Explore the nuances of stroke assessments, the challenges EMS professionals face in the field, and the impact of prehospital interventions on patient outcomes. Coco Wham, a former paramedic who's transitioned to a physician, and Dr. Layne Dylla, an associate professor of emergency medicine join us to dive into their ongoing research efforts aimed at defining what matters in prehospital stroke care and refining stroke response protocols. Hear firsthand how evidence-based practices are developed f...
May 15, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 65
This is Part 2. Derek, an experienced clinician in burn care, joins us to delve into the intricacies and challenges of treating burn patients. This discussion provides valuable insights into the unique aspects of burn injuries, the importance of a comprehensive assessment, and the latest trends in burn treatment. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses Blog post- The Critically Burned Patient Key Topics Covered Complexity of Burn ...
May 01, 2024•55 min•Ep. 64
Derek, an experienced clinician in burn care, joins us to delve into the intricacies and challenges of treating burn patients. This discussion provides valuable insights into the unique aspects of burn injuries, the importance of a comprehensive assessment, and the latest trends in burn treatment. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses **CORRECTION** In the summary at the end of the episode, the rule of 5's was inappropriately at...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 63
Which comes first epinephrine or airway? Out of hospital cardiac arrests involve critical and often complex decisions with sequence and timing of various procedure. What should you prioritize? We examine the nuances of advanced interventions, such as epinephrine and advanced airway placement, through the lens of recent studies, including a notable piece of research published recently in JAMA Network Open. Take a deep dive into the practicalities and philosophies that underpin prehospital cardiac...
Apr 02, 2024•39 min•Ep. 62
Toxicologist Dr. Nik Matsler teaches us the critical topic of toxic alcohol poisoning. The discussion sheds light on the dangers lurking in everyday household and industrial products that contain methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropyl alcohol—substances not far removed from the alcohol found in beverages yet capable of causing severe, sometimes fatal, health issues. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses Blog Post- Toxic Alcoho...
Mar 15, 2024•52 min•Ep. 61
In the high-stakes environment of prehospital medicine, the ability to perform a successful intubation on the first attempt is critical. The complexity of prehospital airway management cannot be understated, given the challenging conditions and the acuity of patients encountered. This episode delves into the strategies and techniques that can significantly improve the success rates of prehospital intubations, focusing on preparation, positioning, and the SALAD (Suction-Assisted Laryngoscopy and ...
Mar 01, 2024•47 min•Ep. 60
Despite the allure of consistent compressions and reduced provider fatigue, does the data actually show that mechanical CPR devices improve outcomes? Tune in for a nuanced exploration of evidence-based practice in emergency medical services. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses Blog Post- https://emspodcast.com/the-truth-about-mechanical-cpr-devices-what-the-data-really-says/ Original Article- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/a...
Feb 15, 2024•18 min•Ep. 59
Overcoming Fear in Neonatal Resuscitation: A Step-by-Step Guide Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses Blog post: Neonatal Resuscitation Introduction: Welcome to another episode of EMScast, where high-level education meets real-world emergency medical scenarios. Today, we have Dr. Avery MacKenzie, an ER physician from Southwest Colorado, joining us to discuss a topic that often induces stress – neonatal resuscitation. Dr. MacKenz...
Feb 01, 2024•49 min•Ep. 58
Dr. Nik Matsler is back to discuss the treatment of patients with crush injuries and crush syndrome. Dr. Matsler's insight as an emergency physician and a toxicologist are put to work helping us understand the pathophysiology of crush related injuries. We also try to discuss very practical approaches to these situations which are complex. No two crush injuries will present the same. Many variables contribute to the presentation of these patients. Duration of crush, amount of force applied, the s...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 57
Jim Barrick has more than 37 years of experience in Emergency Medical Services and Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (EMS and HEMS). His humble approach makes him a wealth of wisdom for anyone in this career field. As kickoff for 2024 we depart from our normal format of short education topics to long term reflection. If you work in and around EMS and Critical Care Transport, learn from Jim. Take time to listen to those in your world that have years of experience and expertise. Take time to b...
