This Week in EMS: A Recap for September 8 - 14, 2007

This Tuesday, concerns over the health of ground zero workers loomed over the sixth anniversary of 9/11.

Many rescuers are ill - with new cases still coming forward - with respiratory problems and cancers. They blame the illnesses on exposure to the fallen towers' toxic dust.

On Wednesday, doctors treating ill workers offered Congress a detailed update on who is still sick or may yet become sick. Lingering 9/11-related illnesses and deaths of some first responders have led to calls in Congress for a federal program to fund long-term health programs for those workers.

For further coverage of the 9/11 anniversary and the health issues for responders, visit the following articles on EMSResponder.com:

• Heads Bowed in Memory of 9/11 Victims
• Doctor Details 9/11 Workers' Illnesses
• Health Issues Linger for 9/11 Responders
• 9/11 Hero EMT Gets Help from His Friends

Also this week, details were released about a potential breakthrough by biomedical engineer Leslie Geddes of Purdue University. Geddes has developed a new method to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation that he says is more effective than standard CPR because it increases nourishing blood flow through the heart by 25 percent over the current method.

Geddes calls this CPR alternative "only rhythmic abdominal compression," or OAC-CPR, which works by pushing on the abdomen instead of the chest.

"There are major problems with standard CPR," Geddes says. "One is the risk of breaking ribs if you push too hard, but if you don't push hard you won't save the person. Another problem is the risk of transferring infection with mouth-to-mouth breathing." This new CPR method eliminates both risks, he says.

Geddes says the elimination of rib fractures, a common result of compressing the chest, is an important benefit. Rib fractures cause the chest to recoil more slowly, but effective CPR requires that rescuers wait until the chest recoils fully before compressing.

Purdue researchers compared coronary artery blood flow during standard chest-compression CPR with the flow resulting from only abdominal compression CPR. Their findings showed that using the new method and pushing with the same force recommended for standard CPR provided 25 percent more blood flow through the heart muscle without retrograde flow in the coronary arteries. Their results will be detailed in a paper appearing this month in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Whether the procedure gains acceptance will depend on whether other researchers can duplicate Geddes' results.

To read more about this study, read New CPR May Offer Better Results.

The EMS system in California may undergo a major change as a result of a bill passed late Tuesday by the state legislature to track EMTs across the state. The goal is to prevent personnel who have been disciplined for patient care problems or other wrongdoing to float unhindered between jurisdictions.

The bill has been sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but as of Wednesday he reportedly hadn't decided whether to sign it.

The measure would close two major loopholes in the oversight of the state's estimated 70,000 EMTs, first by establishing a centralized registry, and second, by requiring all prospective EMTs to undergo FBI and state law enforcement background checks before being hired.

California is the only state that as yet has no EMT registry or statewide requirement for criminal background checks. Some EMTs who have been disciplined or fired in one jurisdiction have been found to have gotten jobs in others, with their new employers unaware of their previous problems.

For additional details visit EMS Registry Established in California.

EMS Magazine Online Exclusive:

MCI Preparedness

In the September issue of EMS Magazine, Associate Editor John Erich profiles what some EMS systems are doing to prepare for specific MCI scenarios (see Great Preparations). Provided here is some additional information on how you can best prepare your agency to respond to a mass casualty incident.

EMSResponder.com Featured Column

A "Peon's" Guide to Surviving the Enemy... Management!
By Kasha Driskill, NREMT-P/CCEMT-P

"Okay, they are not really the enemy but how many of us see them that way sometimes in our moments of weakness? After all, we are sleep deprived, exercise deficient and Big Mac overdosed," writes Flight Paramedic Kasha Driskill of Cox Air Care in Springfield/Branson, Missouri.

Don't miss this smart, warm and funny "EMS Survival Guide" by a 16-year prehospital care provider with a "master's degree in Lessons Learned the Hard Way from the University of Hard Knocks."

Industry Wire

The National EMS Museum, Board of Trustees, is proud to announce the following appointments to the Museum Advisory Board:

• Dr. David Boyd
• Mel Globerman
• Dr. Norman McSwain
• Rocco Morando
• Dr. Jeff Myer
• Tarry Pribble
• Dr. Keith Wesley

The mission of the Advisory Board is to provide advice, guidance, support and advocacy for the National EMS Museum Foundation, Inc. Click on the above headline to read the full press release.

For more business news and new products visit the EMSResponder.com Industry Wire. To submit a press release e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.

EMSResponder.com Featured Job

Program Coordinator, EMS - Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona

"The Program Director will oversee operations of the EMS department. The incumbent will manage local, regional, state and national teaching and reporting requirements. Plan and implement actions to fulfill Yavapai College's and the EMS department's mission statements. Attend and take active part in local, regional and state council meetings, advisory boards and leadership meetings."

Click on the job title for the full job listing, including requirements and application information.

Visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs and our linked partner sites to find additional job listings. Also, watch for our expanded employment center coming soon on EMSResponder.com.

To submit an EMS related job listing e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.

EMSResponder.com Hot Topics

Bulletproof Vest

A forum member writes, "How many of you use a bulletproof vest on the job, and in what kind of environment do you work (rural, semi-urban, urban)?"

This discussion and poll has been one of the most-read forum topics and has been ongoing since June.

Click on the discussion to read more, or look for another topic in the EMS Responder.com Forums.

EMSResponder.com Poll

This week's poll asks, "Did personnel at your EMS agency say or do anything to mark the sixth anniversary of 9/11?"

Visit the poll on the lower right side of EMSResponder.com to participate.

What questions do you have for your fellow EMS responders? To submit a poll idea e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.

Reminders:

Call for Candidates: Board of Trustees - National EMS Museum Foundation, Inc.

The Board of Trustees of the National EMS Museum Foundation is seeking to fill five Board of Trustee seats. All candidate proposals must be submitted by close of business September 21, 2007. The election will be held during the EMS Expo/NAEMT annual meeting, October 11, 2007 in Orlando, FL.

Visit the full press release for application information.

5th Annual EMS Systems Survey

EMS Magazine is proud to offer the 5th annual comprehensive survey of EMS systems in the United States. Make sure your agency is represented in this important resource. Survey results will be published in the December 2007 Gold Book/Buyer's Guide and are designed to provide an overview of the EMS industry as it exists today across the spectrum of EMS delivery systems.

To learn more and respond, visit the 5th Annual EMS Systems Survey page on EMSResponder.com.

Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com:

• Ex-Employee Who Reported D.C. Fire/EMS Sex Scandal Arrested
• Ex-Paramedic Posed as California Firefighter
• Seattle Medics: Heroes on Harleys?
• Washington Crews Struggle to Save Fall Victim
• Canadian Boy Recovers after Internal Decapitation
• Missing Maryland Teen Found Alive after Week Trapped in Car

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.