EMS 20/20

The guys break down a call where too much of a good thing is administered with catastrophic consequences. What could have prevented this, or could it have been prevented at all? And what should happen to the provider who made the mistake? Listen as this weeks episode explores how easily things can go way wrong!

Mandy Krekora joins the guys to answer your airway questions (RSI vs DSI, anyone?) and dive into a hectic airway nightmare that involves a sleepy giant, vanilla Ensure and an oddly placed trashcan. In addition to being on EMS 20/20, you can learn even more from Mandy on April 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th as she puts on the Bariatric Airway Bootcamp, a unique and rare opportunity to practice airway techniques on actual bariatric cadavers in the Denver, Colorado area! Follow the link below: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bariatric-airway-bootcamp-tickets-140628909855?fbclid=IwAR1-fgt6TAWSMGk2ME8YLtEDhwWnzcODZfVBMHfmX2d1A8UpAGspso_pD4k

Chris and Spence review a call where a missed opportunity leads to... an accurate diagnosis? The guys analyze a call that illustrates that while recovering from a mistake is good, not making the mistake in the first place is probably a wee bit better.

Spencer and Chris go over an interfacility transfer gone awry... and they dig deep into the issue of crew integrity. A septic patient with a drug abuse history misses out on critical treatments that may have cost them.

A psychic EMT makes a prediction... but are his psychic abilities any match for another responders experience? Does anyone even make a mistake in this episode? Find out as the guys explore an unpredictable (maybe) call!

In this week's episode, Spencer and Chris dissect a call where two problems met: a tired crew and an oddly presenting patient. Did the crew overcome their fatigue to perform in a way that makes EMS proud? Spoiler: Nope.

Chris and Spencer examine a call where a patient goes from pretty OK to really, really bad. Is this something that school could have prepared the crew for? Or is this one of those reality check moments?

An unusual pairing of Paramedics in an unusual setting in an unfamiliar area creates for an ungood circumstance. Spencer and Chris go the distance in dissecting a call that takes place in the middle of a foot race!

The guys review a substantially disjointed call in which a patient is coded... or are they? How can a densely, perhaps even over-resourced system miss THIS?

Leading your first code with minimal resources can be likened to being birthed as a baby giraffe learning what legs are for. Spencer and Chris review a new Paramedic doing exactly that as they come back with another episode aimed at helping new providers climb those first hurdles!

Spencer nerds out over an interesting 12-lead and flexes his EKG knowledge as the guys analyze a call in which a responder misses a STEMI... or did he?

Crew's respond to a care facility where a medication was given incorrectly... and that's not even the worst thing that happens... Listen to this weeks episode of EMS 20/20 to find out how a bad situation can be made even worse!

What happens when a patient starves themselves (almost) to death? What's the difference between a clinical overreaction and a Dr. House moment? In an EMS 20/20 first ever double header, the guys explore two calls with some unique challenges and an overarching theme.

Alcohol, boyfriends, alcohol, a dog, and more alcohol. Spencer and Chris analyze a call where an experienced crew deal with an untrusting patient, a loud (but hilarious) boyfriend, and a dog named Falcor that really couldn't care less.

If it sounds like a duck, it must be one, right? Have a listen as Paramedics Baller, Shot Caller, and Impala unsuccessfully shock a patient. You too can be shocked: For the first time ever in the history of the universe... CHRIS IS WRONG.

Spencer and Chris unravel a complicated scene that didn't need to happen. The only thing harder to find than this patients pulse is the history of his present illness! Do they ever find it? Have a listen and find out!

Chris and Spencer review one helluva a breathing call! That's right, two back to back breathing episodes, but this one has a special twist: what happens when the thing that always works... doesn't? And can adding a doctor to a call always make things better? Have a listen and find out!

Q-tip and Cotton Ball respond to an urgent care clinic where staff has a reasonable plan with unreasonable expectations for a young asthma patient. The call goes from bad to better to way worse as Chris and Spencer comb through the details in this week's episode!

A new Paramedic careens down an unsafe road but is thankfully stopped before something disastrous happens by a more experienced Paramedic... only to miss other warning signs further down the road. Have a listen as Chris and Spencer map out a safe route through a tricky situation!

A Paramedic does a fantastic thorough assessment, thinks outside the box, and delivers appropriate care, but the patient still wants some space from being alive. Is there something the crew could have done better after all? Have a listen and find out!

CONTROVERSY WARNING! So just how good are pre-hospital providers at evaluating and treating pain? Can we call a faker out with any accuracy? Are we giving too much pain medication? Too little? Dr. Seitz from https://www.seitzandsirens.com joins Chris and Spencer in one of the most controversial episodes yet!

