The EMS Lighthouse Project

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Ep85 - Intubation: Is More Better? Jun 09, 2024

Show notes

There is evidence that clinician experience with intubation is associated with improved success rates and evidence that missed intubation attempts are associated with worse survival, at least in cardiac arrest. The recent Airway EBG paper recommends EMS agencies with low intubation proficiency should use SGAs instead of intubation in cardiac arrest. This all begs the question of whether agencies who intubate more often have higher success rates than those who do not. That’s precisely the question a new paper from Annals of Emergency Medicine attempts to answer. Join Dr. Jarvis to discuss the paper and his thoughts on integrating its findings into practice.

Citations:

1. Jarvis JL, Panchal AR, Lyng JW, Bosson N, Donofrio-Odmann JJ, Braude DA, Browne LR, Arinder M, Bolleter S, Gross T, et al.: Evidence-Based Guideline for Prehospital Airway Management. Prehospital Emergency Care. 2024;28(4):545–57.

2. Murphy DL, Bulger NE, Harrington BM, Skerchak JA, Counts CR, Latimer AJ, Yang BY, Maynard C, Rea TD, Sayre MR: Fewer Tracheal Intubation Attempts are Associated with Improved Neurologically Intact Survival Following Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. Resuscitation. 2021;July 13;167(Oct 2021):289–96.

3. Crewdson K, Lockey DJ, Røislien J, Lossius HM, Rehn M: The success of pre-hospital tracheal intubation by different pre-hospital providers: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Crit Care. 2017;December;21(1):31.

4. Thomas J, Crowe R, Schulz K, Wang HE, De Oliveira Otto MC, Karfunkle B, Boerwinkle E, Huebinger R: Association Between Emergency Medical Service Agency Intubation Rate and Intubation Success. Ann Emerg Med. Published online: January 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2023.11.005 (Epub ahead of print).

5. Carlson JN, De Lorenzo R: Does Practice Make Perfect, or Is There More to Consider? Ann Emerg Med. Published online: January 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2024.04.019 (Epub ahead of print).

Ep84 - Nebulized Ketamine? May 14, 2024

Show notes

Description:

Let’s say you were looking for a safe and effective BLS option for analgesia. Something other than oral acetaminophen or ibuprofen. You want the Green Whistle (methoxyflurane), but you can’t get the Green Whistle (thanks, FDA!). How about sub-dissociative ketamine by nebulizer? Sounds great, but you’re worried about your colleagues getting stoned, right? Admit it, you are. Fortunately, there are breath-actuated nebulizers. Maybe those things will work?

Dr. Jarvis reviews a recent paper comparing the effectiveness of nebulized ketamine with IV ketamine and gives a quick review of some other papers that paved the way for this one.

Citations:

1. Nguyen T, Mai M, Choudhary A, Gitelman S, Drapkin J, Likourezos A, Kabariti S, Hossain R, Kun K, Gohel A, et al.: Comparison of Nebulized Ketamine to Intravenous Subdissociative Dose Ketamine for Treating Acute Painful Conditions in the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy Controlled Trial. Annals of Emergency Medicine. (2024) May 2.

2. Motov S, Mai M, Pushkar I, Likourezos A, Drapkin J, Yasavolian M, Brady J, Homel P, Fromm C: A prospective randomized, double-dummy trial comparing IV push low dose ketamine to short infusion of low dose ketamine for treatment of pain in the ED. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;August;35(8):1095–100.

3. Motov S, Rockoff B, Cohen V, Pushkar I, Likourezos A, McKay C, Soleyman-Zomalan E, Homel P, Terentiev V, Fromm C: Intravenous Subdissociative-Dose Ketamine Versus Morphine for Analgesia in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Emerg Med. 2015;September;66(3):222-229.e1.

4. Motov S, Yasavolian M, Likourezos A, Pushkar I, Hossain R, Drapkin J, Cohen V, Filk N, Smith A, Huang F, et al.: Comparison of Intravenous Ketorolac at Three Single-Dose Regimens for Treating Acute Pain in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Ann Emerg Med. 2017;August;70(2):177–84.

