Wednesday, April 16
Bombings: Injury Patterns and Care
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
This content covers ten main topic areas designed to educate emergency medical personnel in the assessment and initial management of patients who are injured during an explosive event. The program builds on existing knowledge developed in HAZMAT and WMD training courses and is designed to be integrated into courses and other training experiences using an all-hazards approach. The emphasis for each topic is the unique characteristics of an explosive event, such as a terrorist bombing, that results in mass casualties.
Active Learning In The EMS Classroom
1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Have you ever wanted to make learning more interactive? More fun? Have you ever wondered how to increase the depth of understanding obtained by your students and develop decision-making abilities? Active learning is a term which covers a wide range of methodologies to make instruction more interactive and interesting - and have the students take an active role in it! This active approach improves understanding and retention of material. Join veteran educator and author Dan Limmer as the next step to making your classroom more active.
Thursday, April 17
Medical Control Physicians Workshop
DHEC, EMS Division
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Presented by the EMS Division of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, this half-day workshop satisfies the training requirements for all new Medical Control Physicians and also satisfies the recertification requirements for current Medical Control Physicians who have not yet recertified.
General Session: Tension Test: Stress and Emergency Medicine
10:15 a.m.-11:45a.m.
Dealing with the reality of painful situations and stress is much more than just a routine part of our work; it can become who we are. There is little discussion on the part of most health care providers about the impact of what we face, yet it’s there. Tension Test is a research based, experienced centered program that is founded in reality, emotion and recovery.
General Session: Leaving a Legacy: The EMS Professional as a Mentor
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
When you were new to EMS did someone “take you under their wing?” or “show you the ropes?” EMT training is largely classroom which leaves students educated but unprepared for the street. EMT mentors help new EMT’s gain experience, build confidence, and set the foundation for a life long EMS experience. Help new EMT’s avoid sink or swim situations that erode confidence and end careers. You know how to help your patients, now learn how to help your fellow EMT’s.
Friday, April 18
#101 Dealing with the STEMI Imposters
Not all ST elevation is from STEMI, there are many non-infarct causes of ST segment elevation This sessions identifies the most frequently encountered imposters, describes how to recognize their presence, and provide strategies to try and identify genuine STEMI in the presence of these imposters.
#102 Making the Grade: Tips to Succeed in Paramedic Class
This tell-it-like-it-is session will focus on helping current and future paramedic students succeed in paramedic school. We will cover secret strategies to ensure success in the classroom, in the field and taking that pesky registry exam.
#103 Impact: MOI From the Beginning to the End
It’s more than a second look at the accident scene – its defining scene assessment while casting a larger net for information. Impact understanding can change the treatment course or modify priorities but it only happens if you take the next step. This high velocity presentation will offer you the missing link and critical clues left out of that old “Mechanism of Injury lecture.”
#104 Dealing with the Media: Pre and Post Event
The media can be your worst enemy or your best ally during an emergency. This presentation will show you how to use the media to your advantage. Let local media personality Cecil Chandler guide you through the murky waters of media relations and teach you the tricks of the trade.
#201 Managing the Complications of AMI
When is a 1st degree AV block more serious than a 3rd degree? In which hypotensive STEMI patients would a fluid bolus be appropriate? Without a 12-lead ECG you must use a “One size fits all’ approach to these complications. However, with a 12-lead a more fine tuned approach to the management of complications is possible. This session identifies how the 12-lead can be used to better manage Hypotension, Chest Pain and AV Block.
#202 Cool it! Therapeutic Hypothermia
What if brain damage from a cardiac arrest continues AFTER the return of a pulse? What if cooling our post-arrest patients can help them walk out of the hospital with fewer neurological deficits? Therapeutic hypothermia has been listed in the last two editions of ACLS…has your EMS system implemented it? Come learn what the research shows and what strategies can be used to cool patients in the prehospital setting.
#203 Enough is Enough: Potentially Dangerous Patients
Dealing with the potentially difficult or dangerous patient has always been construed as just another part of the job. What are the current risks, hazards and conflicts surrounding this all to frequent encounter? Where do you stand legally if restraint becomes necessary? Where do you stand ethically if the needed restraint involves significant risk to the patient? Does consideration of pharmacologically intervention cause you or your legal department concern? This presentation is centered on the facts for today’s practical emergency medical provider and the patients who may harm them.
#204 Resource Management: Where to go for Free Stuff!
Want to start an injury prevention program but have no money? Join the club! Let the PIER Team show you where to go to get free materials and low cost ways to raise awareness.
#301 National Registry Computer Based Testing (CBT) Update
How are things working with the National Registry’s Computer Based Testing? Rob Wagoner, Associate Director, will review the performance and help you optimize candidate preparation.
#302 Whose Emergency is it Anyway?
