Author Archives: Alejandro Olryd

Authors Kaitlynn James BSc(Hons.)1 Cian O’Brien MPH2 Alan M. Batt MSc1,3,4   Paramedic Programs, Fanshawe College, London, Ont., Canada Health Service Executive South Region, Ireland Centre for Paramedic Education and Research, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ont., Canada Institute for Health Professionals, Portland Community College, OR, USA     Introduction   At any moment while performing patient care duties, paramedics are at risk of exposure to blood and infection from blood-borne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, … Read More

By Robin Young We do for others, endure, and continue on…   Paramedics face multiple causes of work related stress in the field. In general, stress, although often times significant, is diminished by distance and time. The further you are away from the stressor and the longer the stressor is absent, the lessening of its impact. Commonly, low to moderate stress over a longer period of time resolves naturally. However, when faced with a personal threatening situation such as violence, … Read More

Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services and University of Lethbridge: First Responders for Identifying and Mitigating Biological Risks in EMS   By Andy Hudson   Paramedics work long and demanding shifts that may place them in dangerous situations, potentially jeopardizing their personal safety or the safety of their patients. In fact, paramedics are about three times more likely to experience mental or physical injury in the workplace than other professionals in healthcare-related industries (1,2). While the potential for emergency medical services … Read More

Dr. Frank Pantridge- Father of modern EMS?                                                                             Dr. Ronald D. Stewart “Well, if that is so, if that is what is happening in Belfast, we are seeing only the tip of the iceberg; we must go out and get these people!”1 This determined declaration made in 1964 by Dr. Frank Pantridge, the equally determined chief cardiologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, could well be considered the rallying cry which gave birth to what we now know … Read More

By Blair Bigham Paramedics and physicians across Canada united after a shocking broadcast speculated that Canada’s paramedics were ill-equipped to respond to 911 calls. CTV’s investigative broadcast W5 ran an episode titled “911 Roulette.” The episode, hosted by experienced journalist Kevin Newman, featured registered nurse Karen Carberry, whose husband David died in the back of an ambulance while being transported to a hospital after suffering a STEMI. Newman questioned why some ambulances were staffed with primary care paramedics while others … Read More

By Blair Bigham Most emergency doctors had never heard of “carfentanil” before it showed up in Ohio in July. That’s because it’s not a human medicine – it’s an elephant tranquilizer used by veterinarians. It’s 10,000 times more potent than morphine, and a grain of it – 20 micrograms – can kill a human. It’s also hypothesized to be an antiterrorism drug – it is suspected of being aerosolized by Russian special forces in 2002 when Chechen rebels took hostages … Read More

RE: The British Columbia Fallen Paramedics Memorial Monument Unveiling March 3, 2015 Dear Colleagues On behalf of the Fallen Paramedics Memorial Committee I wish to inform you the Honourable Christy Clark, Premier of the Province of B.C and the Honorable Linda Reid, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of B.C. have announced Wednesday, May 6, 2015 as the date set for the unveiling of the above noted memorial. The committee extends an invitation to you to join your colleagues of the … Read More