The holidays can be a stressful enough time for many people—so much to do with little time to get it done, longer nights, colder temperatures, tempting food that derails your diet, family, shopping, work deadlines, crowds and traffic, budgets—it can feel overwhelming! EMS calls might add additional stress during...
Virginia Beach Medically Friendly Shelter
In 2009, the City of Virginia Beach added Medically Friendly Sheltering (MFS) to our city shelter plan. EMS was identified as the lead agency and began the daunting task of identifying sites, writing contracts, obtaining equipment, identifying staffing, and drawing up plans to operate an MFS. Medically Friendly Shelters...
New “Hospital Number” Format
If you have transported to Sentara Leigh recently, you may have noticed that the patient sticker number is 14 digits with no dashes. Some of you have been creative in trying to validate your records! 🙂 The Sentara system is altering their registration process and programs and this includes...
Securing your Patient to the Stretcher-You Must Use the Shoulder Straps
All of our stretchers were shipped with shoulder, chest, pelvis, and leg straps. The stretchers were designed to function with all of those straps in place for any patient movement and transport. Omitting straps, especially the shoulder straps, is not the manufacturer’s indications for use and is not safe...
Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator II Project Information
The Tidewater Region participated in the AHA Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator II project. While the project and study are officially over now, the connections, data sharing and best practices continue on in our region to give our patients the best care possible. We continue to discuss cases, share information...
How to Elite: Post, Transfer, Save
The AIC for the case is responsible for having a fully complete (no less than 98%) patient report/refusal/cancelled calls posted within 12 hours of the call per VAOEMS regulations. We strongly advocate for no later than end of shift and prefer as soon as the call ends. There are...
Mass Illness and Mass Exposure (Agent)
From bug spray to paint fumes and mace to carbon monoxide, there are numerous reasons why large numbers of people may experience similar symptoms. As an EMS provider, intentional exposures (such as terrorism) and accidental exposures (laced medications, spreading illness, spills, asbestos, etc.) should all be treated suspiciously until...
Time Sensitive Emergency: Scene Time Goals (Q1 and Q2-2018)
The three Time Sensitive Emergency cases we track closely are Stroke, Trauma and STEMI. There are numerous other items that we also track and monitor but these types of cases can provide a snapshot into others, have published standards and can be compared to other agencies to see where...
LVAD Patients-Update to TREATMENT/CPR Guidelines
In 2017, the AHA produced new guidelines for LVAD patients and other patients with mechanical circulatory support including total artificial hearts. SNGH has since updated their guidelines to reflect the changes. Please review the new flowsheet for EMS care and treatment as there are some changes including the provision of...
Sepsis-What is it?
Sepsis is defined as a systemic reaction to an infection. As you fight the infection in your lungs, bladder, or leg, your immune system reacts by activating white blood cells and antibodies to attack locally. At some point, in some cases, the inflammatory response becomes systemic which initiates a...