FOAMfrat Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Thoracic dissections are surgical emergencies that require precise temporizing measures until surgery can be performed. In this session, participants will gain critical knowledge on recognizing key symptoms such as ripping back pain and unequal pulses, indicative of thoracic dissections. The discussion will focus on anti-impulse therapy, emphasizing using beta-blockers like esmolol and calcium channel blockers like nicardipine to control blood pressure and prevent further damage. Pain management strategies and the selective use of nitroprusside will also be explored. The class will address the unique challenges of managing blood pressure in prehospital settings, stressing the importance of a well-prepared plan.

Taking on pharmacology in EMT school is a big hurdle. We wanted to write something that not only explained the basics of the medications but also helped bridge the gap between what EMTs are taught and what paramedics learn when they go back over these medications in paramedic pharmacology.

Each chapter discusses how the medications work, why they're given for specific indications, and the logistics of medication administration! We've also included medication profiles, tips and tricks from experienced providers, and flashcards for each medication to help you hone your med knowledge base!

In this book, we're coving:

Oxygen

Albuterol and Atrovent Epinephrine

Aspirin Nitroglycerin

Naloxone

Oral Glucose Gel and Glucagon + Flashcards in the back!

This book is for students, EMTs, and paramedics who want an in-depth review of EMT medications! You can download the book for free at foamfrat.com

I had the privilege to bring on two passionate fathers of children with Autism to help me better understand how to approach and communicate with a neuro-diverse child. This episode is chock-full of insight, tips, tricks, and logistics of approaching a child in the field with Autism. Josh Chan is a Life Link III flight paramedic/base lead and a Glenwood FD firefighter. Matthew Yelton is a flight paramedic/base lead for Mercy Flight Central and works as a fire captain at Constableville Ambulance Inc.

EMS providers encounter various infectious diseases daily and need to know the routes of exposure, risks, and preventive measures to protect themselves and their families. In this episode, We talk with Dr. Hudson Garrett, an infectious disease expert with the medical college of Louisville University, to discuss the practical points of infectious disease for the everyday provider.

Want CE for this episode? Sign up for FOAMfrat Studio and access 300+ hours of continuing education for EMS & Nursing. 

www.foamfrat.com

Moments after the heart stops the entire circulatory system finally has a chance to bring venous and arterial pressures to equilibrium. Cardiac arrest resuscitation requires the provider to have a strong mental model of physiology and the logistics to carry out a series of interventions crucial to preserving life. This class will serve not as a routine basic life support model, but as a deeper understanding and framework to guide resuscitation during your next cardiac arrest.

AI will be integrated into everything we do in medicine, perhaps sooner than we think. It will help keep our patients safe, our providers informed, and our communications connected, and change how we think about how we care for patients (if implemented correctly). 

Systems like ChatGPT are only the beginning, and many companies are already working on or have already integrated with other healthcare specialties. We will see the same integration happen with EMS. While the response to this might be fear of losing our knowledge base, over-automating decision-making, cheating on tests and papers, and the like, we could adopt a very different outlook. We could view this as an opportunity to improve patient safety, offload menial work, automate documentation and communications, and always have an intelligent partner in our pockets we can bounce ideas off of. 

One day, we'll wonder how we ever lived without it.

In this episode, Tyler is joined by Shaylah Montgomery to discuss decision-making, human factors, and mental shortcuts utilizing pattern detection. Shaylah is a flight nurse and paramedic for Pafford Air One and a member of the FOAMfrat team.