In this episode of the EMS on AIR podcast, retired Battalion Chief Doug Burke shares his firsthand experience with cyanide poisoning during a fire incident. Despite wearing full PPE, Burke encountered cyanide toxicity due to the hazardous materials present in the burning structure. This episode offers critical insights into the risks associated with modern firefighting, the importance of early symptom recognition, and the necessity for fire departments and EMS agencies to be prepared with treatments like Hydroxocobalamin. The discussion emphasizes the importance of prompt intervention to safeguard both firefighters and victims from life-threatening exposures.

If you need a refresher on the pathophysiology of stroke, you can check out our sister lesson “Foundations of stroke and stroke recognition” also sponsored by Medtronic Neurovascular, right here at Guardian CME. That course will take you through much of the Anatomy and physiology of the brain, the areas that stroke effect, and what sort of symptoms a patient would experience as a result, called stroke syndromes. In this course, we'll concentrate more on how applying those principles in the field using stroke identification tools, and stroke severity tools allow us to move forward with treatment, both on the way to and at the hospital. Combine both for a full credit of excellent stroke education!

Medtronic Neurovascular and Guardian CME team up to bring you this high-quality educational content. This course is designed for all providers seeking to enhance their knowledge of stroke and stroke recognition but is especially valuable to prehospital providers and members of the EMS community.

 “How would you rate your pain today on a scale of 1 to 10?” Answer: “11/10” We hear it all the time, and as providers can be quick to judge claims of severe pain as lies to gain opiates, or overreactions to illicit faster care. The truth of the matter is that pain is a symptom that is misunderstood and stigmatized. Pain management is an essential part of what we do as providers, and patient comfort has more benefits to healing that you might think. In today’s episode, we’ll discuss pain, and it’s unique challenges to treatment.