When the tone goes off and your team responds to the 9-1-1 call are you prepared for what awaits you? Usually yes! But who are all these other folks on-scene? What is their link to the patient and why do they want to tell you how to run YOUR EMS CALL?!? Sure we’ve all been there, but do we really do our best with communications with these folks? Share some time with Gary as he shares his years of experience meeting, greeting, and making the most out of uncomfortable situations. Just remember he’s here to help you!
#303 The “Oh #$^%@” Reflex: Overcoming Pediatric Pucker Factor
It's 3:00 am and you're sound asleep when the call comes in - "Baby won't wake up." Instantly, you're wide awake, trying to recall normal ranges for pediatric vital signs, medication dosages and equipment sizing. You can't remember the last time you intubated a child, and you've only inserted an intraosseous needle in a manikin. As you drive to the scene, your stress level increases. Will you be able to handle it? Join us in this informative, lighthearted presentation as we teach you how to overcome "pediatric pucker factor."
#304 Patient Assessment: “Dead or Alive” (Unfortunately Chris Ebright was unable to attend the conference this year, therefore please note the changes in the Symposium schedule)
Patient assessment is the key to everything we do. Training for it requires time, lots of patients to practice on and tools. Even though some of us have done this for years, our patient assessment skills continue to need tuning. Although this lecture is only one hour (and there were no live patients who were harmed in the production of this course), you will learn some new tools to use for patients who are alive as well as families of those we can no longer help. Has anyone ever given you a decent way to tell someone that their loved one is dead? Come to this lecture. That is one tool you want to carry away from this class.
#401 Conducting an Internal Personnel Investigation
Conducting or supervising an investigation within an agency is challenging and full of pitfalls. Besides the complicated issues of employee rights and defining wrongdoing, actually conducting an investigation is foreign to most administrators. Veteran police officer, paramedic and EMS author Dan Limmer will cover basic principles of interview, investigation and evidence collection for the supervisor or administrator to apply in the workplace setting.
#402 Lifestyles in EMS: Buckle up for the Ride!
It is understood that living the EMS lifestyle can take a toll both mentally and physically on us. What make us “tick” as EMS Providers, what makes us different from other emergency responders? Can we give too much; do you really know when your batteries are empty? Making important decisions to keep us at peak performance is one key to staying healthy. Does physical fitness really affect our mental health? How do family and friends impact our ability to give so much to others? Buckle up and join Gary as he explores and points out sights along the way to help you avoid potential negative trends and to maximize your own health and mental well being living the EMS life!
#403 Thinking At Light Speed: Developing Good Instincts In Your Students
“Two plus two equals four.” But how do we react when two plus two equals cauliflower? Current EMS curricula heavily promote the use of assessment and treatment algorithms, but does the algorithmic approach to patient care help develop those “thinking on your feet” skills so crucial to our profession? This session will examine the perils and pitfalls of assessment and treatment algorithms and explore teaching strategies that encourage our students to think critically and develop the problem solving skills necessary for Thinking At Light Speed.
#404 Squeeze Me? – The Pressure is On! (Unfortunately Chris Ebright was unable to attend the conference this year, therefore please note the changes in the Symposium schedule)
What is the interrelationship between compartment syndrome, crush injury, and crush syndrome? When should they be suspected and how do they present? How do they occur spontaneously? What are the dangers associated with not recognizing these conditions? These questions and more regarding these often ignored conditions will be answered during this session. Case reviews will be utilized to present medical and traumatic causes of these injuries, as well as home health care situations where they may occur. Treatment presentation will include both field and facility options from BLS treatment through surgical intervention.
Saturday, April 19
#501 Ten Commandments for EMS Survival
Safety at an emergency scene is of primary importance. The Ten Commandments for EMS Survival take a humorous, yet thought provoking look at remaining safe on the street. The presentation explores attitudes toward safety, tactical skills, threats from violence and the drug trade, legal survival and more.
#502 New Initiatives in EMS Transport Safety: Where is the State of the Art?
This multimedia presentation addresses the issues relating to ambulance transport safety for patients, providers and the public. An overview of the statistics covering ambulance transport safety will be presented, including specifics of pediatric transport and comparisons with safety perspectives in air medical services will also be highlighted. Guidelines distributed by national and international organizations will be discussed to address improving the safety. Demonstration of video of crash testing of the ambulance environment will highlight important predictable and preventable occupant risks and outline practices and strategies to enhance occupant safety in ambulance transport. Practices and policies to minimize risk of adverse patient transport events and to enhance provider safety at the scene will be presented. Mythologies regarding safety practices and devices will be exposed. New safety technologies for the ambulance transport environment will profiled, with a review of what is on the horizon in safety development, personal protective equipment, policy and transport vehicle design.
#503 12-lead ECG ASAP (Unfortunately Chris Ebright was unable to attend the conference this year, therefore please note the changes in the Symposium schedule)
Learning to recognize STEMI is easier than you might think. This session assumes no previous knowledge of ECG interpretation and in 1 hour participants will be able to recognize and localize ST segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) on the 12-lead ECG.
