ECMO has gone from a novel pediatric intervention to mainstream medicine. Some teams transport patient on ECMO and we are all doing ‘Fetch-MO’ cases of patients going for ECMO evaluation or cannulation. The technology and management of ECMO can seem mysterious, but it is easy to develop a good understanding of the principles and of safe management. This talk will describe the basics of the ECMO machine, relate the machine to human anatomy and physiology, and describe basic clinical goals. We’ll also take a look at one effective strategy for safely moving cannulated patients.

Neonatal intubation is challenging for even specialty teams across the country.  This presentation will show the steps that a pediatric-neonatal specialty team took over an 18 month journey to improve their outcomes.  The presentation will outline the data that supported change in practice at the bedside as well as education and daily routines that helped make the team successful in their quest to improve first pass success rate as well as better patient care.  Components of the  action plan could also be extended to any skill or procedure that you feel could be improved.

This brief presentation dispels common misconceptions about the practice of yoga, breath work, and meditation that often keep public safety and medical professionals from taking advantage of these powerful training tools. Using evidence-based research, field-tested examples, and testimonials, this presentation will explain WHAT these practices are, WHY they are effective and needed for this line of work, and HOW to start using them immediately.

For the children of the 80’s and 90’s, this will be right up your alley! The focus of this session is to develop clinical decision making through the use of a Choose Your Own Adventure case review. The audience will lead the direction of patient care by answering pole questions prompting discussion about scene management, the treatment of hyperkalemia, vasoactive agents, unexpected laboratory values, ventilatory management, and Hail Mary treatments in the care of a 42-year-old male whose atrial fibrillation quickly decompensated into requiring multiple vasopressors and intubation.

Pediatric patients can be the most challenging for clinicians due to their size and our frequency of contact. With this complexity and with this comfort level, imagine the patient has difficulty communicating and is autistic. Difficulty communication, impaired social skills, interruption of routines, and sensory overload can make a routine transport highly demanding.  We will discuss the common characteristics of autism and discuss ways to individualize the assessment and treatments to help reduce stress for the clinician and patient.

Do you know why yoga is helpful for those experiencing high stress Practicing the physical aspects of yoga flush out the harmful stress hormones that can wreak havoc on the mind and body if they remain in the bloodstream for long periods of time. Yoga training also increases “feel good hormones” such as dopamine and serotonin. You don’t need special pants, flexibility, or even a yoga mat to practice yoga. Give it a try, you’ll be glad you did.

How often do you transport patients who have been receiving treatment by minimally trained or untrained providers? How often have you received patients from the care of a Voodoo Priest / Doctor? How often have you received patients with open wounds packed with leaves and the prior-to-arrival care included curses and spells? Welcome to Haiti. While this is uncommon here, it does occur and presents some interesting medical and cultural challenges for critical care transport providers to navigate.

After achieving a life long dream, I went to sleep one night and awoke two months later to a new life.  This is the story of a helicopter crash,  a 1% chance of survival,  and the people who made that possible.

The term ‘Fit-for-Duty’ is broad. We will discuss physiological and psychological health. Identify some tools that are employed personally and why being Fit-for-Duty should be a priority in your life. We will talk about mental health statistics; and we will look at various benefits within some EAP programs that may be offered by your employer and talk about the ones some employees don’t trust.

We all know the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But is this true? What do you think of when you hear the words drunk, stoner, pothead? What picture does do these words conjure in your mind? I Narcanned Your Honor Student seeks to acknowledge that our discursive framing of our patients elicits bias in both ourselves and other caregivers. Furthermore, we explore how these biases may, ultimately, impact patient outcomes. Finally, we will task ourselves with mitigating the impact of bias on our patients.

This presentation will give a much needed breath of fresh air to the world of ECG interpretation by expanding our knowledge past the STEMI/NSTEMI paradigm by examining real life examples of OMI (Occlusive Myocardial Infarction) and their cath lab results taken from the field.  Discussion will also cover the rarely caught ECG field examples of peri arrest and electrical management.

As the health care industry continues to mature, there has been a focus on the mental health of the provider. Many organizations have adopted various programs including EAP which offer counseling or Peer Support Teams. The question is do they work? Do the employees have buy-in? Do they trust them? We will look at a personal story and the debriefing that followed and discuss why it didn’t work. Then we will talk about a program that did work years later and the impact that it had.

Medicine at the bottom of the world presents some unique challenges. This presentation brings you to cold hard truths of critical care medicine in the world’s coldest, driest, windiest place, Antarctica. You will get introduced to the bases in and around Antarctica. You will see how a medical emergency at one country’s base can affect another country’s base and the logistics of trying to medevac a patient off the content. We will discuss special equipment and consideration when operating in subzero climates. We will look at the effects that the cold can have on the body and how we can combat it. You will see how preplanning can affect patients’ lives in their time of greatest need. Come learn and evaluate your cold-weather response.

A 10 minute flight back to base may seem like a short trip but when an event happens that almost causes the loss of all three crew members it suddenly seems much longer. After that flight a decision was made to not only talk about the mistakes but to share the knowledge gained from the experience. There are lessons to learn from both EMS providers and leaders.

Scientists used to think our brain stopped growing after a certain age – research shows our brain has the ability to change and grow over time in response to our mindset, our thoughts.