5.Dove D, Fassassi C, Davis A, Drapkin J, Butt M, Hossain R, Kabariti S, Likourezos A, Gohel A, Favale P, et al.: Comparison of Nebulized Ketamine at Three Different Dosing Regimens for Treating Painful Conditions in the Emergency Department: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2021;December;78(6):779–87.

6.Patrick C, Smith M, Rafique Z, Rogers Keene K, De La Rosa X: Nebulized Ketamine for Analgesia in the Prehospital Setting: A Case Series. Prehospital Emergency Care. 2023;February 17;27(2):269–74.

(00:00) - EMS System Challenges
(03:04) - The Purpose of a Lighthouse
(03:18) - Podcast Introduction
(04:03) - Enhancing Community Service
(04:26) - Considering Nebulized Ketamine
(06:27) - Field Study on Nebulized Ketamine
(06:58) - Nebulized Ketamine in the Field
(07:58) - Analysis of Nebulized Ketamine Device
(09:01) - Research Paper on Nebulized Ketamine
(12:07) - Editorial on Heads-Up CPR
(14:41) - Comparing IV and Nebulized Ketamine
(17:53) - Review of Research Paper
(22:42) - Interpretation of Results
(25:47) - Adverse Events Comparison
(26:40) - Conclusion on Nebulized Ketamine

Ep 83 - EtCO2 in Cardiac Arrest Apr 20, 2024

Show notes

What value does EtCO2 have when predicting survival from cardiac arrest? We all know a sharp spike in EtCO2 is associated with ROSC, but what about persistently elevated levels? What does this mean for decision-making regarding the termination of resuscitation?

Join Drs. Jeff Jarvis, Remle Crowe, and Heidi Abraham for the first episode of “Between Two Nerds,” a subgenre of the EMS Lighthouse Project podcast suggested in episode 82 by Dr. CJ Winckler, as they run through a new paper that may shed some light on this question.

Citation:

1. Smida T, Menegazzi JJ, Crowe RP, Salcido DD, Bardes J, Myers B: The Association of Prehospital End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide with Survival Following Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. Prehospital Emergency Care. 2024;April 2;28(3):478–84.

2. Levine RL, Wayne MA, Miller C: End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide and Outcome of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. N Engl J Med. 1997;337:301–6.

3. Page, J. The Magic of 3 AM. PennWell Books. Tulsa, OK. 2017

E82 - Ketamine v Etomidate for RSI: A Bayesian Meta-Analysis Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

The debate about which drug to use for sedation before RSI will... not… die. Advocates for both ketamine and etomidate approach the argument with near-religious zeal. There have been studies. We’ve even covered some here. We need a systematic review and meta-analysis, preferably using an analysis that recognizes this likely isn’t a black-and-white question. That’s where our friend Bayes comes in. Dr. Jarvis is joined by Drs Remle Crowe and CJ Winkler to discuss this paper and what in the hell Bayesian analysis actually is. We get some nice book recommendations in the process. Plus, we check in with ChatGPT for answers.

Oh, BTW... don't take zoological advice from Dr. Winkler. Contrary to his thoughts, Giraffe's do NOT, in fact, have larger hearts than elephants.

Citations:
1. Koroki T, Kotani Y, Yaguchi T, Shibata T, Fujii M, Fresilli S, Tonai M, Karumai T, Lee TC, Landoni G, Hayashi Y. Ketamine versus etomidate as an induction agent for tracheal intubation in critically ill adults: a Bayesian meta-analysis. Crit Care. 2024 Feb 17;28(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s13054-024-04831-4. PMID: 38368326; PMCID: PMC10874027.
2. Russotto V, Myatra SN, Laffey JG, et al. Intubation Practices and Adverse Peri-intubation Events in Critically Ill Patients From 29 Countries. JAMA. 2021;325(12):1164-1172.

