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EMS Tips

EMS Tips – Opioid Declaration Renewed – Pain Assessment

1. Opioid Public Health Emergency Declaration Renewed FierceHealthcare reports “The Trump administration has renewed the declaration that officially categorized the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency shortly before it was set to expire.” Since declaring the the public health emergency in October there has been little to no action from the Trump administration. “Although […]

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EMS Tips

Medical First Responder Pain Management Protocol

A reader writes, “Pain management is not part of our medical first responder protocol. What can I do for patients in pain?” Medical first responders can (and should) do a lot. I call it the “mom stuff”  Help the patient  find a position of comfort Apply a splint or other type of stabilization for extremity […]

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EMS Tips

Your BS Detector is BS

For a profession that prides itself on BS detection there sure are a lot of EMTs and paramedics falling for “news” stories from Call the Cops. It has gotten so bad that EMS1.com is warning readers to not be duped by story that NY EMTs can now drink on the job. Fake Pain? BS If […]

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EMS Tips

Alternate Posting Location: Pain Management Begins with Empathy

Do you use the “mom empathy machine” during patient care and assessment? Read a few of my thoughts on pain management in a June EMS1.com column. Also check out EMSEduCast episode 173 on pain management.

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EMS Education Tips

EMSEduCast Focus on Pain Management: Episode 173

In episode 173  of the EMSEduCast guest Peter Canning discusses Pain Management. Peter shares that pain management has rekindled his EMS career. He states, “Pain management is a daily opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.” Visit the EMSEduCast page to listen to Pain Management in EMS Education Peter Canning has been a full-time […]

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Uncategorized

Posts Outside the Service Area: Reminders and Resources from our Friends

Stephanie Limmer had been posting about her journey through EMT school. In a final post she reminds us that often the most difficult part of EMT or paramedic training is balancing all of the other responsibilities we have outside of class. Sometimes students stay in class way too long, further exacerbating home and work problems, […]

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Social Media Tips

How to Write an April Fool’s Day Parody Post

One of my favorite articles to write is my annual contribution to the EMS1.com April Fool’s Day edition. I enjoy the chance to stretch my creative brain. Two of my past efforts: April 1, 2009: Stethoscope Calibration April 1, 2012: Prepare for the Looming Oxygen Shortage How To: When I prepare an April Fool’s Day […]

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Operations

Alternate Posting Location: Nation’s 1st Pain Detection Dog

Rover can do just about anything. Read how Baskerville EMS has deployed the nation’s first pain detection dog. EMS agency deploys nation’s first pain detection K-9

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EMS Tips

What are the Best Pain Scale Endpoints?

A reader wrote to me recently about a CE lesson where I suggested asking a patient with pain to rate their pain on a scale of 1 to 10. The reader explained it would be better to ask patients to rate their pain on a scale of 0 to 10. In my opinion a pain […]

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EMS Tips

NAEMSP Discussion on Prehospital Pain Management

Prehospital Pain Management is the focus of the current NAEMSP Dialog. The moderated discussion group is being led by top proponents of prehospital pain management. Reading the posts and associated documents is a great way be up to date on current pain management best practices. In addition remember these pain management principles: 1. Assess pain […]