25 Years of AIDS in the US

In 25 years over 25 million people around the world have died of AIDS. What have we learned in 25 years? What do we now know to be fact amid many myths surrounding AIDS? This lesson traces the AIDS timeline, reviews routes of transmission, and discusses testing and prevention methods. It concludes with celebration of successes and review of challenges that remain.

(top)

Abdominal Emergencies

Abdominal emergencies are never fun and often can be bloody, messy, and smelly. Most importantly, abdominal emergencies can be mysterious and the most challenging emergencies in medicine. In this lesson we will explore abdominal anatomy, abdominal emergency assessment, and use some case studies to distinguish emergent from non-emergent abdominal pain.

(top)

AHA 2005 Emergency Cardiac Care Guidelines: Part 1, 2, 3

Every five years, the American Heart Association reviews and updates it guidelines for emergency cardiac care. Part 1 explores the impact of CPR changes, new defibrillation guidelines, and cardiac arrest management on EMS providers. Part 2 explores stroke types and management and recommendations for preventing and managing unusual cardiac arrest situations. Part 3 focuses on changes in pediatric basic and advanced life support.

(top)

Allergic Reaction Management

An allergic reaction is an exaggerated immune response to a particular substance. About 41 million Americans have allergic sensitivities that put them at risk for developing the most severe form of allergic reaction—anaphylaxis. Recognize the signs and symptoms of progression from nuisance reaction to anaphylaxis. Learn prompt recognition and early treatment with epinephrine, paramount to anaphylaxis survival.

(top)

Altitude Illness

Altitude illness affects those who ascend to high altitudes too quickly. It generally only occurs over 8,000 feet, but has been observed at lower altitudes. In its mildest form it can be merely irritating, but at its most severe, it can be fatal. In this lesson learn the causes, assessment, and treatment for altitude illness.

(top)

Animal Bite Assessment and Treatment

It is estimated that dog bites result in 750,000 ER visits, 6000 hospitalizations, and twenty fatalities per year. Learn causes of animal bites, pediatric and adult injury patterns, and animal bite assessment guidelines and treatment stratigies.

(top)

Asessment and Treatment of Submersion Injuries

Emergency responders are called to assist with dangerous water rescue situations like, a child that has fallen through the ice. But most submersion injuries occur a short distance from safety, like a bathtub or home swimming pool. This presentation focuses on the submersion injuries of drowning and near drowning. In this lesson learn causes, extrication considerations, and assessment and treatment of submersion injuries.

(top)

Assessment and Treatment of Ankle Injuries

The ankle is critical for movement. Each step puts 1.5 times our body weight of pressure on your ankle. Ankle injuries from trips and falls account for over 14.2 million annual physician visits, but only 15% of these injuries are fractures. In this lesson review ankle and foot anatomy, explore mechanisms of injury, learn to perform a thorough ankle examination and apply appropriate treatments.

(top)

Assessment, Treatment and Transport of Morbidly Obese Patients

Sixty-four percent of Americans are overweight or obese. One in 80 men weighs more than 300 pounds and one in 200 women weighs more than 300 pounds. Obesity the second leading cause of preventable death kills more than 300,000 Americans per year. This presentation defines overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity and strategies to assess, treat, and transport these patients with respect while maintaining the standard of care and protecting prehospital personnel.

(top)

Asystole and PEA: Treating the Non-Shockable Rhythms

Asystole and Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) are considered the non-shockable cardiac arrest rhythms and defibrillation is not indicated. This lesson reviews the causes (6Hs and 6Ts) of asystole and PEA, assessment, and treatment. The lesson concludes with tips for talking to a deceased patient’s family.

(top)

Avalanche: Rescue, Injuries, and Treatment

Most years, in the United States, avalanches kill more people than hurricanes. The purpose of this course to share basic information about how avalanches happen, avalanche injury patterns, basic rescue principles and patient assessment and treatment priorities for single or multiple patients.

(top)

Basic 12-Lead Electrocardiogram Operation and Interpretation

Every EMT can learn to attach a patient to a 12-lead EKG. 12-Leads are non-invasive and there is little risk to the patient as long as immediate life threat care is not delayed while waiting for the 12-lead or the interpretation. In this lesson you will review acute coronary syndrome causes, learn to acquire a 12 lead EKG, and understand basic interpretation techniques.

(top)

Bloodborne Pathogens

Personal safety is always the EMS provider’s first priority. Because of bloodborne pathogens every patient contact is a threat to EMS provider safety. This lesson reviews the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard, bloodborne pathogens encountered by EMS providers, use of personal protective equipment, and reporting an exposure incident.

