I am getting ready for the MedicCast Live coming up on Tuesday night (10 PM ET). Along with Rick Russotti from the Mitigation Journal and our other panelists, we’ll be discussing some of our picks for the top product in EMS innovation at this year’s EMS Today Expo in Baltimore last month. I’ve been checking out the EMS blogs I read and found this over at the MacMedic’s blog.

He was working in his local ED recently and got a chance to assist with an intubation of a drug overdose patient who came in with a need for airway management. The hospital had just gotten a Glidescope in and the doc used it to place the tube. Check out MacMedic’s post for a great review of the Glidescope with pros and cons listed.

I picked the Glidescope Ranger for one of my Expo picks and I’ll be interested to hear any impressions from the live audience about that and the other products we have chosen this year.

Here’s a great video look at the Podcast and New Media Expo that was held last year in Ontario, California. I was there and can’t wait until this years expo in Las Vegas. I have been invited to speak at this year’s expo and I’m really excited to talk about how podcasting can be used to help educators and students learn and study for classes in this crazy on the go world of ours.

Find out more about how you can attend this conference and learn more about podcasting and new media ventures — Click here.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

This weekend I added 6 new short tip segments to the MedicCast Extra.  In addition to the two items from this week’s free show (Acute Coronary Syndrome and Calcium Channel Blockers), I added 4 other segments taken from the “Stump the Podmedic” special episode from the MedicCast Live of a few weeks ago.

Here is the list:

Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT)

Good Samaritan Laws

ALS Classes for BLS Providers

Jugular Vein Distention (JVD)

All of these are just a few of the great extra learning segments you’ll find over at the MedicCast Extra!  Don’t miss out on your opportunity to get these items for your self — check out the MedicCast Extra today!

Click Here for Seriously Good Extras 

In many parts of the world, access to the newer medical imaging machines or techniques is nonexistent. Xray, CT Scans, PET scans, MRI’s are all just science fiction to medical personnel in other parts of the world.  The reason, of course, is the cost of these large pieces of equipment.

Check out this article from Medical News Today.

This article cites the increased costs involved partly related to the three functions of the device.

1. Imaging
2. Storing and Transmitting Images
3. Displaying Images

But the author points out that only one of these really has to do with the taking of the picture, the imaging process itself.  The two other functions could be taken care of by other methods.  The average cell phone out there possesses the ability to receive, transmit, and store images as well as display images.  The cost of these machines could be greatly decreased by using a standardized interface that would allow any cell phone to upload, download, or display the images taken remotely.

This could change the way rural or remote medicine is handled with a central doctor or specialist reading the images and determining the urgency of a given medical problem.

For a lot of EMS providers out there, at least at the ALS level, Physio Control is the manufacturer of the monitors they use to read patient heart rhythms.  Recently, however, they have been unable to support their customer base because of a voluntary stop order they issued over a year ago in accordance with the wishes of the FDA.  The problem surrounds issues with some of their manufacturing process and quality control paperwork they are supposed to keep regarding adverse effects and other trackable items.

Read the article here.

This has kept many agencies from upgrading their machines to Bi-Phasic defibrillation standards.  It has caused a lot of issues for a lot of EMS companies out there.  I hope that this signals the end of the is problem and that organizations can get back on track with their upgrades and purchases.

I recently posted a new episode over at the Nursing Show on the different adventitious lung sounds heard during auscultation.  If you are looking for a few auscultation tips check it out.  We need to constantly practice things like how to use a stethoscope correctly.

How often do you listen to patients completely in all lung fields?  Listening to breath sounds is an important part of any medical assessment.  Know what it is that you are listening to is important, too.  The only way to do that is to develop a habit of listening to EVERYBODY.

What do I mean by everybody?  Well, I include patients in that of course.  However, I also include you spouse or significant other, your kids, your partners on the ambulance, your instructors and anyone else you can convince to sit still for a quick listen.  The more lungs you listen to, the more you will learn to hear when there is something wrong with one of your patients.

