tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56341754073857891782011-07-08T01:51:58.939-07:00Musings of a volunteer EMT about patient care, firehouse life, the universe, and everything.Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.comBlogger81100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634175407385789178.post-10385829934888798772009-10-14T18:54:00.000-07:002009-10-14T21:38:18.461-07:00

First of all, sorry about the lag between posts. As you know, most of my previous posts deal with broad issues affecting EMS or the healthcare system in general. I will now be changing that theme into something slightly more fun and gadget-oriented- namely, the toys and tools we take with us on the Band-Aid Box.Many of us who get into EMS bring with us a love of gadgetry. I won't speak for

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634175407385789178.post-77655988187300180452009-09-18T13:17:00.000-07:002009-09-18T13:41:19.299-07:00

It's absurd how easy this blogging stuff is when you have experienced and articulate people who are willing to voice their thoughts for public consumption. This comes from Andy, an old friend and a current emergency-medicine resident. He was good enough to put this together in spite of the fact that I remain openly and abidingly jealous of his current assignment doing air medical transports.Matt:

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634175407385789178.post-24280437625155239752009-09-17T13:24:00.000-07:002009-09-17T13:35:15.715-07:00

I'm surprised and excited at the great responses I got to yesterday's post. I appreciate all of the posts that people shared, from EMS providers and civilians as well. I wanted to share a post from Mary, an old friend and one of my mentors in EMS. She epitomizes the term "black cloud," and is well on her way to becoming one of America's leading emergency physicians, but she was still somehow

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634175407385789178.post-81499255767394339682009-09-16T08:57:00.001-07:002009-09-16T09:18:16.129-07:00

The majority of EMS providers have experience, in one role or another, in providing real-life CPR. Anyone who has knows the following five things:1) CPR is chaotic and often confusing, even for trained professionals.2) It is a violent and ugly spectacle replete with torn clothing, cracked ribs and vomit. The patient's body is battered by tubes, needles and electrical shocks.3) It has nowhere near

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634175407385789178.post-3165020260368785122009-09-04T10:07:00.000-07:002009-09-04T10:08:43.899-07:00

The title is true. America's national security could depend on your patient assessment and transport decisions. Here's how.A good percentage of the time- maybe 30%, but it all depends on the day or the territory you're working- we'll arrive on scene to find a patient who doesn't want to be transported, or in some cases, to even be evaluated or treated. We've all got different terms for the form

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634175407385789178.post-63150609394913819852009-09-01T11:29:00.000-07:002009-09-01T11:31:29.116-07:00

Just added a poll to the side of the blog to gauge reader reaction to yesterday's post about using your audible warning gear during the nighttime hours. Please vote and feel free to comment, too- I'm looking forward to learning about everyone's experiences.

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634175407385789178.post-48224254182466853532009-08-31T15:21:00.000-07:002009-08-31T16:11:12.727-07:00

Many of us EMS providers, career and volunteer, work in suburban areas or have to go through them en route to a hospital or a call. These places tend to be a little more sensitive about noise- any kind of noise, from airplanes to highway traffic to construction, all the way down to the occasional piercing wail of our beloved Band-Aid boxes. We rarely get complaints about siren usage in broad

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634175407385789178.post-49675352973479611342009-08-25T13:54:00.001-07:002009-08-25T14:00:23.639-07:00

My name's Matt and I'm a volunteer EMT in the Baltimore/Washington area. I follow a number of other EMS providers and firefighters on Twitter, many of whom have great blogs (which I'll add to my blog roll shortly.) This blog became a natural outgrowth of the conversations and thoughts which they've provoked. I was a writing major in school, too, and I like having an outlet. The name of this blog,

Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09845725013006796815noreply@blogger.com4