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[audio:25_TexasEMSConf2010.mp3] (34:28) One day in and we are both already tired. We talk about the different classes and workshops Ron went to, including Kelly’s PediALS workshop.
Learning all about tourniquets and hemostatic (clotting) agents including recommendations for what works, and a history of tourniquet use from Larry Torrey’s “All bleeding stops eventually”.
Why do we design things in EMS for the rare cases? How often do we need Pedi ALS? Of the calls we get how many are pedi, and of those how many involve ALS, IV or ET? Kelly knows. And Ron gets excited over using an EZ-IO for the first time.
More ways animals make the ultimate sacrifice for medicine.
What if your program required you to be able identify breath sounds and heart sounds in a noisy distracting environment before they’d let you wear a stethoscope? Well Bob Page’s student have to do that, and Ron learned a lot in his Stethoscopy for Dummies lecture. Would it be a consolation if he gave you a Littmann stethoscope when you passed?
How do you clean your laryngoscope? Or do you? Learn about the cool stuff the audience saw and that Kelly liked.
Learn a tip on balancing a show like this one. This episode was recorded live at the Texas EMS Conference in Austin Texas November 22, 2010.
Mentions:
The active ingredients in the three main hemostatic agents.
Kaolin -> a clay (QuikClot)
Zeolite -> lava rock (QuikClot)
Chitosan -> protein from crustacean shells (Celox)
C.A.T – Combat Application Tourniquet Get it in Orange because you are an EMT and not a tactical wannabe.
EZ-IO
Littmann Master Stethoscope
Ron’s DRG Stethoscope
SafeSeal Stethoscope Diaphragms.
The R.A.L.E Repository
Auscultation Repository
Jules Scadden
Bob Page
Larry Torrey
Stylite, maybe Surch-Lite
Veinlite
PHI
JBLearning
Subscribe or review on iTunes.
Meeting both of you guys up in Austin was a lot of fun. I just wish we could have stayed longer but the conference ended up being a job interview of sorts for Scott. Thanks for the shirts! That was a very cool treat.
On the goat lab, yes, we were told by our Special Forces Instructors that it was the final FTX for Special Forces Medics when I was in the Army. No dogs… goats. Of course, things do change in the military…
Thanks for the links on the stethoscopy… I can’t quite figure out whether my stethoscope sucks or my ears suck and am evaluating the options for purchase. Ear pieces seem to be a key factor.
I also stumbled across a new type of vein lighting device at the conference… instead of holding it against the skin, you hold it about 4 – 6 inches away from the skin and it shows the veins in black and the skin in red. Not sure whether y’all saw that one or not but it looked pretty cool. He was demonstrating it in the exhibit hall with normal lighting and it worked pretty well. It was a LOT more expensive than the original one with the little “circle” of light that you hold next to the skin. He was not in his booth, so I did not figure out who carried the device. I’ll do some research.
One thing Bob said about the DRG was they had the most comfortable ear pieces. They are all gellie. 🙂
It was good to meet you, hopefully we can do it next year again. Or Vegas for EMS World in August.
OK… the vein illuminator is the Accuvein… see here http://www.accuvein.com/
Thanks, Ron! I was trying them all out at the All-Med booth. I really liked the Littman soft seal ear pieces and the DRG ones. The DRG scope felt really heavy. I also was really impressed with the Ultrascopes and have heard great things about them from various people. Was that one discussed in your class at all? Seems like it would be awesome for EMS.
I don’t remember what if anything he said about Ultrascopes.
One thing I wondered about owning a Littmann was learning to “tune” it by pressure. Since it doesn’t have a bell, you vary the frequency by pressing harder or softer. I guess you’d get used to it and learn it, but seems simpler for a beginner to just filp the bell around.
That is pretty cool if it works like the videos. An not having to be in contact is a plus, at least if you have a place to mount it hands free.
One negative is you can’t buy one, because it “can only be purchased by or on the order of a qualified medical professional or by a qualified medical facility (Rx Only).”
I was wondering if, on the show, Kelly could give any info or opinions about specialty EMT professions. Things like Tactical EMTs, Wilderness EMTs, etc..
Thanks,
Don in Atlanta
Am I the only person who cant download the mp3? Im getting a 404 error.
No you were not. I’ve fixed it now. There was a space in the URL.
90% of the stuff EMT’s buy is considered “legend” and requires a medical director authorization to purchase. No big deal. Go talk to the EMS liason where you volunteer or your instructor at school and they ought to be able to hook you up, if you want one. The company is covering their rear because it’s a device used to access the inside of a person.
I used the DRG Symphony when I was working as an EMT along with the Safe Seal diaphragms and I liked it. At the time I didn’t want to put down an extra $50-60 for a stethoscope that might grow legs and that I was only using for blood pressures and lung sounds, but the Symphony served me well. If memory serves me correctly, the recommended change rate is every week and I think the big reason is hearing. Since the Safe Seal is supposed to replace the diaphragm (instead of just covering it), the longer it’s on, the more it stretches, and the more it stretches, the worse it vibrates. I found that after about 2 weeks, the sound quality pretty much dictated that it needed to be changed.
As far as swag, always remember the most important swag ever… free pens.