Spence and Chris talk about a call where two Paramedics cross their fingers, close their eyes, and just hope a call goes away. But guess what? In EMS, you don't get to do that. Listen and find out why!

A couple of fish are taken to school as Clownfish and Anglerfish learn the finer points of time management. Does it cost the patient dearly? Does it even matter? Would Chris have done any better? Find out on this weeks episode of EMS 20/20!

Abdominal pain turns code turns DOUBLE CODE. A seasoned Paramedic finds herself alone at the top of the EMS food chain trying to get pulses back in not one but two people who really, really need pulses. How does she manage the chaos? Listen and find out! ALSO: New intro that Chris changed at the last minute... sorry Spence!

Spencer brings a case with a patient that is absolutely totally fine...until he absolutely totally isn't. A trainee and his trainer let their hopes for the best obscure the worst in a case that even had Chris shrugging his shoulders.

Chris and Spence talk about a drowning Paramedic... er, patient! Maybe both? What happens when the sole Paramedic on scene can't pull the trigger? Listen to find out as the guys talk about rapid and delayed sequence intubation as well the pushing the limits of the scope of practice!

This week Chris and Spencer do... nothing! Spencer is out helping areas affected by the fires here in Oregon as on site medical staff. But no worries! Next week we will be back on track with a new episode!

The guys are joined by Dr. Chris Seitz, and ER physician who helps bring some much needed perspective to last weeks complex episode. Was CPAP the right thing to do? Were pressers needed? What about intubation? It all gets answered on this week's deep dive! Need to pass your NREMT exam? Check out Seitz and Sirens and get it done! Use promo code EMS2020 for a discount! https://www.seitzandsirens.com/emt-test-prep

The guys follow a harrowing call where two Paramedics, Dingo and Corgi, come to a crossroad on a very ill patient. The crew will need to make a decision on how to treat this critically sick patient. Are they able to make the right choice? Are they able to make a choice at all? In the follow up episode next week, we will be joined by Dr. Chris Seitz from Seitz and Sirens! https://www.seitzandsirens.com/emt-test-prep

Soft Shell returns from last week as Spencer and Chris discuss the ins and outs of subarachnoid bleeds. What can cause them, what they can do to the patient, and what we can do in the field, the guys cover it all as they review Soft Shell's redemption.

As a freshly minted lead Paramedic, Soft Shelled Turtle comes across a patient with a telling set of symptoms that go from bad to worse. To make matter more interesting, Softy decides that the patients condition is better delivered as a surprise to receiving ER, leading to pure pandemonium.

This week's episode is a deep dive into what Lone Wolf nailed in They Have A History of Heart. Spencer and Chris talk about talking to patients, the one skill you need on quite literally every call, but the one skill that few have truly mastered... including us!

Lone Wolf, an experienced Paramedic, puts on a master class of communicating with a jackass of a patient... but makes one single misstep that almost costs the patient their life! Chris and Spence review a call that could be all too real to anyone in the field as a difficult patient makes history taking a challenge.

Spencer and Chris talk about Sedatives and Paralytics commonly used in EMS. Why should you pick one over the other? What are the pros and cons of each? Did you know that paralysis does not equal sedation? Because it really doesn't.

Nicknames return! A crew secures an airway in a calm, decisive manner and begins transport on their trauma patient. Easy going from here on in, right? ...right?

Chris and Spencer identify the key skill to being a good PIC while examining a leaderless scene. A team overstays their welcome, an airway lingers for too long, and a crew member disappears.

Spencer and Chris dig into a call where assumptions run wild and a Paramedic makes an attempt to coach someone out of a life threatening disease.

In the first ever Fight Night episode, Spencer and Chris debate whether or not expensive dummies are worth the cost! Let us know who won!

Spencer and Chris pick a part a call where a tube stays in place longer than it should and the crew doesn't stay in place long enough. An end tidal of 0 and a load-and-go code 99? Someone messed up... or did they?

Chris and Spencer dig into a call where a patient has a mysterious onset of sudden hypotension. A lone Paramedic has hard choices to make with little in the way of vital signs, presenting decision making roadblocks to overcome.

Chris and Spencer talk about a call that just doesn't stop getting worse as a mix of veteran and new providers tackle a chest pain patient with a complicated history.

Spence and Chris discuss the pitfalls of assessment short cuts as they review a scenario that gets harder and harder to listen to as the call goes on.

Chris and Spencer review a scenario in which a disagreement over a pediatric patient leads to delayed treatment.