Dane County EMS Newsletter

Transcription

1 WINTER 2010 Dane County EMS Newsletter Special Thanks to Kathy Krusiec After 17 years of service to Dane County, Kathy is planning to enjoy retired life and she s earned it! Kathy was instrumental in the Auto ALS program, regional EMS agency collaboration, advanced skills which are now considered the standard of care, 12 Lead EKG at all levels, CCR initiative, mass casualty trailers, as well as supporting EMS and other public safety agencies thru Homeland Security and MMRS funding. On behalf of all past, present and future public safety personnel, thank you for all your support and helping to bring us to the excellent level of care provided in the region! 2010: Year in Review - Where did 2010 go? Can t believe we are in the final days of the year. Much has been accomplished over the last 12 months though, let s just summarize a bit: Most of us have made the change to the King LTS-D Advanced Airway. Overall seems people are pleased with the ease of use. Please remember to complete the QI forms after you use them so we can monitor how well they are working. The Bariatric Ambulance is in full swing and all the training has gone out to the districts. Hopefully you all find it to be a valuable resource, please let me know how deployments go. The American Heart Association has come out with the new guidelines, they don t completely follow our CCR protocols but they are definitely heading in that direction. The ALS services have joined a Medical Direction Consortium thru the UW Medical Foundation and are now training together, crossing boundaries and utilizing standard equipment and protocols. Compression only CPR continues to be successful. We are working on finishing up tallying the save numbers for the banquet...14 so far and not all the data is in. Congratulations! Thank you for your excellent patient care throughout the year, we are very proud to live in a community with such dedicated Emergency Personnel. Have a great holiday! -Tim and Carrie

2 HHS Website Registers Emergency Medical Volunteers The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a new website intended to make volunteering for emergency events easier for medical professionals, including those in EMS. The Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) is a national network of state-based programs that verifies the identity, licenses and credentials of health professionals before an emergency happens. The ESAR-VHP website provides a single point of entry for potential volunteers, connecting them with each state s ESAR-VHP program, so health professionals can volunteer quickly without losing time waiting to have their credentials verified, according to HHS. Registration doesn t obligate anyone to volunteer during an event. Once registered, participants can opt in or out when contacted for volunteer service. Visit the website to register. (Taken from EMS Insider October 2010) Bariatric Ambulance Availability Just an update on the bariatric ambulance and its availability. Our operational plan allows it to be used for ambulance calls. We ve had a few calls over the last few months for other requests such as interfacility transports for testing and transport of an deceased patient to a funeral home. Unfortunately we are only able to use the ambulance for ambulance calls. For these other types of requests a private service such as Curtis out of Milwaukee or Baraboo Ambulance service would be a good option. Any questions feel free to call our office or after hours contact the Center and they will call us. Dane County EMS Association Patch/Logo Design LAST CALL! The Dane County EMS Association continues to look for a Patch/Logo similar to the State EMS contest earlier this year. We know there is a lot of talent out there, so please share your work! The winner will receive $100. Please send your work to Cathy Rigdon Stoughton Area EMS 381 E. Main St. Stoughton, WI $100 Prize Deadline Extended: January 12th Page 2 DANE COUNTY EMS NEWSLETTER

3 NOROVIRUS.Ugh.. Norovirus is an illness that comes on quickly and produces vomiting and/or, diarrhea. It spreads very quickly from person to person, often through touching a surface contaminated with the virus, and through food that is contaminated by the infected person who prepares or serves it. The diarrhea caused by this illness is usually watery (not bloody) and other symptoms can include cramps, nausea, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and low-grade or no fever. The best way to prevent the spread of this illness is by following these recommendations: Frequently wash your hands, especially after bathroom visits and changing diapers and before eating or preparing food. Thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately after an episode of illness by using a bleach-based household cleaner. Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with virus after an episode of illness (use hot water and soap). Flush or discard any vomit and/or stool in the toilet and make sure the surrounding area is kept clean. It is extremely important that people NOT handle food while they are ill and for 48 hours after recovery, the time frame when they are still likely able to pass the virus on to others. This warning covers both people responsible for food preparation at home, as well as people who work in the food industry. Norovirus can spread very quickly in school and child care settings. If children seem to show early symptoms of norovirus: headache, stomachache, nausea or other symptoms, parents should not let them attend school or child care until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours. For more information about preventing norovirus, go to these web links: Norovirus fact sheet: Brunning Award Nominee s Wanted The EMS Banquet is set for Saturday February 5th at Turner Hall on Stoughton Rd, Madison. Hopefully you will be able to attend! The next page has all the information on how to sign up to attend. It will be a great evening celebrating years of service and survivors. Its just a nice time to get out and appreciate one another and your service to the community. Last year the Robert L. Brunning Award of Excellence was opened up to any person, crew, service, etc. Jerry Ewert, EMT-Paramedic from the Town of Madison was last years recipient for his dedication and commitment to the CCR effort and training the public in the life-saving skill. You can make nominations through our website or you can send in your nomination to our office. Please contact us if you are interested or have any questions. The top 5 nominations will be announced at the banquet. WINTER Page 3