#504 Perils and Pitfalls of Media Interviews
Ever been caught off-guard with the cameras rolling and a microphone in your face? Have you said something to the media you wish you could take back? Sometimes “no comment” says more about you and your service than you might think. Learn effective interview techniques to make your next “fifteen minutes of fame” shine.
From day one of the police academy, officers are indoctrinated with the concept of the “use of force continuum.” Officers are trained that the continuum shows them the levels of force available to them, but that the officer is expected only to use the force necessary to make an arrest and/or deal with a threat. In comparison, many advanced EMS providers believe that the only tool they have to manage an airway is endotracheal intubation. The reality is that the ET tube is but one tool in the EMS airway management toolbox, ranging from simple positioning of the patient all the way to establishing a surgical airway. Join us in this presentation as we look at airway management in a new way, via "The Airway Continuum."
#602 The Critical Pediatric Patient in EMS: Recognition and Management
This presentation addresses the EMS issues relating to understanding the critical pediatric patient, with a focus on early recognition and management. The spectrum of pediatric trauma, including unintentional accidental trauma as well as intentional child abuse as well as critical medical presentations will be covered. A brief overview of the spectrum of pediatric trauma and illness statistics will be presented, with some case study illustrations. The approaches to the assessment and management of the pediatric trauma and acutely ill patient will be covered and practices and strategies to enhance pediatric patient EMS critical care emphasized.
#603 Teaching Without PowerPoint
It is well known that students only retain a fraction of what is delivered by way of the lecture, yet it remains the primary method for most EMS educators. Participants will experience first hand some of Chris’s most successful techniques for creating a student centered classroom.
#604 Evolution of Injury Prevention
Accidents happen – they help keep our lights and sirens going like the Energizer Bunny! From the very young to the most mature, injury prevention has its place in the pre-hospital setting. Learn how injury prevention has changed over the years – it’s not just for kids anymore!
#701 The Future of Trauma Resuscitation: Hypertonic Saline
Despite major advances in the management of trauma victims, traumatic injury remains one of the leading causes of death during the first 3 decades of life. Moreover, effective treatment of critically injured patients with hemorrhagic shock continues to be a formidable challenge. Conventional resuscitation of these patients involves the intravenous administration of a large volume of isotonic or slightly hypotonic (lactated ringers) solution beginning in the prehospital environment. Previous and recent studies have suggested that an alternative resuscitation fluid may reduce mortality in these patients. This presentation will examine the available research on the use of hypertonic saline in the prehospital environment.
#702 Lub-Dub What?!! – Thoracic Auscultation
You have your stethoscope and you are armed and ready to go forth and treat! But what are you listening for? When do you use the bell vs. the diaphragm? What is a tunable diaphragm? Thoracic auscultation is critical to patient assessment, yet it is often described in verbal terms of what you might hear, or what something sounds like. In this session we will review various thoracic sounds recorded from patients to discuss what to listen for. Findings will then be correlated to disease processes and presentation. After this session you will never use your stethoscope the same.
#703 National Registry of EMT’s Implementation of 2009 Educational Standards
How will you prepare for implementation of the new Educational Standards in 2009? Rob Wagoner, Associate Director, will overview these changes that will affect national EMS certification at all levels beginning fall, 2010.
This graphic session offers a description of injuries seen by a trauma surgeon at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Injuries sustained include gunshot wounds, blunt trauma wounds, blast wounds, and other unusual injuries. Landstuhl Regional Medical Center receives 100% of the wounded from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
#801 Impedance Threshold Devices: Improving Survival from Cardiac Arrest?
Animal studies have shown that use of an inspiratory impedance threshold device (ITD) within the respiratory circuit during both conventional CPR and active compression-decompression (ACD) CPR increases blood flow to the heart and brain, increases 24-hour survival and improves neurological recovery. This presentation will evaluate all relevant research on the device and its implications for EMS systems.
“You’ve got a better chance of being struck by lightning than…” Have you ever used or been told that phrase to refer to unlikely odds? With an average of 20 million ground strikes per year lightning does indeed strike hundreds of people per year killing many of them. In fact there are more people killed in the US each year by lightning than tornadoes or hurricanes. This session will cover the myths and facts of lightning, as well as common dangers and injuries to patients and providers, and the emergency treatment of those who are struck.
We all understand the value of using scenarios in EMS education, but are we maximizing the learning of each scenario we conduct? We will discuss various ways that scenarios can be used to enhance learning and the importance of a clearly defined “objective” when developing scenarios. Participants with receive six examples of sure fire scenarios as well as template for developing scenarios of their own.
#804 Non-Fracture Neck Injuries
Not all neck injuries are fractures and neck injuries aren't always the result of MVC's. Dr. Pfeifer will discuss the pathophysiology and management of non-fracture neck injuries such as penetrating neck injuries, hangings, strangulation and autoeroticism.