ADVERTISEMENT
This Week in EMS: A Recap for January 5 - 11, 2008
A Central Florida incident this week served as a reminder to rescuers to take caution when photographing a scene for training purposes.
Umatilla Fire Chief Richard Shirk photographed a 26-year-old crash victim being treated, and then e-mailed the photos to area fire departments. While this may be common, the major issue in this case was that one of the images showed the woman's exposed breasts.
Shirk resigned Monday amid concerns that the woman, who later died, had her privacy rights violated.
Photographing patients creates numerous ethical and legal concerns, and if done at all, must be done within agency regulations as well as state and local laws. For more on this incident visit:
This week it came to light that the San Antonio paramedic who assumed a patient was dead in a Dec. 16 incident had failed to check her pulse. The city's medical operating procedure requires paramedics to check vital signs, and the paramedic was barred this week from working in San Antonio.
Rescuers initially thought the 23-year-old crash victim was dead, but two hours later a medical examiner on scene discovered her still breathing. She was then taken to the hospital but died the next day.
While the mistake was preventable, the head of the San Antonio Professional Firefighters' Association says it was understandable. He says in training, paramedics are taught that if victims have "massive brain injury or massive trauma, those patients have near zero survivability." In those instances, "you should not need to check their vitals. They are deceased."
Read more at:
- San Antonio Union Chief Defends Omitted Pulse Check
- San Antonio Paramedic Failed to Check Patient's Pulse
- Forum Discussion: Pulse checks optional?
New research from Ohio State University suggests that at any given time, nearly 10 percent of the EMTs and paramedics in the U.S. are missing work because of injuries or illnesses sustained on duty. This may come as no surprise to the EMS community, but tracking these illnesses and injuries may help guide interventions to reduce the risks.
The study looked at a cross-section of emergency workers and watched for trends over time, between 1999 and 2005, and connected a high call volume and a history of recent back problems to a higher likelihood of injury.
The most common problems reported were exposures to blood-borne pathogens from needle sticks, musculoskeletal injuries associated with lifting and moving patients, injuries inflicted by violent patients, and injuries caused by traffic accidents involving ambulances.
For more on this report visit: Injuries Greater for Emergency Responders.
Industry News
It's time to nominate candidates for EMS Magazine's 23rd Annual Braun Industries/Monster Medic EMT/Paramedic of the Year Award.
Just tell us, in 500 words or less, why he or she deserves to be considered for this honor. The winner will receive a $600 check and free travel, lodging and registration for EMS EXPO 2008, October 13-17, in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the award will be presented.
Click above for the contest rules and online nomination form.
EMSResponder.com Featured Column:
Author Jim Baird opens with a story about his grandmother's oatmeal cookies, and his amazement upon growing up and learning that with her recipe, he could get the same great result. He goes on to compare recipes to protocols, and discusses the balance between reliance on protocols and critical thinking for the best possible outcome.
"Now I know and you know there are no guarantees in life," Jim writes. "Things can still get messed up even with a recipe or a protocol to follow. But we certainly stack the odds in our favor when we know what we are going to do, how to do it and when we are going to do it."
Click the link above to read Jim's full column.
EMSResponder.com New Feature:
The EMSResponder.com Job Database has officially launched! Come by to submit a free job listing, to advertise a job, or to search for jobs by type or by location. To save you time in your search, the page automatically showcases the most recently added listings as well as those with upcoming closing dates. You may also sign up for a weekly Job Alert email. Visit www.emsresponder.com/jobs.
EMSResponder.com Featured Job
All candidates must be licensed as a Wisconsin EMT-Basic or EMT IV-Tech or higher. Previous experience is preferred. The salary listed is $31,616 to $38,200 and the closing date for applications is January 18.
Visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs to find additional listings or to submit listings.
EMSResponder.com Hot Topics
Among this week's hot topics:
"What are your opinions of finishing an EMT-B course, becoming certified and then taking an EMT-P course? Does that sound like a good idea, or should you stay an EMT-B for a little while and then take an EMT-P course?"
Visit www.emsresponder.com/forums to join the conversation or to browse additional topics.
EMSResponder.com Poll
What is your top EMS goal for 2008?
Visit the poll on the lower right side of EMSResponder.com to participate. View previous polls at www.EMSResponder.com/polls.
To submit a poll idea e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.
Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com:
- Pennsylvania Ambulance, Fire Truck Collide
- New Zealand Firefighters Handle EMS for Sleeping Medics
- Congress Passes Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act
- Five Japan ERs Say No; Motorcyclist Dies
- Men Bring Corpse to New York Store
- Man Brings Grenade into Detroit Emergency Room
About Heather Caspi, EMSResponder.com Editor-in-Chief
Heather Caspi has been a public safety journalist since 2000, beginning as a reporter for sister site Firehouse.com. She later became the assistant news editor for Firehouse.com and Officer.com, and led the launch of EMSResponder.com in 2005. She graduated from the University of Maryland with degrees in Journalism and English Language and Literature, and earned her EMT-B at Merritt College in Oakland, California. She can be reached at Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.
