What can your EMT-B's do??

[VentMedic]

So what you're suggesting is Ontario's system?

Does that system work for Ontario?

Did they start out with 48 different certifications?

[firemedic37]

The course would be approx. 250-300 classroom hours including more A&P, Truama, Fluid Administration, Cardio, Respitory System, Airway Management, and Neuro. Then you would have to complete 100 hours clinical and 150 hours ride time. With a minimum skill requirement. Comparable to the EMT-I/85. Would remove the EMT-I and just have the EMT and EMT-P.

[Kiwiology]

Our EMT-Bs (which is a mix of EMT-I/85 and EMT- can do the following:

Independant

- O2 and OPA

- LMA and NPA

- Entonox and methoxyflurane

- AED

- Asprin & tylenol

- Nebulized allbuterol

- Nitro

- IM Glucagon

Authorized by medical control or a Paramedic

- IM adrenaline

- Nebulized adrenaline

These are the advanced skills EMT-Bs need:

Establish IV (NS, LR, D5)

Nitro

ASA

Narcan

Albuterol

Glucose Monitering

Acquire 12 Leads

IVs: Maybe way out in the boon docks. IVs and other invasive interventions carry risks, benefits and consequences. I am studying for my EMT-I qualification here which is a combination of I/85 and EMT-IV so part of it is IV cannulation and fluids. I don't find the procedure that hard to learn and understand but you must consider the implications of a failed IV. What do you teach them to do? IM, IN etc? I am generally against EMT-Bs being given the ability to start an IV.

GTN, ASA, BGL, 12 lead, allbuterol: We can do them here except 12 lead acquisition but that's not hard to teach so I don't see the problem.

Naloxone: Abrupt reversal of narcotic depression may result in nausea, vomiting, sweating, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, tremulousness, seizures and cardiac arrest. EMT-Bs don't really have the skills to treat those (such as nausea and vomiting - they can't give metaclopramide (maloxon) or IV fluids) so I'm generally not going to support it. Maybe under the the supervision of a Paramedic they could do it. I can see the logic in including it but I'd need to do some further digging.

[pennyj]

I am an EMT-B. We are all volunteer. Our closet ALS assist is at least 15 minutes away. Depending on the type of call we may have ALS dispatched at the same time or we may have to request them once we arrive on scene and then meet them enroute. What we can do is the basic EMT-B items such as assesment, vitals, collars, boards, O2, control bleeding, CPR, resuce breathing, etc. Once the medic gets on scene or meets us we then assist them with IV set-ups, heart monitar (we can put everything on the pt. with this and start it so the medic can read it). We have received so many compliments from the medics for our service unit as having everything done and waiting for the medic. Most say we are better prepared then the paid units are.

[lyndonff]

From what i have heard from people from neighboring states, Wisconsin allows basics to do a great deal. We can do non visualized, double lumen airways, cpap, albuterol, in some cases atrovent, nitro, epi pen and subcutaneous epi, glucagon, glucose checks, manual, auto and semi-auto defib and both 3 and 12 lead ecg monitoring.

[akroeze]

From what i have heard from people from neighboring states, Wisconsin allows basics to do a great deal. We can do non visualized, double lumen airways, cpap, albuterol, in some cases atrovent, nitro, epi pen and subcutaneous epi, glucagon, glucose checks, manual, auto and semi-auto defib and both 3 and 12 lead ecg monitoring.

From start to finish how many hours of training do you go through to do all of this?

[JPINFV]

People still use fully automatic AEDs? I thought those fell out of favor in the mid-90's because it's safer to control when the shock is administered [i.e. push for analyze then push for shock if indicated. Not pushing to analyze and shock at the same time].

[rrfireofficer]

I am curious about the training that Basics receive in other areas. Here in Mississippi, Basic are limited on the care or "procedures" that they can perform (legally that is). I think if companies are going to continue to team 2 Basics per rig in stead of Para/Basic teams, the scope of practice for EMT-B should atleast include Intibation and IV(saline), Re: Rural EMS.

All of you know, time is precious, and ALS is not always close enough to pick up the slack, alot of times they are not available at all. Some body please tell me that its not like this everywhere.

Im in missouri and an EMT B does comitubes which here is considered bls skill and according to new acls that makes a good airway and acls is now stating as long as you can get an oral airway and bvm does find resistance then you have a patent airway. If you want to intubate become a medic or they need to pay there medics better to keep them. It may sound arrigant but Im a medic and when I wasnt satisfied with want I was allowed to do as an emt I put my dues in and went 18 months of hell in medic school.

[Scaramedic]

How many times can this thread be resurrected?

P.S.

What can your EMT-B's do??

In the system I work in now, drive wheelchair vans. That's it.

[JPINFV]

Im in missouri and an EMT B does comitubes which here is considered bls skill and according to new acls that makes a good airway and acls is now stating as long as you can get an oral airway and bvm does find resistance then you have a patent airway. If you want to intubate become a medic or they need to pay there medics better to keep them. It may sound arrigant but Im a medic and when I wasnt satisfied with want I was allowed to do as an emt I put my dues in and went 18 months of hell in medic school.

As a general rule, you should only be using 1 conjunction per sentence. Stringing together 5 different statements into the same sentence is a good way to make people's eyes bleed.