BLUF*: For the pulse oximeter’s O2 saturation reading to be valid, the device must also be consistently identifying the patient’s pulse. If the pulse waveform or notation isn’t steady, the oxygen reading isn’t valid. Fingertip oxygen saturation monitors are small, …
Although not as convenient as evaluating the “Go / No Go” presence of a casualty’s radial pulse, their “shock index” is a much more sophisticated snapshot of their hypovolemic status. Shock index is a ratio of the trauma patient’s heart …
Triage systems are used by prehospital providers to “sort” casualties into essentially those who are dead or will likely die despite treatment, those with injuries that don’t really require prehospital treatment, and those with injuries that are immediately life-threatening and …
Burns over 20% total body surface area (TBSA) result in increased capillary permeability and intravascular fluid deficits that are most severe at 24-hours post-burn. Cardiac output decreases rapidly post-burn. With correct fluid resuscitation, cardiac output returns to normal values 12 …
Is trying to resuscitate trauma patients with prehospital cardiac arrest futile? Conventional wisdom was that it was futile because the expectation of survival was too low. Newer research shows survival rates may be higher than we historically believed. However, the …
A doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive device that uses high-frequency sound waves to estimate the amount of blood flow through your arteries and veins, usually those that supply blood to your arms and legs. A doppler ultrasound can estimate how …