The next time someone you know complains of a cold or chest congestion, ask to have a listen.  You might just pick up something new.

Our good friend, Chris Black sent me this link about an EMS supervisor’s truck that struck a pole and flipped over while responding to a call. Apparently, the weather and rain-slick roads contributed to the incident.

Here’s the link to the article.

One of the problems I see when I look at articles like this is that we have so much going on when we respond in chase vehicles like this.

• We are listening to dispatch for updates on the call.
• We are thinking about what we are going to do when we get there.
• We are talking on the radio (reaching for the mic, putting it back)
• We are operating our siren, lights, maybe using the PA?
• and Driving at a high speed.

Does anyone else think this is too much to keep track of? I do!

This is the answer folks: SLOW DOWN!

Remember, it is their emergency and not ours. We can’t help anyone if we don’t get there safely and if we are involved in an accident then I guarantee that our friends will divert to help us and leave the patient for second response units. Don’t make a bad situation worse. As EMTs and paramedics, our jobs as EMS providers is to provide care, not to try out for the local NASCAR qualifier!

Here are my tips for response in a chase vehicle:

Remember people can’t see you (you’re not as big as an ambulance)

1. Slow down to speed limit
2. Obey all traffic signals (even running lights and sirens)
3. Wait until you arrive to put on gloves or gather supplies
4. Talk on the radio as little as possible
5. Be hyper-observant of other traffic (especially when approaching the scene)

What tips do you have? Add them here to the comments area or email me and I’ll share them with the other visitors here and on the MedicCast.

Jamie Davis, the Podmedic

Listener Eric sent this tidbit in from a California newspaper. It examines the trends in geriatric health care. It discusses some alarming statistics brought up in a report from a professor at the University of California San Francisco. In this report, Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, the following points are made:

• One Geriatric Doctor per 2500 elderly patients
• Fewer than 1% of nurses are trained in geriatric care
• Nursing aide job turnover at 71%
• 90% of home health aides leave within two years
• National average pay for home health aides is $8.50 per hour

The gist of the article is that major change needs to occur in the training and pay for healthcare workers involved in care for the elderly or the system will continue to collapse under the increasing weight of the aging population. The same forces apply to the prehospital environment.  As the population continues to age, the need for well trained and well compensated EMTs and paramedics will increase.

Reports like these point to an a rapidly approaching critical mass where the health care system is going to start collapsing in on itself.  The system can’t continue to become more expensive while the workers who make it go continue to make less, work harder, and decide to move on to other jobs.

I got some nice recognition this week from a blog on web design.  It teaches students about how search engines rank web sites. The MedicCast was included as an example of good content, done right:

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“To drive my point home, let me give you three examples to look at:

The MedicCast is produced by paramedic Jamie Davis. Here is is collection of useful content aimed at a particular audience. He assembles content from other sources as well as creating original content and bundles it up in a blog, a podcast and a live show. Notice the blogroll in the left-hand column and the “share and enjoy” icons at the end of each post. Both encourage linking, which build credibility. Does all this work payoff? Try Googling podcast and medic to see who gets first page ranking.”

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Thanks for the support go to the Advisory Bored blog. It’s glad to know that I’m doing the right stuff to get the MedicCast noticed here. It has been hard work but very rewarding considering the way that the podcast and website audience has grown over the years.

Bicycle Safety for Children

Here are suggestions, courtesy of the International Bicycle Fund that I picked up over at Medicine Net:

• Always wear a bicycle helmet.
• Never bike in the road or on a busy street. Stay on the sidewalk.
• Stop and look for cars at any intersection before crossing.
• Although biking on the sidewalk, always ride in the same direction as traffic, and follow all road signs.
• Try to keep both hands on the bike handles at all times.
• Don’t ride at night, and wear bright clothing — even during daylight.

I’m big on education and prevention, especially for kids. You, as emergency medical technicians and paramedics can go and do a presentation in your local elementary school on spring and summer safety, bicycle helmets, skateboarding pads.

If you do let me know and I’ll talk about it on the show.

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