(top)

C-Spine Injuries in Athletics Part 1: Cervical Spine Anatomy, Mechanisms of Injury, and Assessment Principles

A 1995 survey reported that 39% of high school varsity football players sustained injuries. Of those injuries only 39% occurred during competition. 93% of football injuries were “new” or first time injuries. Due to advances in athletic equipment and rule changes there has been a 3% decline in serious injuries since the 1995 survey. Spinal cord injuries do still occur however, often leading to serious injuries, so emergency responders need to have a good base of knowledge in the proper management of c-spine injuries.

(top)

C-Spine Injuries in Athletics Part 2: Recommendations for Equipment Removal, Packaging, & Transport

In 2001 guidelines from an inter-association task force of professional organizations representing emergency medical services, sports medicine, and physicians were released. The guidelines outlined standardized procedures for proper handling of athletes with C-spine injuries in the pre-hospital setting. This lesson explores the task force recommendations for equipment removal, patient movement, and patient packaging.

(top)

Clinical Decision Making

In the field EMS providers gather information to formulate a field impression and working diagnosis. Each step of the process is a decision making opportunity. This lesson explores critical thinking and the clinical decision making process.

(top)

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine is a collection of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are used by millions of Americans to treat or lessen disease. This presentation explores common CAM treatments, their impact on EMS, and the adverse effects of some CAM treatments and supplements.

(top)

Demystifying the Central Line

This lesson is intended to give the pre-hospital provider a basic understanding of the various types of central lines. Patients, at home with a central line, are increasingly being encountered by pre-hospital providers. In this lesson learn to recognize types of central lines and methods to access central lines.

(top)

Emergency Care for Lightning Strike Victims

The lifetime chance of being struck by lightning is 1 in 3000. Lightning is the second leading cause of weather related fatalities. Explore how lightning strikes, where it strikes, and the effect it has in the body. We will challenge several lightning myths that delay critical patient care, define types of injuries, and explore tactics to increase rescuer safety.

(top)

Emergency Childbirth

The back of an ambulance is not the ideal place to have a baby, but in most cases, it proceeds normally. Frequently reviewing childbirth techniques may prevent a happy event from becoming a disaster. This module focuses on the care of the obstetrical patient before, during, and after childbirth, along with care of the newborn and some abnormal delivery emergencies.

(top)

Emergency Responder Rehabilitation

Personal and partner safety are always number one. Emergency responders are at risk for trauma, exert ional and environmental injuries, and psychological stress during emergency operations. The goal of emergency operations rehab is to minimize stress and heated related illness and death with medical monitoring, rapid response, and rest, food, and fluid interventions.

(top)

EMS Response to Mass Casualty Incidents

It is Gary’s first day on the job. His crew chief, Jim, teaches him the ins and outs of MCI response when there first call is a motor vehicle MCI. In this lesson Jim and Gary explore how EMS personnel can assess and transport a large number of patients by implementing incident command and using a triage system.

(top)

Ethics for the EMS Provider

The most difficult, challenging, and frustrating EMS calls usually involve an ethical dilemma, like refusal of treatment; do not resuscitate orders, or compromised patient confidentiality. This program reviews key ethics terms and concepts, common EMS ethical dilemmas and a rapid process to resolve them.

(top)

Fetal Trauma from Motor Vehicle Collisions

Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of maternal and fetal injury during pregnancy. This presentation reviews pregnancy anatomy and physiology, describes fetal injuries from trauma, and the importance of assessing and stabilizing mom first.

(top)

Foodborne Illness

How do we differentiate a common stomach ache from food borne illness? Food borne illness in the United States is probably more prevalent than you think. The CDC reports 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and over 5,000 deaths are from food borne illness each year. This lesson explores common agents, causes, and symptoms of food borne illness.

(top)

Hazard Communication

EMS personnel have the “right-to-know” about the hazards and the identities of the chemicals they are exposed to in the workplace. When EMS personnel have this information, they can participate in their employers’ protective programs and take steps to protect themselves from hazardous chemicals. This lesson reviews the hazard communications standard, material safety data sheet requirements, purpose of labels, and protective measures.

(top)

Heat Emergencies

The body is most comfortable and efficient in a narrow temperature range. A complex arrangement of sensation and feedback mechanisms work continuously to maintain a normal core temperature. Every year thousands of Americans are treated for heat emergencies and several hundred patients are killed by heat stroke every year. In this lesson learn to recognize and treat heat emergencies.

(top)

Hip Fracture Assessment and Treatment

Most hip fractures happen to elderly patients in their homes and it is unlikely they can self-transport to the emergency department. Instead they summon EMS. Falls are the leading cause of injury related deaths in elderly patients. In this lesson we review hip anatomy and physiology, causes of hip fractures, injury assessment, and treatment of a hip fracture.