Bonus book recommendations
3. Heller J. Catch-22. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster; 1961.
4. McGrayne SB. The Theory That Would Not Die. How Bayes’ Rule Cracked The Enigma Code, Hunted Down Russian Submarines & Emerged Triumphant From Two Centuries of Controversy. Yale University Press; 2011.
5. Salsburg D. The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science In The Twentieth Century. Henry Holt & Company; 2001.

Ep81 - Treatment of Atrial Fib with RVR Mar 10, 2024

Show notes

Atrial Fibrillation with rapid ventricular response is a common cause of EMS activations and ED visits. It is associated with chest discomfort, palpitations, and hypotension. Treatment is aimed at either rhythm or rate control, with rate control being the most common first-line approach. EMS has the potential to treat this condition with medications such as diltiazem, metoprolol, or amiodarone. For those patients with hemodynamic instability, EMS can provide synchronized cardioversion. However, the question for this podcast is whether it matters if EMS treats A Fib or not. Dr. Jarvis recorded this episode in front of a live audience at the State of Jefferson conference in beautiful Ashland, Oregon, with Mike Verkest and special guest Dr Maia Dorsett.

Citation:

Fornage LB, O’Neil C, Dowker SR, Wanta ER, Lewis RS, Brown LH: Prehospital Intervention Improves Outcomes for Patients Presenting in Atrial Fibrillation with Rapid Ventricular Response. Prehospital Emergency Care. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2023.2283885 (Epub ahead of print).

LHP E80 – IM Epi in Cardiac Arrest Jan 20, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Jarvis is joined by OG co-host Mike Verkest and Dr. Brent Myers from NAEMSP 2024. We discuss an intriguing concept in cardiac arrest… giving the initial dose of epinephrine IM instead of starting an IV or IO. They discuss a 2021 paper that compared this approach to standard dosing in a feasibility study done in Salt Lake City. Those authors released some additional data from this study… this time about survival. We talk about the potential ramifications.

Citations:

Pugh AE, Stoecklein HH, Tonna JE, Hoareau GL, Johnson MA, Youngquist ST: Intramuscular adrenaline for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is associated with faster drug delivery: A feasibility study. Resuscitation Plus. 2021;September;7:100142.

LHP E79 - Head Up CPR – Not So FAST Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

EMS History is full of interventions we've rapidly adopted, often at great expense and with disruption of existing processes, that later turned out to, how should I say this..... not work. Want examples? MAST and high-volume crystalloids in trauma. Mechanical compression devices, high-dose epinephrine, indiscriminate calcium administration in cardiac arrest. Do I even need to mention backboards? The next bright, shiny thing promising to revolutionize cardiac arrest resuscitation is Head-Up CPR. It's certainly expensive and disruptive, but does it improve outcomes? What is the evidence?

Dr. Jarvis has thoughts. He goes deep on this topic, using a recent paper on Head-Up CPR to discuss how he evaluates new interventions for adoption. Oh, and he has thoughts on science in general.

Citations:
1. Moore JC, Pepe PE, Scheppke KA, Lick C, Duval S, Holley J, Salverda B, Jacobs M, Nystrom P, Quinn R, et al.: Head and thorax elevation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation using circulatory adjuncts is associated with improved survival. Resuscitation. 2022;October;179:9–17.
2. Swaminathan A: Heads Up! There is No Association with Improved Outcomes for Head Up CPR: Why We Must Read Past the Abstract.RebelEM. Available at https://rebelem.com/heads- up-there-is-no-association-with-improved-outcomes-for-head-up-cpr-why-we-must-read-past-the-abstract/.
3. Mohan M, Swaminathan AK: Heads Up! Data Dredging Coming Through: Heads Up Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Does Not Improve Outcomes. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2023;February;81(2):244–5.
4. Jarvis J: Not so fast: More evidence needed in head-up CPR.ems1.com. Available at https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/cpr-resuscitaCon/arCcles/not-so-fast-more-evidence- needed-in-head-up-cpr-ZK2O7yt5eb8jryYm/. Accessed December 9, 2023.
5. Moore JC: Faster Cme to automated elevation of the head and thorax during cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases the probability of return of spontaneous circulation. ResuscitaCon. 2022;Jan(170):62–9.
6. Pepe PE, Scheppke KA, Antevy PM, Crowe RP, Millstone D, Coyle C, Prusansky C, Garay S, Ellis R, Fowler RL, et al.: Conﬁrming the Clinical Safety and Feasibility of a Bundled Methodology to Improve Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Involving a Head-Up/Torso-Up Chest Compression
Technique. Crit Care Med. 2019;March;47(3):449–55.
7. Metro Fire Chiefs: First-In Responders Providing Neuroprotective (“Heads-Up”) CPR as the Standard of Care for Emergency Medical Services Systems.NFPA. Available at https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Membership/member-secCons/Metro-Chiefs/Urban-FireForum/2023/UFF23_NPCPR-PosiCon-Statement.ashx. Accessed November 4, 2023.

