This is one of several covers from the band “Shock Advised.” If you visit their YouTube channel you can also see them performing in the apparatus bay. It appears as if they are playing an EMS week barbecue. Also wondering if this is Sean Eddy’s (MedicMadness.com) band???

And a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T for EMS …

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Chatham Fire Association recognizes EMS Week 2011 by purchasing 3 new AEDs for community use and demonstrates how to use the AEDs in this video.

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What would you do?

“A patient has been impaled on a rod on an iron fence which has gone straight through the body. Would it be advised to shock this patient in cardiac arrest with an AED? Or would the shock be contradictory due to the metal object in said patient’s body?”

My Thoughts

1. The patient is not likely to have a shockable rhythm – vfib or vtach.

2. The patient with penetrating trauma as described likely has injuries incompatible with life.

3. Lots of patient’s have metal in their body – surgical plates for fractures, implanted pace makers, bullets not removed from previous injuries, etc. The likely issue is not the metal in the body but the conduction of electricity through the metal rod.

Your Thoughts?

This question is the classic classroom zebra. What would you do? Have you ever heard of an actual case like this?

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Football can be a metaphor for just about anything. And just about anything can be used as a metaphor for EMS. Check out my latest EMS1.com column What Football Can Teach us About the Scene Size-up.

In related football news:

1. My CoEMS Fantasy Football, Push to Shock, team experienced its first loss last weekend.

2. Wins and poll rankings rarely correlate with actual on field performance. See Wisconsin’s loss to Michigan State last weekend.

3. I am seeking two or four tickets for the Packers December 5 home game against the San Francisco 49ers.

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In this recent episode of the EMS Office Hours Podcast Jim Hoffman, the EMS Professional, and I discuss AED saves in airports and other public areas, along with CPR Awareness Week. I also told Jim about my encounter with a rattle snake while trail running near Phoenix, Arizona. We always welcome your comments on the show and suggestions for future episodes.

Show notes:

Compression only CPR http://handsonlycpr.org/

CPR Awareness Week http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3011764

http://www.crossfitsantacruzcentral.com/wp-admin/articles/CCC-CPR.pdf

Sky Harbor AED Save http://skyharbor.com/phx-perspective-visitor-saved.html

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixmetro/central/story/Doctor-works-with-TSA-agents-to-save-own-life-at/WGSx2OTkrkSgQELe-Dn49w.cspx

EMS 2.0 Pin http://medicsbk.tripod.com

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Welcome to winter. Many of us will be experiencing a cold challenge – unintentionally – as we respond to patient emergencies. Will you be inducing hypothermia in any of your patients?

I don’t work in EMS systems that use induced hypothermia for patients that have Return of Spontaneous Circulation” after cardiac arrest – yet. Despite inclusion of induced hypothermia as a Class IIa recommendation in the 2005 American Heart Association Emergency Cardiac Care Guidelines this treatment has not been universally adopted by EMS systems and receiving hospitals.

I am told the main obstacle to adoption in my work areas is the hospitals, in both the ER and ICU, are not ready to maintain and monitor mild induced hypothermia and thus it does not make sense for EMS to initiate it. I am not sure if this is actually true, rumor, or simply passing the buck.

Common barriers to initiating an induction of hypothermia protocol after ROSC include:

1. Uncertainty about how soon hypothermia should be initiated. Although practitioners, in and out of the hospital, that have perform induced hypothermia universally have told me induction should begin as soon as possible.

2. Need for additional equipment to maintain chilled IV fluids and ice packs for rapid use. Ambulances are already filled with a lot of equipment that is used infrequently. A cooling device, about the size of a small cooler, that will be used for <1% of patients occupies a lot of valuable real estate.

3. Infrequency of sudden cardiac arrest patients that achieve ROSC. Induced hypothermia is just a small part in the total package of services to prevent SCA. Many communities don’t even know there cardiac arrest survival rate. If conversion of V-Fib to a pulse is hovering in the low single digits other system changes and protocol advancements might be a higher priority. What is your communities sudden cardiac arrest survival rate? I don’t have any idea what the rate is the places I work/have worked. The closest estimate I have gotten is “dismal” or “it depends on how we measure survival.”

Despite these barriers all EMS professionals should be aware of the use of induced hypothermia for ROSC patients. Change may come rapidly. Use an online CE class (like the lesson on inducing hypothermia from RapidCE), this slideshare presentation, conference presentations, ACEP News Article from March 2007, and other opportunities to learn about induced hypothermia protocols and equipment. Your service may be next.

This is a post in the 31 days of CE series for EverydayEMSTips.com

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The Sudden Cardiac Arrest foundation is sponsoring a contest for schools to win an AED by creating a video. For the contest teams of students write, film, star in and edit their own short (3–5 minute) video promoting the importance of knowing how to do CPR and use an AED. The SCA Foundation panel of judges will review videos for overall message, creativity, originality, student participation, and likelihood to raise awareness about saving lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest. Finalists for all categories will be posted on the SCA Foundation’s website and its YouTube Channel and promoted to schools nationwide.

Learn more about the contest and enter at the SCA website.

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I once sat next to a rocket scientist on an airplane. I am pretty sure I could have taught him CPR. Remember:

1. Call 911
2. Push hard and push fast


American Heart Association video proves even rocket scientists can do CPR.

Name the tune on the sound track of this video?

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As part of National AED and CPR Awareness week the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation ran a contest to award an AED to a school in need. This is the winning video

This recent Everyday EMS Tips post discussed how video and social media can be used to tell EMS success stories. If you don’t know where to start or how to start ask some kids. As the students of St. Francis de Sales Catholic School in Salisbury, Maryland prove kids understand video production and the power of social media.

Related content:

SCA Announcement of video contest winners

AED and CPR Awareness Week

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This video from Alameda County EMS is a powerful testimonial about the importance of bystander CPR, early first responder arrival, and paramedic care in the cardiac arrest chain of survival. Everyday EMS Tips for capturing survivor stories and testimonials:

1. Follow-up with patients, especially when they contact your organization after the incident. Ask permission to video their story.
2. Partner with a professional video production company (they may do it at a low cost for a public service agency) or ask a video production class at local high school or college to help.
3. Feature all the characters in the story – bystanders, first responders, paramedics, and patient.
4. Edit video to be about three to five minutes.
5. Widely distribute video on your organization website, other organization websites, social media sites like YouTube or Vimeo, and invite local television to broadcast during news shows.

Cardiac Arrest Survivor Story – Berkeley Fire from Thaddeus Setla on Vimeo.

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