Medical Programs

[PEDIATRIC]     [CARDIOVASCULAR]     [INFECTIOUS CONTROL]   [OTHER MEDICAL]

Pediatric Series

Child Abuse and Pediatric Trauma
When a child is injured, either intentionally or unintentionally, the EMS provider must be able to act quickly to assess, treat, package and transport.  This program will review pediatric trauma in depth.

Childbirth and Neonatal Resuscitation
The fundamentals of child delivery and how to handle both patients when things go wrong.  A review of the more common complications is included.

Children with Special Needs
Have you ever walked into a child’s room and thought you were in an ICU?  Children with chronic medical problems are often cared for at home and have unique needs.  This class will discuss some of the problems these patients have and how to provide effective care when an emergency occurs.

Pediatric Assessment and Fundamentals of Care
This program kicks off the pediatric series with a review of the ABCs of emergency medical care for kids.  Unique aspects of assessment are described as well as on scene management of a sometimes tense situation.

Pediatric Respiratory Emergencies
Training on the more common respiratory emergencies that afflict the pediatric population.  Asthma, bronchiolitis and pneumonia are covered.

SIDS and Pediatric Resuscitation
An Overview of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the resuscitation of pediatric patients.  Moving video from emergency responders who have lost children to SIDS themselves.

Special Topics in Pediatrics
This class will cover subjects such as congenital heart diseases, leukemia, sickle cell and other issues in pediatric care.

[TOP]

Cardiovascular Series

Acute MIs
This comprehensive program will follow a myocardial infarction from beginning to end.  Risk factors, pathology and new treatment choices are reviewed.  Designed for the EMS provider that wants to know about MIs from an advanced perspective. A review of some interesting EKG findings is included.

Congestive Heart Failure
This class reviews the pathophysiology of CHF.  Now know more about what is going on with these patients that we treat so often.

Stokes
Updated information on the treatment of Cerebral Vascular Accidents, including new ‘clot-busting’ treatment.  Strokes should be given the same emergent care as myocardial infarctions.

[TOP]

Infectious Control

Bloodborne Pathogens
Annual training is required on infectious control and bloodborne pathogens.  HIV, Hepatitis A, B & C, Meningitis, Tuberculosis,  and other diseases are covered.  Mandatory for any emergency responder including police, fire and EMS.

Core Curriculum in Tuberculosis
Based on the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control, this 3 hour class provides basic knowledge of Tuberculosis for EMS providers.  Meets requirements of OSHA and PEOSH for tuberculosis training.

[TOP]

Other Medical Classes

Abdominal Pain
Complaints of abdominal pain are often considered a BLS and benign situation. However there are many serious and even life threatening conditions that can be present when there is pain in this area. We discuss some of these, including bowel obstruction, vomiting blood, rectal bleeding, and conditions involving the gallbladder, pancreas, liver and kidneys. You many not be able to fix the problem, but understanding it will allow you to treat and transport the patient more effectively.

Adult Respiratory Emergencies
As the baby boomers get older, we will be seeing proportionally more medical calls such as respiratory emergencies. This class covers the topics of COPD, Asthma, pulmonary embolism and other causes of respiratory distress in an adult.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse
This class covers the more common drugs that are abused by our patients. It compliments our Rave and Club Drugs class in that this session discusses the more ‘classical’ drugs such as cocaine, heroin and other narcotics, marijuana and sedatives. In addition, the clinical effects of alcohol and alcohol related emergencies are addressed.

Bariatrics – Treatment and Transport of Larger Patients
The treatment and transport of larger patients is discussed, including information on post-gastric bypass management.

Blast Injuries
This class will provide insight into the types of injuries that could be found in a patient who has experienced an explosive force.

Burns
Basic training program on the pathophysiology and treatment of burns.  Includes electrical, chemical and thermal burns.

Crush Injuries
Victims who have been trapped under debris, dirt or simply collapsed on the floor can often have unique injuries known as crush syndrome.  This program discusses the recognition and management of these patients.