LHP E78 – Racial Disparities in EMS Analgesia Oct 08, 2023

Show notes

What would you say if I told you that Black patients were less likely to receive pain medication compared with white patients? My guess is you’d either question the methods, assume it isn’t possible, or ask why. Regardless of what your answer is, you’re going to want to listen to this episode. Mikey V returns to co-host a live episode from the ESO PCRF research forum, where we interview Drs. Remle Crowe and Jamie Kennel about their new research on this subject. I learned some things, and I think you will, too.

Here's a link to future ESO PCRF research forums:

https://www.eso.com/events/research-forum-pcrf/

Citation:

Crowe RP, Kennel J, Fernandez AR, Burton BA, Wang HE, Van Vleet L, Bourn SS, Myers JB: Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Out-of-Hospital Pain Management for Patients With Long Bone Fractures. Annals of Emergency Medicine. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2023.03.035 (Epub ahead of print).

LHP E77 – Should We Reduce Sedative Dosing In RSI Of Hypotensive Patients? Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

Have you heard that you’re supposed to decrease the dose of your sedative when performing RSI on hypotensive patients? First, avoid asking why you haven’t addressed the hypotension before intubating.. maybe there’s a reason. Maybe. But, regardless of why, intubate you will. What about those doses? I’ve been hearing for years that I should be dropping the dose of sedation before RSI. But what evidence are these recommendations based on?

Today, we reviewed a paper aimed at providing some evidence on this question. Oh, and I offer a gratuitous plug for the ESO/PCRF Research Forum nerdvanna. Here’s the URL for more information:

https://www.eso.com/events/research-forum-pcrf/

Citation:

Driver BE, Trent SA, Prekker ME, Reardon RF, Brown CA: Sedative Dose for Rapid Sequence Intubation and Postintubation Hypotension: Is There an Association? Annals of Emergency Medicine. June 2023 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Also discussed:

Pappal RD, Roberts BW, Mohr NM, Ablordeppey E, Wessman BT, Drewry AM, Winkler W, Yan Y, Kollef MH, Avidan MS, et al.: The ED-AWARENESS Study: A Prospective, Observational Cohort Study of Awareness With Paralysis in Mechanically Ventilated Patients Admitted From the Emergency Department. Ann Emerg Med. 2021;77(5):532–44.

EMS LHP – E76 – One and Done Epinephrine Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Y’all know I have thoughts on epinephrine in cardiac arrest. Perhaps you might have heard me say epinephrine “saves the heart at the expense of the brain.” I’ve also said I don’t have an issue with any epinephrine in arrest, just how we give it currently, and have wondered if less epi might do the trick. We reviewed the One and Done paper recently published from North Carolina that looks at this question.

Citations:

1. Ashburn NP, Beaver BP, Snavely AC, Nazir N, Winslow JT, Nelson RD, Mahler SA, Stopyra JP: One and Done Epinephrine in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest? Outcomes in a Multiagency United States Study. Prehospital Emergency Care. 2022;September 26;27(6):751–7.

2. Fernando SM, Mathew R, Sadeghirad B, Rochwerg B, Hibbert B, Munshi L, Fan E, Brodie D, Di Santo P, Tran A, et al.: Epinephrine in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. Chest. 2023;August;164(2):381–93.

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