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BEYOND THE CALL – EMS Strong
May 19-25, 2019, is the 45th annual National EMS Week. In 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation’s communities.
EMS Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s “front line.” Whether celebrated with a company cookout or a catered lunch; an open house, an awards ceremony or even quiet reflection about what it means to be an EMS practitioner, EMS Week is the perfect time to recognize EMS and all that its practitioners do for our nation.
This year, five days of EMS Week have a theme that represents the diverse nature of EMS.
- Monday – EMS Education Day
- Tuesday – Safety Tuesday
- Wednesday – EMS for Children Day
- Thursday – Stop the Bleed Day
- Friday – EMS Recognition Day
2019 EMS Week Proclamation: To designate the Week of May 19-25, 2019, as Emergency Medical Services Week.
>>> Life EMS : Always Ready
American Heart Month 2019
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. The good news? Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for people to make healthier choices. Make a difference in your community: Spread the word about strategies for preventing heart disease and encourage people to live heart healthy lives.
How can American Heart Month make a difference?
We can use this month to raise awareness about heart disease and how people can prevent it — both at home and in the community.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Encourage families to make small changes, like using spices to season their food instead of salt.
- Motivate teachers and administrators to make physical activity a part of the school day. This can help students start good habits early.
- Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by speaking out about ways to prevent heart disease.
How can I help spread the word?
We’ve made it easier for you to make a difference. This toolkit is full of ideas to help you take action today. For example:
- Add information about living a heart healthy lifestyle to your newsletter.
- Tweet about American Heart Month.
- Host a community event to promote heart health, like a group walk or a heart-healthy cooking demonstration.
- Take action: Be the cure! Join the American Heart Association’s national movement to support healthier communities and healthier lives.
Life EMS is committed to rigorous standards during critical 911 calls, our chest pain protocols include real time 12 lead ECG interpretation by our Nationally Registered & Licensed Paramedics, transmission of vital data to area hospitals to allow for direct transport to the hospital cath lab for PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention), and pre-hospital care via oral Aspirin administration, and cardiac intravenous medications & drips.
Always dial 911 when you or someone you know is experiencing chest pain or stroke like symptoms! Follow this link to learn more about heart health and how to become involved in heart health!
Stop the Bleed: Save a Life
Uncontrolled bleeding is a major cause of preventable deaths. Approximately 40% of trauma-related deaths worldwide are due to bleeding or its consequences, establishing hemorrhage as the most common cause of preventable death in trauma.*
The Stop the Bleeding Coalition is focused on raising awareness of how, with the proper training and materials, death from bleeding can be prevented. Simple measures can save many lives.
Mission: The mission of the coalition is to support the Stop the Bleed campaign by providing resources that enable collaboration and cooperation between the many people and organizations working to train and equip the nation to reduce the loss of life due to traumatic bleeding.
Who are we? The Coalition consists of people and organizations who wants to save lives. We are health care professionals, first responders, teachers, parents, teenagers, veterans, government officials and many others.
* Curry N, Hopewell S, Doree C, Hyde C, Brohi K, Stanworth S. The acute management of trauma hemorrhage: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Crit Care. 2011;15(2):R92.
Check out https://stopthebleedingcoalition.org/ for more information on the STOP THE BLEED campaign. The website also includes information on getting involved, training, setting up training classes as well as purchasing Hemorrhage Control Kits. As always, call our local dispatch office @ (580)242-1234, or come by Life EMS Central Stations @ 302 W. Maple in Enid to learn more. We have certified trainers on site and would be happy to set up a class for any age group or business. Life EMS is always committed to evidence based practices and will always evolve with training to better serve the citizens of Enid, Garfield County, Hennessey, and Northern Kingfisher County.
Sepsis Awareness Month 2018
Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. In other words, it’s your body’s over active and toxic response to an infection.
Your immune system usually works to fight any germs (bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites) to prevent infection. If an infection does occur, your immune system will try to fight it, although you may need help with medication such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics. However, for reasons researchers don’t understand, sometimes the immune system stops fighting the “invaders,” and begins to turn on itself. This is the start of sepsis.
Some people are at higher risk of developing sepsis because they are at higher risk of contracting an infection. These include the very young, the very old, those with chronic illnesses, and those with a weakened or impaired immune system.
Patients are diagnosed with sepsis when they develop a set of signs and symptoms related to sepsis. Sepsis is not diagnosed based on an infection itself. If you have more than one of the symptoms of sepsis, especially if there are signs of an infection or you fall into one of the higher risk groups, your doctor will likely suspect sepsis.
Sepsis progresses to severe sepsis when in addition to signs of sepsis, there are signs of organ dysfunction, such as difficulty breathing (problems with the lungs), low or no urine output (kidneys), abnormal liver tests (liver), and changes in mental status (brain). Nearly all patients with severe sepsis require treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU).
Septic shock is the most severe level and is diagnosed when your blood pressure drops to dangerous levels.
Sepsis has been named as the most expensive in-patient cost in American hospitals in 2014 averaging more than $18,000 per hospital stay. With over 1.5 million sepsis hospital stays in 2014 per year, that works out to costs of $27 billion each year. Studies investigating survival have reported slightly different numbers, but it appears that on average, approximately 30% of patients diagnosed with severe sepsis do not survive. Up to 50% of survivors suffer from post-sepsis syndrome. Until a cure for sepsis is found, early detection is the surest hope for survival and limiting disability for survivors.
All Life EMS Paramedic Units have progressive protocols and guidelines for early detection, hospital ED Sepsis Alerts, and early treatment via aggressive intravenous fluids, the use of inotrope medications for increasing blood pressure, and the use of respiratory treatment and medications.
Life EMS: Always Training; Always Ready.
For more information about sepsis, visit sepsisawarenessmonth.org.