Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director

We provide medical direction, oversight, education, and QI to the FW EMS System to improve systems, educate clinicians, and enhance patient outcomes.

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Congratulations to Brandon Michaels for credentialing as a Fort Worth Fire Department Paramedic! @FWfirefighters @FortWorthFire @DrJeffJarvis

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Congratulations to John Grady for credentialing as a Fort Worth Fire Department Paramedic! @FWfirefighters @FortWorthFire @DrJeffJarvis

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Get excited for the NEXT PODCAST EPISODE! We will be discussing the use of Trach Basics and Suctioning. ⁠
⁠
Check out the OMD Podcast on:
Spotify- https://t.co/G8sVJWVNsN
Apple- https://t.co/WjPtwbkbcb

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

When you are taking care of patients with airway issues or hypoxia, the DOPE mnemonic is a great way to organize your thoughts.

Using this mnemonic will help you keep organized in stressful situations!

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Not all patients have the same blood volume! This seems obvious, but when dealing with trauma patients, it is easy to forget that the same amount of blood loss volume is MUCH more serious in a child than an adult!

Here is an easy ways to remember blood volumes by age.

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Have a charged-up monitor and a non-shockable rhythm? There is a “Disarm” button (orange) that you can press to safely dissipate the electrical charge without shocking the patient or restarting the monitor.

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Have a severely injured trauma patient? Instead of ABC think MARCH!
-Massive Hemorrhage
-Airway
-Respiration
-Cardiovascular
-Head Injury/Hypothermia
This will help you rapidly address the unique injuries of trauma patients!

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

CPR Induced Consciousness is a rare occurrence, but it is critical that you know how to work through it.

If you want more information, check out the OMD Podcast regarding this topic!
Check out the OMD Podcast:
Spotify- https://t.co/G8sVJWVNsN
Apple- https://t.co/WjPtwbkbcb

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Get excited for the NEXT PODCAST EPISODE! We will be discussing CPR Induced Consciousness.

Check out the OMD Podcast on:
Spotify https://t.co/G8sVJWVNsN
Apple Podcasts https://t.co/WjPtwbkbcb

Comment and follow for more EMS tips and pearls!

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Use progressive visualization on your VL attempts! Start with the blade on the tongue and move in small steps deeper into the airway. Look for epiglottis then vallecula BEFORE you try to find cords.

If you PLUNGE your VL, your are more likely to end up in the esophagus!

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Pelvic Fractures involve fracture of the bones of the pelvic ring. They can be:
-Stable; does not open the pelvic ring
-Unstable; leads to a widening of the pelvis with internal bleeding
Hip fractures involve a fracture of the proximal femur. They are NOT treated with a binder!

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Thinking about diltiazem in fib?
-If the SBP is >120 and patient has severe symptoms, dilt may be helpful
-If the SBP is 100-120, be careful as dilt may precipitate hypotension
-If the SBP is <100, dilt is likely not the best option. Consider cardioversion & other causes of shock

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

How do you know when Pacing is working? Look for MECHANICAL capture!
Ways to assess mechanical capture:
-Electrical capture with a palpable pulse
-Electrical capture with a corresponding SPO2 wave to each heart-beat
Use your SPO2 waveform to help find mechanical capture!

[Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director @FortWorthOMD]

Always keep your eye out for the things that kill intubated patients! Watch out for the HOP Killers pre-intubation as they MULTIPLY the risk of arrest and death post-intubation. The HOP killers are:⁠
-Hypotension⁠
-Oxygen (Hypoxia)⁠
-pH (Acidosis)⁠