail Run

This morning I drove about 30 minutes east of my home to the Iola Winter Sports Area for a 15km run on the snowless ski trails. The Winter Sports Area straddles a large undulating moraine and thus all ski trails are either going up the moraine or down the moraine. In addition to wide ski trail [...] read more..

Emergency Medical Services-Educational Classes-Ems Professionals-Management Skills

FEMA and Fire Academy Educating EMS Professionals

The opportunities presented when you attend an emergency medical services conference like EMS Today often include surprises like the resources you find out about that help you forward your career and skills. The U.S. Fire Academy run by FEMA is a resource for high level educational classes aimed at EMS professionals looking for ways to improve their management skills.Read more on FEMA and Fire Academy Educating EMS Professionals… read more..

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Product Innovator-Sharps Container-Medical Safety-Ems

Sharps Terminator Wins Product Innovator Pick and EMS Safety Kudos

Once in a while you find a gem of a product at conferences like EMS Today and I was very excited when I stumbled across the Sharps Terminator from Medical Safety Solutions, Inc. (www.SharpsTerminator.us) In this video I interview Dennis DeCiancio, Sr. while he demonstrates this small device that may eliminate the need for giant sharps container everywhere we work in the health care industry.Read more on Sharps Terminator Wins Product Innovator Pick and EMS Safety Kudos… read more..

Sunday 15 April 2012

Sudden Cardiac Arrest-Emergency Health Care-O’Brien Returns-Foundation

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation Features Rescuers and AED Saves

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (www.SCA-Aware.org) is one of those groups who support EMS and emergency health care systems by calling attention to the things that can be done to improve cardiac arrest rescue rates. Carissa Caramanis O’Brien returns with a special interview with two “rescuers” responsible for saves using prompt and high quality CPR, AEDs, and 911 rescue services.Read more on Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation Features Rescuers and AED Saves… read more..

Thursday 12 April 2012

Salina Regional Health Center-Ambulance Driver-Stoplight

Ambulance driver ticketed after crash in Salina

SALINA, KS – The driver of a City of Miltonvale ambulance was cited for running a red stoplight without having the ambulance’s siren activated Saturday, resulting in a collision at the intersection of Crawford Street and Centennial Road. The ambulance was transporting a patient to Salina Regional Health Center from Miltonvale with non-life-threatening injuries when [...] read more..

Thursday 5 April 2012

Hypothermia Resuscitation-Resuscitation Efforts-State Licensing Board-Mission Hospital

EMS Garage Ferno Cast from EMS Today 2012: EMS Garage Episode 158

This week we are joined by the wonderful people at Ferno talking about products, safety and the great cots (PowerFlexx and Mondial) and stair chairs (EZ Glide with PowerTraxx) they bring to the market. For more information on the full product line go to www.ferno.com Featuring: Chris Montera Kyle David Bates Chris Cleves Mike Campione [...] read more..


Three Hour Hypothermia Resuscitation Successful

After 30  minutes of prehospital CPR and 2 1/2 hours of rewarming with ongoing CPR efforts by a resuscitation team of 28 personnel, John Letterman was successfully revived. As a result of the resuscitation efforts and the care he received at Mission Hospital, he is now at home with his family and expected to make [...] read more..


Sugarloaf EMTs Who Left Grieving Wife Followed Protocol

The state licensing board voted to dismiss the complaint by the widow of man who died after a ski accident at Sugarloaf earlier in January. The board has found that it was confusion in communication that left Dana Morse stranded in a snow storm while paramedics attempted to resuscitate her husband. [Read the whole story [...] read more..

Patient Assessment-Human Interaction-Habla Espanol

No Habla Espanol

No habla espanol? No hay problema, at least not entirely.  Language  and the ability to communicate is something often taken for granted. It’s not until that fundamental part of human interaction, and a pillar of patient assessment is challenged or completely removed do we realize and respect its importance. We have all had to manage patients that were unconscious or had [...] read more..

Yes, I've been lazy

Yes, I've been lazy

I haven't died or disappeared; not yet anyway! I've just been very busy with other things and writing has not been a priority.
The novel is arriving in October because I am publishing it is the USA, so it'll be out there before it gets here. You'll be able to get it in print or download it for Kindle or any other reader from Amazon, etc. I'll put a link on the page for you when it's ready. So far the reviews have been good, so I'm encouraged.
I was sent this link to an episode of Trauma that I appeared in about 7 years ago; it was my first one-under and my first job with the HEMS team. It's worth watching because you won't get many TV opportunities to see a resus taking place on a tube station platform. See if you can spot my youthful self in there. I can't believe how time rolls on, honestly. Thanks for sending me that Suzi, it's been years since I last watched!
I'm also shoving my music up into the public domain. I've decided I don't care one way or the other if it's not liked because it was so long ago anyway and there's nothing worse than having created stuff and then allow it to die without an airing! I started by re-releasing a Christmas single I had out back in the 1980's; 'Father Christmas' it's called, ironically. It's on iTunes, so have a listen and if you like it, buy it and make it a retrospective worldwide hit :-) You can search for it with the keywords father christmas mister e, which is my singer/songwriter/muso pseudonym. I'll be releasing a lot more music over the next year or two... that way, when I die, it'll all have been loved or slagged off... but at least heard.
I'll be back to normal blogging soon, I promise. Just got to get all these other projects out of the way first! read more..

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Mesothelioma Cancer-Physical Fitness-Guest Article-Exercise

Exercise and Cancer

The following is a guest article from David Haas at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Physical Fitness and its Impact on Cancer Years of research have established that exercise is good for everyone. Physical activity improves health in numerous ways. It controls weight, strengthens the body, lowers the risk for disease and promotes emotional well-being. [...] read more..

Sunday 1 April 2012

Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps-Tarrytown Ambulance Corps-Sex Harassment-Corps Members

Tarrytown Ambulance Corps Rocked by Sex Harassment Claims

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. – A long-term veteran of the Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps remains on suspension from the corps while officials consider complaints that he sexually harassed female corps members as well as patients. A group of six current and former corps members said they planned to file a complaint Thursday with the state Human Rights [...] read more..