Jared and Mike sit down with Dr. Bram Duffee to discuss his thoughts on communication in EMS and studies in EMS. Don’t miss this one!

When I became a paramedic, being able to provide pain management was one of the "new interventions" that I looked forward to most. As an EMT, I remember countless times I was without ALS resources and had to watch a patient suffering in pain until we got to the hospital. Trying to obtain any history or perform an assessment on someone writhing in pain can be nearly impossible. As a BLS provider, I would attempt non-pharmacological ways to relieve pain, such as ice packs, warm packs, elevating extremities, and sometimes simply trying to distract them with conversation. While these methods should not be discounted, I will never forget the first time I could provide pain medication to an elderly woman who fell and fractured her hip. I started an IV right there on the floor of the assisted living facility, administered some fentanyl, and comfortably got her to the stretcher. Analgesia did not save this lady's life. Still, it did make her trip to the hospital a little more comfortable and allowed me to obtain an accurate history, including the dizziness and dyspnea she felt before falling. Performing an adequate assessment and obtaining pertinent medical history can be difficult when a patient is experiencing intense pain. For this reason, pain should be managed to a level that allows for comfort & communication. Total pain relief is ideal but may not always be feasible, given hemodynamics and underlying causes. Check out this episode with Tyler & Shane as they discuss multimodal pain management strategies.

Get caught up with Jared and Mike and hear answers to questions on finger thoracostomy and sedation/analgesia.

In this episode, we're covering our favorite tips and tricks from the EMT Pharmacology book! You can download the book for free here: https://www.foamfrat.com/post/new-free-book-emt-pharmacology

I had the privilege to bring on two passionate fathers of children with Autism to help me better understand how to approach and communicate with a neuro-diverse child. This episode is chock-full of insight, tips, tricks, and logistics of approaching a child in the field with Autism. Josh Chan is a Life Link III flight paramedic/base lead and a Glenwood FD firefighter. Matthew Yelton is a flight paramedic/base lead for Mercy Flight Central and works as a fire captain at Constableville Ambulance Inc.

Tension Pneumothorax treatment with needle decompression.

EMS providers encounter various infectious diseases daily and need to know the routes of exposure, risks, and preventive measures to protect themselves and their families. In this episode, We talk with Dr. Hudson Garrett, an infectious disease expert with the medical college of Louisville University, to discuss the practical points of infectious disease for the everyday provider. Want CE for this episode? Sign up for FOAMfrat Studio and access 300+ hours of continuing education for EMS & Nursing.  www.foamfrat.com