Austin-Travis County EMS System Office of the Medical Director » Uncategorized

Today I sit down with Dr. Joseph Martin, (IG: @JaTXerd) a Family Practice and Addiction Specialist who is now an EMS physician, to talk about mental health in our first responders. Spoiler alert: it has a lot to do with sleep deprivation, uncertainty, community, and organizational support.

Cold weather incoming! This is just a quick review of carbon monoxide poisoning treatment options, as well as what differentiates cold water immersion from regular drowning. We anticipate an increase in the number of Carbon Monoxide (CO) related calls in the system as people use charcoal grills and generators for heating. Symptoms include headache, nausea,… Continue reading Quick

Sometimes a small dose of epinephrine or norepinephrine can keep a patient from becoming hypotensive during intubation, or may help bridge the patient to a continuous infusion. Dr. Pickett talks about simple methods for mixing and administering push doses of these pressors and how to administer the infusion. NOTE: It is ASSUMED you already know… Continue reading Push Dose Pressor

Like Starsky and Hutch, like peanut butter and jelly, like Riggs and Murtaugh, the inseparable duo is back together for Medic Mindset for an episode of the Thinking Series, this time on abdominal pain. Feast your ears, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The audio is like butter. Available on YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, and… Continue reading Thinking: Abdominal Pain with Ging

Snakebites are a common patient encounter for #EMS here in Texas, though virtually all states have venomous snakes of one kind or another. Dr. Spencer Greene (@ToxSpencer) walks us through some pearls and pitfalls of caring for these patients. TL;DW: “Dry bites” are very uncommon. Most victims are not drunk young males that are intentionally… Continue reading Snakebites! with

YES I KNOW THE THUMBNAIL HAS EPISODE 4 and it’s episode 49. But we have a YouTube channel now so that’s why we have different episode numbers. It’s less confusing than renumbering everything. ANYwhomst, this is our takedown of the week long winter weather event that crippled the region starting around Valentine’s Day. The impacts… Continue reading Episode 49: Icepocalypse

Vaccines are finally available. I’m getting mine, and you should too. How do they work? Are they safe? What are the side effects? What are the particulars of administration?

Bamlanivimab is a monoclonal antibody for treating mild to moderate COVID-19. You’ve probably heard of it as it has rolled out here in Texas in force. What does it do and how is it given?

Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership that has helped speed development of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. But what does that mean for safety of these treatments? TL;DR: The program does not cut safety corners. It supports industry to rapidly develop capability without the financial risk usually associated with experimental therapies.

This study looks at an intriguing concept: What happens when you give an acutely suicidal patient ketamine in the ED? This study intrigued me so I thought I’d cover it. This study will not change your practice but will hopefully interest you in participating in research on the topic. TL;DR/TL;DL: DON’T START DOING THIS YET.… Continue reading Episode 45: Ketamine for suicidal