Neuroplasticity is described as the brain’s capability to restructure itself by developing new neural connections throughout one’s lifespan.

A literature evidence-based review of the indications, successes, and complications of extraglottic rescue airways. In the correct circumstances, these airways can be life saving. However, without careful attention to detail, training, and close monitoring their misplacement and associated complications can kill. This literature review will outline the appropriate utilization and successes of extraglottic airways and also the hidden dangers of their complications. This discussion will provide participants with a better understanding of the frequency, classification, and mitigation of associated complications.

This lecture will utilize a real life case study to examine pediatric head injuries. It will focus on the intricacies of assessing the pediatric patient, utilizing a collaborative team approach to stabilize a patient prior to transport, and then continued management of the head injury patient during short vs longer transport times. In addition, this presentation will review the etiology of pediatric TBI’s, discuss different types of head injuries, review pediatric assessment, provide a quick review of pediatric RSI, and will discuss general pediatric transport considerations.

In the face of so much tragedy we are ill-prepared and lack the tools to process the emotions and psychological trauma that comes with our profession….
In this session we will explore the devastating effects of mental health on our society as a whole, and its contributing factors through recent statistics and research. We will discuss the psychological stress injuries specific to healthcare providers and how to recognize and mitigate them through evidence based research and resilience building strategies. Throughout this presentation I will share my own life experiences and challenge.

Hiring, firing, write ups and coaching are burdensome to many leaders and managers. We often find ten percent of our employees are taking up eighty percent of our time. In this current climate, the industry as a whole is struggling to hire and retain employees. Now more than ever, employee retention is key. We will be examining some of the most difficult types of crew members, their personalities, and what we have learned in managing them. We will explore real life case studies and lessons learned from leading some of the most talented, yet difficult crew members the industry has to offer.

Toxicological emergencies are commonly encountered in critical care transport. Some are more serious than others. In pediatric patients, there are a few substances that only one or a small dose is needed to cause toxicity. This presentation will review these single dose killers, discuss their clinical manifestations, and management priorities to better prepare transport clinicians to manage these patients.

In the face of so much tragedy we are ill-prepared and lack the tools to process the emotions and psychological trauma that comes with our profession….
In this session we will explore the devastating effects of mental health on our society as a whole, and its contributing factors through recent statistics and research. We will discuss the psychological stress injuries specific to healthcare providers and how to recognize and mitigate them through evidence based research and resilience building strategies. Throughout this presentation I will share my own life experiences and challenge.

In the resuscitation of patients with shock and especially with hemorrhage, many clinicians reach for calcium and tranexamic acid. The question is – where does that decision lie on the spectrum of smart-cool-careless? This presentation reviews the science and evidence to answer those questions.

Thumpin’ vs. Pumpin’: is the Lucas device any better than manual CPR?

Do you believe meditation is not achievable for you? Does it feel out of reach, boring, or a waste of time? Are you afraid you’ll never be able to clear your mind? Here’s the good news, “clearing your mind” is not required, nor expected when one practices meditation. Meditation is one of the primary ways to lower anxiety and increase life satisfaction, and it’s simple to start. This class will show you how and offer an opportunity to experience the benefits of meditation and adopt the practice.

The ABCs of POCUS is an introductory course into the realm of pre-hospital and aeromedical ultrasound. Walking through basic exams you can implement on your next flight shift, to simple exams where pneumothorax recognition with POCUS is statistically better than an A/P Chest X-Ray. The goal of this talk is to not make you a sonographer, but to plant the seed of possibilities of POCUS for you and your program.

This presentation will discuss the common and uncommon ways cyanide can poison.  From a house fire to a stone fruit smoothie, cyanide is found in more than just smoke.  We will discuss atypical poisonings, Konzo, mass murder, and how eating healthy can poison you.

When was the last time you treated or suspected cyanide poisoning?  Does your department or service carry a Cyanokit?  Do you remember how to administer it?

I have looked up these things so you don’t have to.  I also answered my question of, can I treat my own poisoning.

Do you believe meditation is not achievable for you? Does it feel out of reach, boring, or a waste of time? Are you afraid you’ll never be able to clear your mind? Here’s the good news, “clearing your mind” is not required, nor expected when one practices meditation. Meditation is one of the primary ways to lower anxiety and increase life satisfaction, and it’s simple to start. This class will show you how and offer an opportunity to experience the benefits of meditation and adopt the practice.

The pregnant trauma patient presents a unique challenge to the transport professional by merging two distinctly different healthcare specialties, trauma and obstetrics. Critical interventions must be considered and implemented swiftly to decrease morbidity and mortality of the trauma patient and her unborn fetus. This informative lecture will not only review essential steps of trauma resuscitation but also incorporate the pathophysiology of certain obstetric complications and its implications on the trauma patient.

Do you really know how to manage a ventilator? No, it’s not just turn a few knobs but understand the why behind treating our patients.

If you’re not proficient in the art of mechanical ventilation this LECTURE is for you.

Do you know why yoga is helpful for those experiencing high stress Practicing the physical aspects of yoga flush out the harmful stress hormones that can wreak havoc on the mind and body if they remain in the bloodstream for long periods of time. Yoga training also increases “feel good hormones” such as dopamine and serotonin. You don’t need special pants, flexibility, or even a yoga mat to practice yoga. Give it a try, you’ll be glad you did.