MERGINET.News announces the February 3, 2001, issue

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

We're pleased to bring you the latest additions to
MERGINET.News (Vol. 6, No. 2). 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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In the latest issue, you can read a fascinating report of
hypothermia recovery from a core temperature of 58 degrees, by
Syd Canan. There’s a book you might want to get your emergency
lovin’ honey for Valentine’s Day, reviewed by Laura
Bennett-Kimble. Regular author Liz Criss is back, talking about
“drunks.” And read about the Fallen Firefighter web site, where
advice on how to prepare for and handle line-of-duty deaths and
injuries is available.

Details about the incident that led to a French fireman losing
his hand in riots with police are among the international news
items in “No Borders.” In “The Sharps Container,” as always, are
eye-opening bits of information about what’s happening in the
U.S. Your MERGINET.News columnists have provided us again with
relevant, informational, and humorous thoughts -- go see!

Please feel welcome to send your comments, concerns, and
compliments. We reply to everyone who writes. Send email to
publisher Richard Bilger at mailto:rbilger@merginet.com or me at
mailto:kate@merginet.com -- be in touch!

Welcome to February 2001!
Your editor, Kate Dernocoeur
mailto:kate@merginet.com

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New in this issue!

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Features
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>> Case Study: "Just a Drunk"
by Liz Criss
If there's a phrase that makes you embarrassed to be an EMS
professional, it should be "it's just a drunk." This
stereotypical statement causes poor assessments and even poorer
judgment when it comes to determining necessary treatment. We
never say, "it's just an MVA" or "it's just a diabetic" and then
fail to assess or treat accordingly. If you think an individual
suffering from an alcohol overdose, either acute or chronic,
doesn't need a thorough and appropriate treatment, you just might
be dead wrong.

>> Killer Cold
by Syd Canan
When it comes to victims of cold injury, the old adage, "they
aren't dead 'til they're warm and dead" rang particularly true in
an amazing hypothermia recovery story reported in Lancet (January
29, 2000). It is a good reminder that emergency personnel must
never make assumptions about what it can take to survive!

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Medic Life
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>>   In Her Own Words: Can Your Department Catch a Fallen
Worker? — by Wendy Norris
During my career as a firefighter/EMT, I faced the death of other
individuals on a consistent basis. I watched helplessly as some
of my patients died from traumatic injuries or severe illness.
Yet, I was able to pick up and move on to the next run without
thinking twice, as emergency workers are trained to do.

>> Book Review: The Heart Behind the Hero — by Laura
Bennett-Kimble
As its cover states, this book is a "heartwarming and
inspirational collection of true firefighter and paramedic
stories from across America." After reading just a few pages,
you'll be thinking, "Gift book!" because, truly, this would be an
ideal gift for a newly certified or current emergency rescuer.

>> RUNNIN' RED: EMS Turnovers at Super Bowl XXXV — by Vic & Vern
Hey Gang — Vic & Vern here. For those of you who watched the
Super Bowl this year but did not know to tune in to our VHS radio
simulcast of our commentary of the behind the scenes medical
care, we thought we'd provide you with the transcripts of the
performance.

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Educators Corner
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>> Susan's Poem — by Valerie DeFrance
"Let me tell you a little bit about this first. Jennifer is my
middle daughter and an EMT-I. We volunteer for the same service.
She is also a new mother of six months. We have been together in
EMS for three years. This untitled poem was written to me this
Christmas. It was in my present when I opened it. The tears I
shed were real, as I never knew she felt this way."

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Columns
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>> Studying a Study: A Scientific Look at Mental and Emotional
Health in Scottish EMS Workers
by Harold Cohen
The physical and emotional welfare of our EMS workforce has been
a subject of intense discussion for several years. Issues of
"burnout," critical incident stress, and post-traumatic stress
disorders have been the subject of lectures, seminars, and
intense training programs. As popular as these topics are,
psychiatric, psychological, and social workers often chastise
research efforts as lacking scientific rigor and failing to
achieve publication status in peer-reviewed journals.


>> Book Review: Getting Employees to Fall in Love with Your
Company — by Mike Taigman
Someone stopped me in the hall at last year's EMS Today
conference and said, "The business section in my bookstore is
overflowing with new titles, how on earth do you choose which
ones you'll buy and write about?"

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Management Matters
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>> For Operations: Response Times: How Much Do You Know? — by
John Becknell
Response times continue to be the most examined measure of an EMS
system's operational performance. No matter what size a system
is, response times continue to be the one thing your customers,
bosses, colleagues, and lawyers will view as a marker of quality.
Following are four important questions every manager should ask.

>> BOSS Is a Four-Letter Word — by Mike Grill
Fire and EMS agencies find themselves in an environment awhirl
with change. New regulations pertaining to reimbursement,
technological advances related to clinical care, and
re-engineered curriculum specific to provider capabilities are
just a few examples.

More online!

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MERGINET.NEWS Online!
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MERGINET is a service designed to provide resources, news,
education and fun to the all in EMS, Fire, Rescue and Emergency
Medicine. Updated daily.
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