(top)

HIV / AIDS Part 1

In 25 years, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people around the world. 500,000 Americans have died as a result of AIDS. Approximately 40,000 Americans are infected with HIV every year. This lesson reviews HIV/AIDS transmission, clinical management, and consequences of infection.

(top)

HIV / AIDS Part 2

Emergency response personnel regularly assess and treat patients with HIV/AIDS. If you have a bloodborne pathogens exposure, accurate and reliable testing methods are available. Emergency response personnel who test positive for HIV/AIDS have rights for additional testing, treatment, and counseling.

(top)

Hypothermia: Assessment and Treatment

Hypothermia is not just an “up north—cold and snow” problem. Hypothermia can onset quickly from recreational exposure, trauma or gradually worsen due to illness or exposure. Learn “barehanded” assessment guidelines to differentiate mild and severe hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is easy to recognize and field fixable. The latest state of Alaska Cold Injury guidelines outlines the complex assessment and treatment strategies for severe hypothermia, a life-threatening problem.

(top)

Kinematics of Trauma

Unintentional injury is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Millions more are injured by traumatic injuries. To reduce death and disability, emergency responders must perform a proper trauma assessment. Learning kinematics of trauma will help emergency responders understand the likelihood of other injuries based on the patient’s mechanism of injury.

(top)

Lifting and Back Safety for EMS Providers

In this lesson we explore lifting and back safety for EMS providers. Nearly every patient contact involves lifting and carrying which applies forces that can potentially injure your back. The lesson explores incidence of injuries, spinal column anatomy, back injury causes, lifting principles, and strength and flexibility exercises to prevent back injuries.

(top)

Low Back Pain

Back pain is the most common cause of pain. In any given year 15-20% of Americans complain of low back pain. Nearly 100 million days of work are lost each year to back pain and $30-50 billion is spent annually on treating back injuries. In this lesson we explore spinal column anatomy, causes of low back pain, types of low back problems, and prehospital assessment and treatment for low back pain.

(top)

Medical Staffing for Special Events

This lesson focuses on medical coverage for the Spirit of Racine Triathlon, a half-ironman race in SE Wisconsin. 1800 racers swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles, and run 13 miles on a hot and humid summer day. The event challenges, pre-planning, and communication principles are applicable to any event. The author shares his method to triage the racers most in need of on-scene medical treatment.

(top)

Methamphetamine Use and Hazards

In this lesson explore the effects and use of methamphetamine and the unique scene safety hazard that clandestine drug labs pose to emergency responders and children. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that has a severe impact on the central nervous system. Police officers, fire fighters, and EMTs are often the first on-scene to secure the area and begin emergency care of patients.

(top)

Obstetric Complications

In most circumstances, pregnancy proceeds without any problems and a healthy baby is born. However, complications do occasionally arise and EMS personnel must be prepared to deal with those emergencies. Review reproductive anatomy, obstetric patient assessment, and learn to identify pregnancy and delivery complications.

(top)

Over-the-Counter Drug Overdoses

Over-the-counter or OTC drug abuse is on the rise. Since 2000 there has been a four-fold increase in cold medicine abuse. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs are the 3rd most commonly intentionally overdosed medicine. Acetaminophen overdose is responsible for the greatest number of drug overdose hospital admissions. This training discusses four of the most commonly abused OTC drugs. The lesson also explores the importance of an accurate patient history and appropriate treatments.

(top)

Pain Management

Despite the ability to treat the majority of patients with pain, pain is significantly under treated in all healthcare settings, including prehospital. In this course, explore barriers to under treatment of pain, pain assessment techniques, and affirm the power of prehospital personnel to diminish patient pain. Learn pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain treatment principles.

(top)

Pain Transmission, Perception, & Assessment

Pain is the leading emergency medicine complaint. Patients expect EMS to acknowledge their pain, assess it and treat it. EMS, like all areas of healthcare, is not meeting this basic patient expectation. The first step in improving assessment and treatment of pain is to understand pain transmission, perception, and assessment.

(top)

Patient Care Report Essentials

The art of constructing an organized, coherent patient care report is as important in providing appropriate care as learning to perform effective CPR. It is important that it clearly contain all the information you want to communicate. By following 13 essentials any EMS provider can improve the quality of their documentation.

(top)

Pediatric Assessment Part 1

Most EMS calls are for adults. We rarely care for very sick children and our pediatric assessment and treatment skills get rusty. Understanding causes of pediatric injury and death, traits of pediatric patient age groups, and important differences in pediatric anatomy will help keep your pediatric patient assessment skills sharp.