Jan 01, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 56
We delve into the high-stakes world of postpartum hemorrhage management with the esteemed Dr. Maria Moreira. Joins us to demystify the management of postpartum hemorrhage in the pre-hospital setting. Dr. Moreira presents a systematic approach to intervention. Learn about the four T's of postpartum hemorrhage and on-field strategies like tranexamic acid and uterotonic administration. Dr. Moreira guides us through a concise roadmap for effective pre-hospital care. Tune in for critical insights and...
Dec 15, 2023•22 min•Ep. 55
In this episode Dr. Maria Moreira joins us to talk us through prehospital pregnancy difficult deliveries. We'll discuss how to handle nuchal cords, cord prolapse, breech presentations, and shoulder dystocias. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses Videos of each technique- https://emspodcast.com/difficult-deliveries/...
Nov 30, 2023•48 min•Ep. 54
In this episode we look at a recent observational study out of the journal of neurology looking at the effectiveness of midazolam when comparing the IV vs IM vs IN routes. We'll discuss the study as well as other studies involving status epilepticus to tease out best practices for your next shift. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses This Episodes Journal article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9930617/ RAMPART tr...
Nov 15, 2023•37 min•Ep. 53
There are few treatments in our tool box that can have more of a positive impact than non-invasive ventilation. This episode is designed to help you better understand the physiology of how it works and how to use it more effectively. Dr. Bo Burns, the Chair of Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, joins us again for another great discussion. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses Blog post...
Nov 01, 2023•34 min•Ep. 52
Coco Wham is a paramedic at the Denver Health Paramedic Division. She is also a 4th year medical student and has a masters in integrated sciences. She is an author on a recent study in the American Journal of Surgery with our previous guest, Dr. Eric Campion. Their latest study looked at prehospital ETCO2 values and if they were predictive of death and need for massive transfusion as compared to commonly accepted measurements, such as systolic blood pressure and shock index. The new study is tit...
Oct 15, 2023•28 min•Ep. 51
Dr. Eric Campion is an attending trauma surgeon at Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. He has several studies published on the utilization of End Tidal CO2 (ETCO2) in critically injured hemorrhagic shock patients. As a former paramedic, Dr. Campion has also been studying this data's application to the prehospital setting. In this episode we discuss the results of two specific studies which lead to his most recent study with Paramedic Courtney "Coco" Wham. There will be a companion ...
Oct 01, 2023•18 min•Ep. 50
Dr. Spencer Tomberg, a physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Orthopedics at Denver Health, discusses pain management and the complex nature of pain perception, highlighting the physical and emotional components. He describes how individuals may have different perceptions of pain due to variations in the action potential and synaptic regions. He dives into the etiology and routes of pain signals from the visceral system and how that contributes to referred pain. He also discusses ...
Sep 15, 2023•18 min•Ep. 49
In the high-stakes world of emergency medicine, innovations continually push the boundaries of what's possible. One such groundbreaking procedure is Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA). Dr. Ernest E Moore, who has literally written the book on trauma surgery, teaches us what REBOA is and how it is being used to save lives in critical situations. Another episode from the Rocky Mountain Trauma and Emergency Medicine Conference. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Op...
Sep 01, 2023•16 min•Ep. 48
Dr. Stacy Trent, an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Denver Health Emergency Department, discusses the importance of proper airway management in the emergency setting and introduces the mnemonic SOAPME (suction, oxygen, airway assessment, pharmacy and plan, monitor and equipment) for intubations. Dr. Trent brings with her the most up to date literature about optimizing success and decreasing adverse events during intubation. In this episode we delve deep into the often overlooked...
Aug 15, 2023•26 min•Ep. 47
Is your EMS agency prepared for a pediatric disaster? In this episode of EMS CAST, Dr. Jeffrey Upperman joins the hosts live at the Rocky Mountain Trauma and Emergency Medicine Conference. Dr. Upperman gave an entertaining and engaging lecture on what you need to start thinking about to be prepared for a pediatric disaster in your area. After his lecture he joined our podcast to discuss his passion for pediatric disaster preparedness and the journey he has taken over the past 15 years to develop...
