Podcast 1011: Creepy Crawlies
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Meghan Hurley, MD Educational Pearls: What animal is the most lethal to humans? Depending on how we define lethal, and animal, this answer is actually not straight forward. Globally and in the U.S. the most lethal animal is humans, accounting for ~436,000 to ~20,000 deaths (homicides) per year on average respectively. In the United States the most lethal animal is of the Hymenoptera order (bees, wasps, and hornets). It accounts for approximately ~60 deaths per year from anaphylaxis. Globally the number is harder to track, but is estimated between...
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Podcast 1010: First Pass Intubation Success
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: First-pass success is critical to limit complications from apnea, hypoxia, and airway trauma. Complication rate for patients intubated on the first pass is 14% Complication rates increase to 47% after two attempts, 64% after three, and 71% after the fourth attempt How to improve likelihood of first-pass success: Use Video laryngoscopy (VL). VL increases chance of first-pass success to 85% from 71% Use a bougie, especially in patients with anatomically difficult or otherwise obstructed airways. The BEAM study...
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On the Streets- Zero to Rodeo
Emergency Medical Minute
Dan Orbidan, OMS-II and Dr. Travis Barlock, MD discuss a real out of hospital call. This episode covers the implications of a pharmacologically abnormal patient presentation and the pre and post hospital considerations for patient management and care.
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Carepoint Journal Club- Neurology
Emergency Medical Minute
Carepoint Journal Club is a quarterly series with discussions about a medical topic, brought to you by Carepoint's Emergency Physicians.
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Podcast 1009: Prevention for Recurrent UTI
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: UTIs are commonly seen in older women We often see them taking long-term prophylactic antibiotics because of common recurrence. Around 20-30% of older women who develop a UTI have a recurrence due to either diagnostic failure, treatment failure or non-compliance with treatment. UTI signs and symptoms Burning sensation when urinating Strong urge to urinate Urinating often and passing small amounts of urine. Pelvic pain There are currently more guidelines and studies on treatments to prevent these...
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Podcast 1008: Acupuncture for Low Back Pain in Older Adults
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: Back pain is a common presenting complaint in the emergency department. Challenges arise when tailoring care to elderly populations using standard medical therapy: Muscle relaxants carry the risk of CNS depression or anticholinergic effects such as urinary retention and confusion. Pain medications such as opiates have side effects including constipation, respiratory depression, and hypotension. NSAIDs carry a risk of GI bleeding and worsening kidney function with chronic use. A randomized clinical trial assessing the effects...
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Podcast 1007: Caffeine Pharmacology
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: Caffeine Geography and Types: Caffeine is found throughout the world and has evolved independently in various plants that are not evolutionarily related through direct lineage, but rather demonstrate convergent evolution (i.e. different species evolve the same traits). These plants use caffeine as an insecticide. Examples of caffeine sources include coffee, tea, yerba-mate, guaraná, cacao, and yaupon holly. Roughly 85% of Americans are estimated to consume caffeine daily. Caffeine Pharmacology in...
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Podcast 1006: Cannabinoid Pharmacology
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Travis Barlock, MD Educational Pearls: Endocannabinoid System: THC binds CB1 and CB2 receptors in neurons and immune cells Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis CB1 and CB2 receptors typically bind endogenously-produced 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA) to regulate pain, stress, and inflammation THC similarly binds CB1 and CB2, leading to the cannabinoid high: euphoria, paranoia, anxiety, analgesia, anti-inflammation, and appetite, among a variety of others Ingestion via edibles, vice inhalation via smoking,...
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Podcast 1005: Balanced Fluid vs Normal Saline in Pediatric Patients
Emergency Medical Minute
Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD Educational Pearls: There has long been many questions about which IV fluid is best for ED resuscitation Multiple adult studies have shown no clear benefit of balanced fluid vs normal saline A large pediatric randomized clinical trial published in April compared balanced fluid vs normal saline in children with septic shock The study included about 9,000 patients from 47 emergency departments in five countries Patients with septic shock were randomized to receive either balanced fluid or normal saline The primary outcome was adverse kidney event...
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Carepoint Journal Club: Occlusion Myocardial Infarction
Emergency Medical Minute
Carepoint Journal Club is a quarterly series with discussions about a medical topic, brought to you by Carepoint's Emergency Physicians.
info_outlineContributors:
Col. (Dr.) Stacy Shackelford
Dr. Sean Keenan
Paramedic Alan Moreland
Dr. Chris Tems
Kara Napolitano
From military-inspired trauma protocols to behavioral health alternatives and cardiac resuscitation, EMS is evolving fast. Our Medical Minutes from EMSAC highlight the growing need for prehospital providers to think critically, act quickly, and adapt to new approaches in trauma, crisis response, and patient advocacy.
Educational Pearls:
What was covered & recorded at EMSAC 2024 by EMM?
Col. (Dr.) Stacy Shackelford, U.S. Air Force trauma surgeon and Director of the Joint Trauma System, emphasized the critical importance of early hemorrhage control and timely transfusions in prehospital trauma care. She highlighted military studies showing that interventions within 30 minutes can dramatically increase survival, underscoring the value of rapid response and frontline readiness.
Dr. Sean Keenan, retired Army emergency physician and EMS doctor, introduced the concept of prolonged field care—managing critically injured patients in environments where evacuation is delayed. He discussed how this model, developed in the military, is now being taught to civilian EMS providers in rural areas.
Paramedic Alan Moreland from Denver’s STAR Program (Support Team Assisted Response) explained how alternative response teams, pairing paramedics with clinical social workers, are reshaping how we respond to behavioral health emergencies, reducing reliance on police or ambulance transport and focusing on trauma-informed care.
Dr. Chris Tems, an emergency physician working with ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), shared data on using ECMO for refractory cardiac arrest. With a survival rate of 87.5% in select emergency department cases, he highlighted ECMO’s growing role in cardiac resuscitation for patients not responding to CPR.
Kara Napolitano, of the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, outlined the role EMS plays in recognizing human trafficking. She offered key indicators to look for and encouraged providers to stay alert to the signs of exploitation, emphasizing EMS’s role in early intervention.
Recorded by: Steven Fujaros, Brian Parga, & Ahmed Abdel-Hafiz
Summarized by: Steven Fujaros