ISSN-1059-6518
Volume 33 Number 1
Protocols:
Frank Hubbell, D.O.
Are the official procedure or system of rules governing an agency. In this case EMS.
These rules are produced by and established by an authoritative body, such as a state EMS Bureau, not a school, college, university, business, or individual.
This continues to be a gray area in the world of EMS that needs to be discussed. The practice of providing care outside of the “Golden Hour” and using techniques that are not within the usual scope of practice of EMS remains controversial and, most importantly, has never been tested in a court of law, which would establish precedence.
This becomes more important as EMS continues to mature and become better defined and embedded in rules and law. The idea of having to apply different standards of care based on time to definitive care is accepted, but those techniques used in the austere environment remain somewhat illusive with wide variations.
The term, evidence-based medicine, is commonly used to help define and justify medical care on all levels, but it does not exist for the wilderness environment. There are just simply not enough backcountry rescues or case studies in the different areas of providing care to test and prove the validity of the techniques. So, experts come together to provide a “best practices” based on their collective experiences.
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AN ALLERGY PRIMER
/in Allergies, Asthma/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
Volume 34 Number 1
By Frank Hubbell, DO
OK here we go, everything that you ever wanted to know about allergies, but were afraid to ask.
What is an allergy?
An allergy, or allergic reaction, is a hypersensitivity reaction, or over-reaction, of our immune system in response to an antigen.
What is our immune system?
Simply put, the immune system is a series of biomolecules, chemical reactions. and cells that protect us from invading foreign organisms through a variety of mechanisms. The purpose of our immune system is to recognize self from non-self, and if it is non-self, the immune system will destroy the invader and make a memory of the invader to recognize it in the future. This memory is maintained and mediated by antibodies produced by B cells also called plasma cells.
What is an antigen (Ag)?
An antigen is a toxin or other foreign substance that induces an immune response and the production of antibodies. Antigens are usually proteins or are attached to proteins.
What is an antibody (Ab)?
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Practicing Wilderness Medicine and Protocols
/in Medical Response, Mountain rescue, Treatment/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
Volume 33 Number 1
Protocols:
Frank Hubbell, D.O.
Are the official procedure or system of rules governing an agency. In this case EMS.
These rules are produced by and established by an authoritative body, such as a state EMS Bureau, not a school, college, university, business, or individual.
This continues to be a gray area in the world of EMS that needs to be discussed. The practice of providing care outside of the “Golden Hour” and using techniques that are not within the usual scope of practice of EMS remains controversial and, most importantly, has never been tested in a court of law, which would establish precedence.
This becomes more important as EMS continues to mature and become better defined and embedded in rules and law. The idea of having to apply different standards of care based on time to definitive care is accepted, but those techniques used in the austere environment remain somewhat illusive with wide variations.
The term, evidence-based medicine, is commonly used to help define and justify medical care on all levels, but it does not exist for the wilderness environment. There are just simply not enough backcountry rescues or case studies in the different areas of providing care to test and prove the validity of the techniques. So, experts come together to provide a “best practices” based on their collective experiences.
Read more
Do EMS Providers Need to Know a Patient’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity?
/in Patient Assessment, Rescue Training, Treatment/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
Volume 32 Number 1
By Paul MacMillan, EMT
Here at SOLO we are hearing this question more and more from our instructors. Frank Hubbell, D.O., Josh MacMillan, Paramedic, and Paul MacMillan, CAGS, WEMT, we believe this is important information to have for two reasons. First, because you are more in tune with what their medical needs may be and second, you can treat the patient with the dignity they deserve. This information is so important as the patient will travel through the emergency medical system. With this being said, there are two great articles out there from the New York Times to read. One is titled Gay and Transgender Patients to Doctors: We’ll Tell. Just Ask., by Jan Hoffman dated May 29, 2017. The second article is titled A Transgender Learning Gap in the Emergency Room, by Helen Ouyang, M.D. dated April 13, 2017. Both of these articles highlight the learning curve we are all on and the need for more formal research that needs to be done to provide the best possible care to people.
The first steps you should take is knowing the Sexual Identity and Gender Identity Definitions:
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Proper Use of Tourniquets – 2018
/in Bandaging, Control bleeding, Medical Response, Trauma, Treatment/by WMN EditorsISSN-1059-6518
Proper Use of Tourniquets – 2018
By Jeff DeBellis
Illustrations by T.B.R. Walsh
SOLO recently updated its tourniquet curriculum to incorporate the latest evidence. A growing trove of research in recent decades has confirmed that tourniquets are extremely effective at stopping massive bleeds. When used appropriately, they have minimal complications. Tourniquets have been a contentious piece of the pre-hospital medical kit for thousands of years. The emergency medical community has swung back and forth on their merits and drawbacks during that time. The era of evidence-based medicine itself is relatively new. It’s only since the war in Vietnam that researchers have begun to study tourniquets systematically. This research has led to improved education and much greater success.
A tourniquet is still a last resort to stop severe extremity bleeding in the wilderness setting. Only use one if there is a traumatic amputation, obvious arterial bleeding, or if direct pressure will not stop the bleeding. They should never be used on minor bleeds. Using a tourniquet on minor bleeds or shoddy improvisation by inadequately trained caregivers are some of the reasons that many surgeons vilified tourniquets for so long.
The major change in the curriculum is that tourniquets are no longer just for life-over-limb situations. They are a life-saving technique that should be used without hesitation. So long as the tourniquet can be removed within a couple of hours, patients are unlikely to lose the limb. One recent study looked at 232 patients who had tourniquets applied to 309 limbs. Not a single limb was lost to amputation because of the use of tourniquets.
How to Apply a Tourniquet:
There are a number of commercial tourniquet models available. The two that the US Army Institute of Surgical Research identifies as being 100% effective are the Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) and the SOF Tactical Tourniquet (SOFTT). A properly improvised and placed tourniquet can work just as well as a commercial model.
Evidenced-based medical research has shown that the proper position for the tourniquet is two to three inches above the site of bleeding. It is important to take a few seconds and locate the site of bleeding and then place the tourniquet. You cannot place a tourniquet over a joint, the knee or the elbow. If necessary, move just proximal to the joint and place the tourniquet.
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