Every fall and winter see a rise in respiratory and contagious illnesses with the peak usually occurring in February. An early season might show a peak in December. As the temperatures decrease, people are indoors together, travel, and the air is drier, the viruses are more easily spread. 2022...
Patient Care Notes
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...
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...
Upcoming changes to Epinephrine labeling
We are hearing changes are coming to the way Epinephrine is labeled. Please see the below infograhic from the US FDA:
The Importance of Doing a Report
While doing some research for a little project, I discovered that EMR reports aren’t being completed. The project included looking at all of the helo crew and patient transfers between the VBGH pad and the hospital. Some of these cases had a crew out of service for over one...
Prehospital Advanced Airway Use in VB-2016
Check out some of our intubation statistics for 2016 and some tips on documenting intubations. Prehospital Advanced Airway Use in VB 2016
Sedation Issues: Ativan and Versed
Since January 1, 2017, there have been numerous instances in which providers have not followed the proper protocol when it comes to the proper medication, dose or route involving Ativan and Versed. The old and new protocols were taken into account and these issues were outside of both scopes....
Prehospital Administration of Naloxone in Virginia Beach Annual Update for 2016
Opiate abuse was declared a public health emergency in the Commonwealth of Virginia on November 21, 2016. The City of Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services (VBEMS) is administering more naloxone than ever before. Prehospital Administration of Naloxone in Virginia Beach-Yearly 2016 (3)
Pulmonary Hypertension Medication Pumps Alert
If you see that your patient has a medication pump, what should you do with it? Is it a pump for insulin? Is it a pump that is administering a life-saving medication and your removal of that pump would kill the patient? ...
Can We Start IVs in the Foot?
A question commonly arises about whether or not we are able to start IVs in a patient’s foot. We have received guidance from our OMD, Dr. Stewart Martin, and want to share it with you. IVs in the foot/lower extremity are supposed to be rare. It is highly unusual...