EMS1 Sponsored The field training officer is responsible for ensuring new paramedics achieve competency with capnography use and interpretation By Chris Cebollero Capnography is an essential tool for all paramedics. The Field Training Officer (FTO) plays a critical role in helping paramedics learn about capnography, meet basic competencies, and eventually achieve mastery. As an FTO…

Tim Nowak, AAS, BS, NRP, CCEMTP, SPO, MPO, CADS EMS1.com Columnists Put your rales, rhonchi and stridor expertise to the test Welcome to this comprehensive quiz, designed to challenge and assess your knowledge on airway management and monitoring, with a special focus on capnography. This quiz delves into various aspects of this important topic, from…

Tim Nowak, AAS, BS, NRP, CCEMTP, SPO, MPO, CADS EMS1.com Columnists Always keep the patient’s context in mind in any situation when you’re utilizing waveform capnography Cold weather is upon us, and so is the risk of hypothermia in our environmentally exposed patients. When body temperatures drop, so should our sole reliance on capnography to…

EMS1.com Columnists Capnography guided care gives EMS providers the information they need to improve survival for patients who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest By Shawna Renga, NRP The application of waveform capnography in prehospital care has expanded far beyond its most ubiquitous use as the gold standard for endotracheal tube placement confirmation. Capnography as a…

Tim Nowak, AAS, BS, NRP, CCEMTP, SPO, MPO, CADS EMS1.com Columnists Application of an EtCO2 sampling device and waveform monitoring, especially during bag-valve mask ventilation, is well within the capability of EMTs Should EMTs be trained and required to utilize capnography within their scope of practice and clinical care? Yes. That was a short article!…

Bob Sullivan EMS1.com Columnists Understand how using end-tidal carbon dioxide to confirm placement of advanced airways and guide patient care Placement of an advanced airway device in critically ill and injured patients is a high-risk procedure, and permanent disability or death is likely if the airway is misplaced and not recognized. Here are three things…

Limmer Education EMS1.com Columnists Three significant consequences of routine, excessive oxygen administration By Chris Ebright Oxygen. We love it, and it keeps us alive. The atmosphere contains 21% oxygen, and we exhale, on average, 16%. Thus, with the billions and billions of cells within our body, they operate using only 5% of the oxygen we…

Bob Sullivan EMS1.com Columnists Understand the role of pulse oximetry and waveform capnography to assess and treat patients who are hyperventilating Hyperventilation syndrome is a challenging and often misunderstood condition that is frequently encountered in EMS. When triggered by anxiety, hyperventilation causes patients to feel like they are suffocating, but it eventually self-corrects and is…

Limmer Education EMS1.com Columnists Flail chest, tension pneumothorax, cardiac tamponade and pulmonary contusion have unique presentations, but all jeopardize vital functions By Chris Ebright Welcome to another edition of Back to the Basics! This time around, I thought I’d discuss chest trauma. The reason being, injuries to this part of the body are the second most…

Meena Thill EMS1.com Columnists An AEMT recalls a response to what appeared to be a stroke, which turned into a chest pain scenario “Ambulance 881 you are being requested to the home of a male subject possible stroke.” I rolled over, rolled out of bed and acknowledged the page. My partner and I got our…