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5 Wisconsin Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services K2 Fact Sheet K2 compounds were developed under a federal grant by a Clemson University chemist in the 1990s. Due to the lack of information regarding the safety of these compounds, this same Clemson chemist has stated that nothing is known about K2 effects on humans and it should not be available for human consumption. In recent years, K2 has had a resurgence that has prompted states, municipalities and institutions to issue emergency bans on the substance due to its effects that mimic an intense marijuana experience. Milwaukee, Neenah and Waukesha have controls or have initiated efforts to ban K2. Widely available, the K2 substance is sprayed on leaves or herbs, sold as incense or potpourri, and ingested through smoking and are available on-line and at some smoke shops, head shops, gas stations and convenience stores. The synthetic cannabinoids in K2 are similar to the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana in their hallucinogenic and addictive effects. However, these K2 substances are much more potent than THC and may contain contaminants in some batches that can cause adverse reactions similar to poisoning. K2s effects, depending upon how much is smoked, can last six hours. Wisconsin Poison Control Center experience indicates that users who have adverse reactions have the same kinds of effects as people who smoke too much pot such as increased heart rates, palpitations, chest discomfort, agitation, sweats, nausea and shortness of breath. Some persons can become so intoxicated from smoking or ingesting K2 that the person can end up in the emergency room with seizures, tremors, acute anxiety, panic, elevated blood pressure, vomiting, hallucinations, rapid heart rate, rapid respiration and loss of consciousness. Like the THC in marijuana, K2s synthetic cannabinoids turn on the cannabinoid receptors found in many cells in the brain and body that play an important role in temperature control, appetite, hormone function, immune system function. In fact, THC only partially binds to these important regulators of body function whereas K2 cannabinoids fully activate these receptors. A person under the influence of K2 will appear as someone using marijuana with characteristics such as reddening of the eyes and lethargy. Persons who have used K2 over a long period of time experience a continuous need for K2 and when K2 use is stopped the individual will experienced unrest, craving, nightmares, sweating, nausea, tremor, headache, high blood pressure, and racing heartbeat. These withdrawal symptoms go away when K2 use is resumed. A K2 bill is expected to be introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature in References: DeNoon, Daniel (2010), Legal herbal products laced with designer drugs: not your father s marijuana, Internet site State of Iowa, Department of Public Health (2010), Synthetic marijuana fact sheet, Des Moines State of Iowa, Governor s Office of Drug Control Policy, Des Moines U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (2009), Microgram Bulletin, vol. 42, no. 3, pp Wisconsin Poison Control Center, Milwaukee Stroke Patient Destination St. Mary s Emergency Center in Sun Prairie is asking that we call with advanced notice on possible Stroke patients so they can determine whether or not we should transport to their facility in Sun Prairie or go to the downtown location instead. Just an early radio report for guidance. Thank You. WINTER Page 5

6 Upcoming Meetings and Training Wednesday December 8th State Advisory Board Meeting 9am at Sheraton Wednesday, December 8th UW Hospital Trauma Night 6-9:30pm (Register by calling ) Tuesday January 11th CEVO Lecture 6-10:00pm (Training Director must register participants) Saturday January 15th EVOC Driving Range 8am (Training Director must register participants) Wednesday January 19th EMS Commission meeting 5:45pm and Association meeting 7pm at McFarland EMS Wednesday February 9th UW Hospital STEMI night 6-9:30 pm (Register by calling ) We are on the web: WEMSA 2011 January 26-29th The 25th annual Working Together Emergency Services Midwest Conference & Exposition will take place January 26-29, 2011 at the Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin EMS Association continues to produce one of the biggest and best EMS events in the United States. This includes classes on firefighting and rescue operations, along with a 90,000-square-foot exhibit hall. Dozens of educators will come to Wisconsin from across the United States to provide the latest information to emergency service providers of all types. Wisconsin EMS Association members can continue to take advantage of a $10 per day discount on the conference. That means that your $20 membership is worth up to $40 off your conference fee.