EMS was called to the parking lot of a grocery store by a bystander who reports an elderly woman fell while getting out of her car and is now experiencing chest pain. At the scene, the woman denies losing consciousness or striking her head and the only visible injury is a slight abrasion on her…

On January 22, 2018, an ambulance crashed in Miami County, Indiana. The ambulance was transporting a 5-month-old child who, accompanied by her mother, was being moved between hospitals when the accident occurred at approximately 3:45 AM. The driver of the ambulance failed to stop at a red light and collided with another vehicle that was…

You’re on the front lines every day performing miracles. You execute CPR effortlessly, instinctively notice the signs of an impending stroke, and have performed abdominal thrusts for choking too many times to count. You’ve done it all, and have vast  experience handling life or death situations. Despite your tactical expertise in performing daily EMS tasks,…

On the evening of July 14, the people of the French city of Nice gathered to celebrate Bastille Day, the day that commemorates the storming of the Bastille. The Bastille was a political prison and a symbol of royal authority and when it was taken in 1789, it marked a major turning point in the…

Mr. Schultz is a 64-year-old accountant with a past medical history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He has been a smoker for the past 35 years and despite his wife and his doctor “gently nagging” him about it and him trying to quit multiple times, he still has not been able to kick…

Anxiety is a term that tends to get tossed around a lot to reflect whenever someone is feeling stressed. Occasionally feeling worried or anxious is normal, but it becomes an anxiety disorder when the worry and fear is persistent, intense, and revolves around normal everyday occurrences – sometimes resulting in the person not partaking in…

While the intent of Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks, it is really a day of celebrating gluttony for most Americans. It’s estimated that the average American eats more than 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day. Considering an average diet should consist of around 2,000 calories (less than that for most women), this is more…

It is odorless, has no taste, and you cannot see it. It is carbon monoxide (CO) and it is the leading cause of injury and death due to poison worldwide. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning often go unrecognized until it is too late because the typical early symptom – headache, dizziness, nausea, and irritability…

Many years ago when I was a resident, I learned that personal safety is a real concern for healthcare providers. In the ED where I was working, interviews with patients who had psychiatric problems were carried out in a dedicated room. This room was equipped with a panic alarm which appears as part of the…

What is Trauma?Trauma itself is a very broad term – in EMS, trauma brings up images of severe internal and external injuries and life-threats. Trauma is far more than physical injuries. It can also be emotional and mental as a result of a one-time event or a series of experiences like neglect, abuse, or violence.…