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The Blue Lady
By: Marven Ewen, MD, Medical DirectorSometimes people are too reliant on internet information. Instead of carefully assessing their situation, they immediately search for an answer on Google. Too much sensational and typically inaccurate medical TV shows have raised the awareness of serious conditions, so much so that people jump to the conclusion that whatever symptom…
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The Rise and Demise of Regional Medical Programs
By: James EwenThe current state of Emergency Medical Systems (EMS) in the United States is one of strict guidelines and standardized education all under the umbrella of national and state organizations, as anyone who has gone through training understands. Of course, EMS was not always this organized. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)…
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Healthcare In 2017: What We Know So Far
By: James EwenIn the recent election cycle, as it is in all modern elections, healthcare was a common thread. With the news of a win for Donald Trump comes the trepidation of some 20 million people who are insured through the Affordable Care Act, a law that Trump has been outspoken about repealing as one…
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EMT Training Requirements
EMT training requirements are fairly straightforward, but do sometimes vary depending on which state you will be seeking your EMT certification. The majority of states accept the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) as the certifying body. So long as you take and pass an EMT course certified by the NREMT, pass the NREMT…
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What Can EMS Do to Treat an Opioid Overdose?
By: Sonia TagliareniIn 2014, drug overdoses claimed the lives of 47,055 Americans, with opioid overdoses driving the epidemic. Two years later, drug addiction and overdoses remain prominent issues in the United States. While overdoses can be deadly, timely medical services can save a life, and the proper follow-up treatment can ensure the person is not…
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New EMT Refresher Requirements for 2017
Many EMTs are already familiar with the standards for refreshing their license every two years. Up until March 31, 2016, taking a 24-hour refresher course and completing a formal skills exam fulfilled the MN EMSRB standards for license renewal. For those renewing their NREMT certification as well, it required the MN standards in addition to…
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The Patient With No Face
By: Marven Ewen, MD, Medical DirectorSometimes working in an ER is a lot like flying an airplane: hours of uneventful flying interspersed with moments of extreme challenge. Just when you are finding yourself relaxing into the routine flight, you are jarred into attention by a blaring alarm. This is what it was like for me…
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Halloween: Costumes, Candy, and Hospitalizations
By: Jenny Ewen, BA, EMT, Marketing & Student ServicesHalloween is the night for kids to dress up as someone else, and go door-to-door asking for candy. Put that simply, it sounds like a pretty strange tradition. It is thought to have started in ancient times with the Celtic festival of Samhain, where bonfires were lit…
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Pandemic Planning for EMS
By: Kory L. Sandoz, EMT, EMDThere is really no question as to if we will have another pandemic. The only question is when it will occur and how severe it will be. What is a pandemic? A pandemic is a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects a high proportion of the…
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Anti-Overdose Drug Should Be More Freely Available
By: Simone FlynnOne of the most memorable scenes in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is when Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) overdoses on heroin, thinking it was cocaine, and is saved by an emergency shot of adrenaline into her heart.That likely wouldn’t work in real life, but there is a medication that might: naloxone, an opioid antagonist…