Diabetic Emergencies
Many patients have a medical history that includes diabetes.  The different types of diabetes are reviewed, including the new medications the EMS providers may encounter.  Finally, BLS treatment is covered.

Doctor’s Offices and Nursing Homes
Respond to the local nursing home for a fever, to the doctor’s office for chest pain or “be advised there is a doctor on scene.” These situations make a routine call become much more difficult in many cases. This program will help to explain why these calls go the way they do. We cover the most common complaints of nursing home patients – don’t be fooled – they are often sicker and are more likely to be admitted than patients from a private home. Do you have to do what the doctor says in the office? How about on the street? Regulations and standards of care are discussed.

Fundamentals of Patient Assessment
Before you can treat a patient, you must find out what is wrong.  This program is an overview of patient assessment including both trauma and medical patients.

Geriatric Trauma
Older patients fall. And older patients are on medications. The combination of these two facts does not mix well. We will discuss the latest concepts regarding geriatric trauma, assessment and destination. Who needs to go to a trauma center immediately? How are vital signs different? What should be looked for on a routine “lift assist” and what if they have no complaint at all? If you don’t know what to look for you will never find it.

HEENT: Issues with the Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat
From headaches to nosebleeds, ear pain to eye trauma. A lot is going on in the head and patients are often very concerned about issues in this area. Some are life threatening, some less so. We discuss some of the more common and serious complaints and how EMS should treat them.

Immersion Injuries
Discussion of drowning, near drowning and hypothermia.  Good program for just before the summer, coupled with Spinal Immobilization.

Medical History from Medications
Many times the EMS crew encounters a patient who denies a history but has a bag of meds.  Alternatively, a patient may be found unconscious and the only clue to the cause is the patient’s medications.  This class will assist the provider in this detective work.

Non Lethal Weapons
This program covers injuries from non-lethal weapons often used by law enforcement, such as mace, pepper spray, water canon, tasers, stun guns and so on.  A good follow-up class to Crime Scene Awareness.

Oncologic Emergencies
Patients with cancer of some sort are encountered on a regular bases by EMS providers. This class will discuss some common types of cancer and the conditions an EMS provider may encounter in these patients.

Overdoses
With so many drugs available, it is not surprising that patients will sometimes take too much. This may be intentional or accidental, but the effects can be severe. Some of the most benign over the counter drugs such as aspirin and Tylenol can be deadly. We cover the more common overdose drugs both for adults and pediatrics. The role of the poison control centers is included, as well as myths and actual treatments.

Penetrating Trauma
This program reviews the many different types of penetrating trauma including gunshot wounds, stab wounds and impalements.  Common patient presentations are discussed.

Psychiatric Emergencies
This is another topic that the EMT learns little about during initial training. Many of our patients will have a variety of psychiatric conditions that are either the primary complaint or could complicate the complaint. This class covers topics such as depression, anxiety, psychosis, schizophrenia and suicidal ideation.

Rave and Club Drugs Introduction to GHB, Ecstasy and other drugs that can case coma.  These are common in dance clubs and other locations throughout the region.  This program will help increase the index of suspicion for these types of cases.

Resuscitation Update
Covers many of the recent changes in CPR and the use of AEDs.  Designed for experienced providers, we discuss much of the science of what we do and why.  Why is the code survival rate the same as it was 40 years ago?  What are we doing wrong?

Seizures as Medical Emergencies Information about seizure types and treatment.  Video clips of different seizures is included.

Spinal Immobilization
A review of spinal anatomy and injuries, including new information about the possibility of not having to ‘board and collar’ every injured patient we encounter. (Selective Immobilization)

Sports Injuries
BLS providers on stand-bys or simply responding to emergency calls can encounter victims of sports injury.  Some of the more common injuries are reviewed.

Summer Emergencies
Common emergencies that are encountered in the summer months are discussed.

>Winter Emergencies
This class discusses the topics of hypothermia, winter sports injuries and carbon monoxide exposure.

[TOP]