Month in Review: January 2016

EMS World is dedicated to bringing our readers the most current and relevant information. At the end of every month, we will present the top news stories, videos and most popular social media posts of the month, as well as recapping the line-of-duty deaths for the month. Here is the month in review for January 2016:

Top News

In Washington D.C., a bill was proposed with support from the ACEP and other national EMS organizations. The Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2015 allows EMS agencies to continue using standing orders from their medical director to administer approved medications to their patients under the Drug Enforcement Administration. The organizations in support of the bill represented about 350,000 EMS personnel, firefighters and physicians.

In Texas, multiple EMTs lost their licenses after the state legislature passed a new law prohibiting anyone with a serious criminal record from being an EMT. This included people like Chad Hodnett, an EMT with a decades-old sexual assault charge. Hodnett lost both of his jobs as an EMT and security guard/medical officer.

In Florida, a man passed out in an optometrist office and when an employee called 9-1-1 for help, nobody answered. The employee called three different times to no avail. This was because a dispatcher at the Broward Sherriff’s Office had tied the line up by ordering a pizza. The call to the pizza shop took eight minutes, and four other employees that were supposed to be taking calls were nowhere to be found. This complaint was among a number of issues that have emerged with the Broward Sherriff’s Office dispatch center, according to the Sun Sentinel.

Body Armor in EMS

A trend in the news this month was more protection for EMS providers, particularly in the form of body armor. Several EMS agencies either purchased body armor or required their employees wear it in the field.

A CCTV America report early in the month chronicled the need for body armor in general in the United States after a large number of mass shootings or terror attacks recently. The report covered the different kinds of body armor, including a bullet-resistant shield designed to protect children as they duck and cover.

The West End Ambulance Service in Pennsylvania began to require paramedics and EMTs to wear body armor early in the month, citing increased protection for employees as the main reason. The service purchased 10 protective vests at about $250 each. In the explanation for the move, Ira Hart, manager of the West End Ambulance Service, cited a similar move made by Cleveland EMS. Cleveland says the policy change is not in a direct response to any specific threats, but is meant to increase safety in general.

A move that was in direct response to a specific incident, however, came in Arkansas. After the tragic shooting death of East Pulaski Fire Department Lt. Jason Adams, the Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services of Little Rock expedited the process of purchasing ballistic vests for paramedics that was already in motion. The agency plans on buying body armor for the agency’s 220 uniformed personnel. The agency hopes to have the purchase approved before their next meeting in February.

A Missouri fire department was already wearing bullet-resistant vests, but has upgraded. The vests the firefighters were wearing were hand-me-downs from the city’s police department. The new vests are up-to-date and will be worn underneath the firefighters other gear. "We are becoming accustomed to an age where you have to be concerned about safety," says the Richmond Heights Battalion Chief Wideman. 

Top-Viewed Videos

Six Mistakes in Awake Adult IO Infusion—This educational video demonstrates six mistakes made during the process of intraosseous infusion on a dehydrated, critically ill but awake patient. The video follows a pattern of popular instructional and education videos for this month.

Kussmaul Breathing Pattern—This video demonstrates the Kussmaul breathing pattern that is seen with severe acidosis. In the video, a 10-year-old with diabetic detoacidosis is shown.

24 Hours on the Frontlines of Florida’s Flakka Crisis—Flakka continued to partially dominate this month’s news cycle. A reporter spent 24 hours with Ft. Lauderdale ambulance crews as they responded to Flakka calls. Within an hour, they were sent out on a call.

“Devil’s Drug”: Flakka is Driving Florida Insane—Another look into the epidemic of Flakka in Florida, NBC News interviews emergency room doctors and others affected by the drug. The report says some nights, half the calls to police in Broward County are Flakka-related.

The Burden of Deceit in EMS—RJ Walker, an EMT for five years, performs “Deceit and I” at the 2015 Individual World Poetry Slam. In the poem, he describes an encounter while working as an EMT in Wyoming, and powerfully relays his feelings about the incident.

Top Facebook Posts

Hyper-Realistic Simulation Training—In this shared video from PPA-International Medical, a simulation from a combat medic training is shown. In the simulation, the medic has to stop two large wounds from bleeding.

ACE Inhibitor-Related Angiodema—This post provides readers with information on ACE inhibitor-related angiodema that might not have been learned during paramedic training. Airway management is commonly examined in training, while ACEI-RA training is more rare.

“Most of my colleagues have been assaulted”—This post takes readers to a post from The Guardian chronicling paramedic assault in Scotland. The article, written by an anonymous member of the Scottish Ambulance Service, details the frequency of the abuse taken by he and his colleagues. “I’ve come home with bruised ribs, fingers that have had to be returned to their sockets, limping and sore,” the author says.

Australia Unveils AmBus—The AmBus is the first of its kind in Australia, and can carry up to 12 patients at a time. The plan is the use the AmBus for a mobile treatment center at mass gatherings.

Common pitfalls to avoid when managing the crashing airway—An article from the January issue of EMS World, “Oxygenate and Resuscitate Before You Intubate” covers cases to help paramedics know how to manage crashing airways. “We must first realize that oxygenation and ventilation are our main goals, not necessarily placing an edoctracheal tube,” the article states.

In Memoriam

Eskil “Scott” Danielson, 49, of Pennsylvania. Danielson served on the Lakeland County Rescue Squad, an emergency services unit. On Jan. 16, Danielson responded to a car crash that he found out involved his 19-year-old daughter. Danielson helped treat the people involved in the crash, and traveled to the medical center where his daughter was being treated. While in the waiting room, Danielson suffered a heart attack and collapsed. He died later that night.

Lt. Jason Adams, 29, of Arkansas. Adams served in the Sherwood Fire Department. Adams responded to an EMS call for the East Pulaski Fire Department on Jan. 22. When he entered the home, he was shot by a man who was apparently coming out of a seizure. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The shooter, Mark Pruitt, 47, was arrested the next day.