MERGINET's January 18 Release On-line Now

["Richard Bilger" <rbilger@merginet.com>]

We're pleased to bring you the latest additions to
MERGINET.NEWS (Vol. 6, No. 1). You can view this
issue online at:

http://www.merginet.com
Select "MERGINET.NEWS" or "Current Issue" from
the navigation menu's.

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FROM THE EDITOR:
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New topics to spur your professional savvy:
> Charly Miller’s conclusion to her three-part series on
“Positional Asphyxia” -- read what this industry expert has to
say that could save you headaches (not to mention patient lives)
> “Please Don’t Die!” That sinking feeling of losing a patient...
Mona Vanek gives us a melancholy account -- and material to take
into community education programs! A great handout opportunity.
> Todd Talbert writes about the legalities of endotracheal
intubation. This could benefit you and yours in ways you can’t
imagine.

There’s much, much more for you on MERGINET, the Worldwide
Website of Emergency Responders. That’s you! Browse it -- what
else do you have to do between calls?!

Take time, any time, to send us Reader Feedback. We write back to
everyone, and always appreciate your thoughts, ideas, and
compliments!

Warm regards,
Kate Dernocoeur, Editor
mailto:kate@merginet.com

New in this issue!

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Features
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>> ET Legalisms: "Got That Tube In? You Sure?"
by Todd Talbert
Visualization and auscultation are two time-honored techniques
for confirming proper placement of an endotracheal tube. Although
visualization and auscultation are by themselves accepted medical
standards, they can prove unreliable — and lead to legal
repercussions if things go, shall we say, down the tubes.


>> Restraint Asphyxia — Silent Killer; Part 3
by Charly Miller
Prehospital care providers often encounter agitated and violent
patients. To ensure patient and provider safety and to facilitate
thorough medical examination and care, these individuals require
restraint.

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  NEW!!!   NEW!!!   Management Matters     NEW!!!   NEW!!!
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>> For Managers: Power Up for the Net Generation — by John
Becknell
The new generation entering the EMS work force has been dubbed
the Net Generation, or N Gens for short. You may have already
hired one, or seen an N Gen fly by on a skateboard and wondered
how he keeps up those low-rider pants. EMS managers have always
hired bright, new talent to replace employees who depart or
retire. The difference today is that the N Gens are the first
generation to come of age in the Digital Era, and because of
that, they will challenge all your old management assumptions.

>> For Administrators: How Did You Do in 2000? Take Our Test — by
John Becknell
The Year 2000 is now history. How did your EMS organization do?
What were your big accomplishments? Where did you excel? What
were the hard-knock lessons of the year? Every EMS manager faces
the challenge of gathering enough useful information to guide his
or her decisions in the New Year. Do you need to spend more time
on human resources, financial planning, or community relations?
Could the quality of your customer service stand some
improvement?

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Medic Life
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>>  STRAIGHT TALK: "I Don't Wanna...!" — by Kate Dernocoeur
"I don't wanna...!" It's a common refrain. We hear it all the
time. And what is it, exactly, that people don't want to do?
Children are legendary: "I don't wanna go to bed!" Or take a
bath. Or come inside. But "grown-ups" (interesting term, in the
context) find plenty they don't want to do.

>> In Their Own Words: Please Don't Die! — by Mona Vanek
Refusing to believe the unbelievable, Tex made wrong decisions,
wasting the "Golden Hour" — that crucial first hour following the
onset of heart failure. In those 60 minutes that can make the
difference between living and dying there isn't time for denial,
no matter how close the hospital is....

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Educators Corner
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>> Weird Science — by John Mateus
Pondering through the Consensus on Science book for the new CPR
guidelines, I was flabbergasted to see the various changes to the
resuscitation procedures that the American Heart Association was
recommending. As I thumbed through the book, I thought to myself,
"Hey, who changed the truth on me?"

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Columns
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>> Law Bytes: Mother, Are You Listening? Reducing Red Light
Liability — by Doug Wolfberg
At some point in your EMS career, hopefully you have been
instructed on the four basic elements of negligence. These
elements (duty, breach, causation, and damages) apply whether
judging the conduct of an EMT, paramedic, nurse, physician, or
other health care provider in rendering professional services.
These elements apply whether a provider is being sued for medical
negligence (i.e., malpractice) or negligence in the operation of
equipment or driving of an emergency vehicle. It is this last
example, emergency vehicle driving, that I will explore in this
month's column.

>> Infection Control Today — by Karen Thurlow
Is It a Cold or the Flu?
Ever notice how everyone calls everything the "flu"? How do you
tell the difference between the common cold and influenza? Runny
noses, temperatures, body aches, scratchy throats, cramps,
diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting are just a few of the symptoms
that are often reported during winter months. As EMS workers, we
will encounter many patients with these symptoms.

More online!

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MERGINET.NEWS Online!
Click here: http://www.MERGINET.com/index-news.htm

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education and fun to the all in EMS, Fire, Rescue and Emergency
Medicine. Updated daily.
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