Aug 01, 2023•18 min•Ep. 46
Stop blowing off back pain patients! There may be a true emergency lurking underneath. Dr. Bo Burns teaches us why we should take atraumatic back pain so seriously. We're back with another episode from the RMTEMC. We dive deep into the topic of epidural abscesses and cauda equina. These are true spinal emergencies, so we should understand them. Our expert guest, Dr. Bo Burns shares valuable insights on how to recognize and diagnose, emphasizing the importance of a high index of suspicion. We als...
Jul 15, 2023•24 min•Ep. 45
In this episode of EMSCast, hosts Ross Orpet and Will Berry discuss a lecture given by Dr. David Bliss on taking care of pediatric trauma patients. Dr. Bliss emphasizes the importance of supporting the psychosocial needs of pediatric patients, as they may not have the same coping skills as adults. He also discusses the unique challenges of treating pediatric trauma patients, including the need for specialized equipment, medication errors, and issues with diagnosis and communication. Listeners ar...
Jul 01, 2023•29 min•Ep. 44
Earlier this month Ross and Will visited the Rocky Mountain Trauma and Emergency Medicine Conference. In addition to trauma games and sim wars, there were so many great lectures and EMS Cast was lucky enough to get to interview some of the speakers about their talks. We are excited to get to bring some of this great content to our listeners. Dr. Maria Moreira tells us about the conference and then Ross and Will sit down with Trauma Critical Care Fellow Dr. Chelsea Horwood to learn all the ins an...
Jun 17, 2023•21 min•Ep. 43
American College of Surgeons just updated their prehospital trauma triage recommendations. Learn about what the updates mean for paramedics and EMTs and how you can practice this on everyday EMS calls. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses Link to Blog Post- https://emspodcast.com/trauma-triage-guidelines-update/ Link to ACS Trauma Triage Guidelines- https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/trauma/systems/field-triage-guidelines/...
Jun 01, 2023•56 min•Ep. 42
Pharmacist, Kevin Kaucher, joins us to discuss the ins and outs of nitro in acute coronary syndrome. Does it work? Is sublingual better than paste? Can it be dangerous? Come learn the latest on nitroglycerin. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses For more info and to see the EKGs from the case: https://emspodcast.com/the-truth-about-nitro-separating-fact-from-fiction/...
May 15, 2023•50 min•Ep. 41
Toxicology Fellow Nik Matsler joins us again to discuss more gas poisonings. Do you know how to properly protect yourself from hydrogen sulfide in the prehospital setting? EMS providers- come learn how to recognize these patients and where you might find them and most importantly how to keep yourself safe. We'll also discuss nerve agents and how to recognize and treat these as well. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses...
May 01, 2023•52 min•Ep. 40
Toxicology fellow Dr. Nik Matsler teaches us about the pathophysiology of cyanide toxicity and it's various antidotes. Learn how to recognize, learn when to treat, and learn some historical trivia while we're at it. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses
Apr 15, 2023•46 min•Ep. 39
Dr. Whitney Barrett shares why the Glasgow Coma Score is a useless number and what we should use instead. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses
Apr 01, 2023•36 min•Ep. 38
This is a Q&A follow up to last weeks episode on serotonin syndrome. This week paramedic Will Barry asks toxicology fellow Dr. Nik Matsler the questions that came up for him after listening to last weeks case. And at the end we kept in an impromptu conversation on end tidal CO2 in the pre-hospital setting. Enjoy. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses...
Mar 22, 2023•25 min
Toxicology fellow Dr. Nik Matsler helps us dissect a case that Matt saw working an EDM concert. As I interview Matt about the case, Nik gives us the dos and don'ts when it comes to serotonin syndrome. Enter to Win a FREE Pair of Frontline Optics Sunglasses EMScast15 for 15% Off Frontline Optics Sunglasses
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 37