Image credit: CantonRep.com That’s the startling claim made in this report found at CantonRep.com. A Plain Township emergency medical squad of Bill Meers, Craig Hamilton, David Schwitzgable, and Deputy Chief Don Snyder received Mercy Medical Center’s Emergency Chest Pain Center’s STEMI Cup award on Feb. 18. The squad was the first to receive the award. The […]

Heading to the EMS Today conference in Baltimore next week? The “largest live gathering of EMS and Fire bloggers EVER” is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Uno Chicago Grill at 201 East Pratt Street (the Pratt Street Pavilion – Zone B, Level 2) […]

Image credit: Physio-Control   I discovered an interesting quirk about the Lifepak 12 the other day. I’m sure many of you have been told (as I had been told) that the Lifepak 12 cannot perform TCP unless the limb lead electrodes are attached. There is a caveat to this (reference page 4-18 in the Operations […]

Here’s another interesting case submitted by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous. While we’re on the subject, I’d like to thank my readers for the interesting case studies that have been coming in! This is what the Web 2.0 experience is all about! We’re learning a lot from each other and that’s the difference […]

From the ACLS Reference Textbook and Experienced Provider Manual (2003). Chapter 16: Stable Wide Complex Tachycardias: “Electrical cardioversion is the definitive therapy for stable wide complex tachcyardia. It should be used immediately if the patient becomes unstable. It can avoid the potential complications resulting from the use of antiarrhythmic drugs, but its use may not […]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-8PBx7isoM] h/t Pete R. from Star of Life Law

Here’s another great case submitted by Robert Bees. EMS is called in the very early morning to a 68 year old male complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. On arrival, the patient is anxious and appears acutely ill. He is oriented to person, place, and time. Skin is cool, pale, and diaphoretic. The […]

Here’s a great story from WSFB-TV Channel 3 Eyewitness News (Hartford-New Haven) featuring our very own Peter Canning from the Street Watch: Notes of a Paramedic blog! Watch as Peter calls in a “definite STEMI Alert” and activates the cath lab! Click HERE for the best quality video without commercials. Screen shots below.

Some of you are probably wondering whether or not I’d ever condone giving a calcium channel blocker to a wide complex tachycardia in the field. A recent case submitted by Robert Bees demonstrates a situation where I might consider it (or at least not criticize someone for considering it). EMS is called to a 90 […]