(top)

Pediatric Assessment Part 2

Pediatric patients cause anxiety for many prehospital care providers. An excellent assessment is the key to understanding the patient’s problems and reducing your anxiety. In this lesson explore pediatric patient assessment techniques, principles for immobilizing pediatric patients, and issues in pediatric patient transport.

(top)

Pediatric Fluid Resuscitation and Airway Management

Less than 10% of ambulance calls are for pediatric patients and only a small percentage of those pediatric patients have an immediate life threatening problem. During the initial assessment quickly identify airway, breathing, and circulation problems. In this lesson learn causes of fluid depletion, fluid resuscitation methods, causes of respiratory system compromise, and pediatric airway management techniques.

(top)

Recognition and Treatment of Foot Injuries

We use our feet in nearly every daily activity and subject our feet to continual abuse. The average person walks about 1,000 miles per year. However, because of improper foot wear, lack of conditioning, traumatic events, and overuse 43.1 million Americans have foot problems. This course discusses assessment and treatment of common foot injuries seen by prehospital providers.

(top)

Recognition, Prevention, and Management of Sepsis

Each year over 750,000 patients are diagnosed with severe sepsis in the United States. Although most common in the hospital, sepsis often strikes patients in the out-of-hospital setting. There are many reasons for the frequency increase—an aging population, increasing frequency of immunosuppressant diseases, and an increase of drug-resistant bacteria. This training discusses the physiology and treatment of sepsis.

(top)

Renal Failure

Many medical conditions may result from malfunctioning or non-functioning kidneys. In this lesson you will learn the role that the kidneys play in the overall function of the human body and how diseased kidneys affect normal body function.

(top)

Respiratory Protection

The purpose of a respiratory protection program is to minimize risk to EMS providers from respiratory hazards, like tuberculosis, during the performance of regular job duties. This lesson introduces the OSHA respiratory protection standard, describes TB transmission, symptoms, and treatment, and explains the relevant elements of a respiratory protection program for EMS providers.

(top)

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

A joke with an offensive innuendo. A request for a sexual favor. A picture of a nude body on a computer screen saver. All of these examples at the workplace qualify as sexual harassment. Sexual harassment at work happens all too often. Patients, coworkers and supervisors may sexually harass you. This lesson will explore the incidences of sexual harassment, risk factors and prevention techniques.

(top)

Stress in the Workplace

All workers are susceptible to stress, but emergency medical workers work in an environment filled with stress factors. Stress is stress the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. This lesson explores causes, effects and techniques to reduce stress on the job.

(top)

Stroke Assessment and Treatment

Strokes kill more than 150,000 people per year making it the third leading cause of death. Unfortunately, less than half of stroke patients access EMS for help. In this lesson learn stroke types, important assessment findings, and appropriate treatment. This lesson includes the updated information on stroke assessment and treatment from the 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiac Care.

(top)

The Nose: Bleeds, Breaks, and Obstructions

The nose is a gateway to airway. It assists in critical airway and breathing functions. In this course, learn about the structure of the nose, its functions, what can go wrong with the nose, and treatments for nosebleeds, breaks, and foreign body obstructions.

(top)

Understanding and Restraining Patient’s with Agitated Delirium

Agitated delirium is a severe medical problem. Patient restraint, especially sudden death while restrained, is a “hot topic” in healthcare and EMS. Learn to recognize and principles for verbal, physical and chemical restraint for agitated delirium patients.

(top)

Unstable Pelvic Fractures and Emergency Stabilization

Patients with unstable pelvic fractures are at high risk of fatality from major blood loss. Understanding the anatomy of the pelvis and surrounding structures and the types of pelvic fractures that can occur helps the EMT recognize and provide in-field stabilization of a Pelvic Fracture. There are several methods to stabilize a fractured pelvis, but all share the goal of circumferential compression and reduction.

(top)

Unusual Resuscitation Situations Part 1: Environmental Emergencies

The logical conclusion of any environmental emergency is cardiac arrest. When an environmental emergency progresses to respiratory and/or cardiac arrest, standard treatment is less likely to succeed. This presentation seeks to increase knowledge to help guide assessment and treatment for unusual resuscitation situations resulting from the environmental emergencies of drowning, severe hypothermia, and being struck by lightning.

(top)

Workplace Violence

If you have not been threatened, hit by, spit on, or verbally harassed by a patient, it is only a matter of time. Unfortunately, we know that most EMS personnel, like all healthcare workers, will be victims of workplace violence. This lesson explores the impact of violence on the EMS workplace by defining workplace violence, discussing risk factors, and exploring components of a workplace violence prevention program.

(top)