The distant wail of ambulance sirens is an unremarkable phenomenon in most big cities, but the assistance they provide is anything but routine. A critical medical situation can happen at any hour, and citizens rely on emergency medical technicians for on-site treatment and transport to a hospital. The trained workers who make this possible save multiple lives each year, and reflect a growing need for advanced practice paramedic services.
Not long ago there were few mobile teams available to deal with remote emergencies. As late as the 1960s, only a few states had even established written standards detailing this type of care, and before digital technology many ambulances did not even have mobile radio links. Personnel received standard Red Cross certification, but most had very little actual formal medical instruction.
That was an era when car crash fatalities were more numerous than battlefield casualties, making the need for advanced mobile field medical specialists obvious. Funding was begun during the seventies, leading to the current network structure existing today. The goal was formally described as being a rapid response to any medical crisis, providing care while at the scene, and during any necessary ambulance transport.
Modern services usually include two categories of emergency workers. The most common are EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), who perform all basic duties, but are considered entry level positions. Even so, their formal training is extensive and comprehensive, specifically designed for those first to arrive on scene. These technicians are allowed to treat patients for basic problems, but cannot administer shots.
Administering medication via needle is one of those restrictions, and must be performed by a paramedic. Paramedics are not considered doctors, but do receive additional instruction in anatomy, physiology, and cardiology, as well as keeping current on the latest methods of resuscitating and sustaining heart attack victims. They know how to clear air pathways, inject drugs, and connect intravenous solutions.
The current emergency system is light years ahead of the old, but is still retains the same structure. There is a genuine need for another level of expertise in the field, and extending the training and capabilities of paramedics is considered a logical next step. The concept was actually conceived many years ago, but was dropped for various reasons, including political and hierarchical concerns.
This additional level of training actually helps prevent emergencies. Besides performing standard crisis work, these paramedics are also able to more readily make home visits that involve patient education and monitoring, helping to control serious conditions that often lead to a crisis, such as asthma, diabetes, or heart failure. This not only helps prevent emergencies from developing, but also frees personnel to treat other life-threatening occurrences.
This next-level training provides a critical missing link in medical services, and it also creates a much-needed career path for paramedics. Many leave emergency services for non-field hospital work because there is no way progress further in that particular arena. Advanced training not only improves the state of current emergency field medicine, but it also helps to retain the best and brightest workers.
Not long ago there were few mobile teams available to deal with remote emergencies. As late as the 1960s, only a few states had even established written standards detailing this type of care, and before digital technology many ambulances did not even have mobile radio links. Personnel received standard Red Cross certification, but most had very little actual formal medical instruction.
That was an era when car crash fatalities were more numerous than battlefield casualties, making the need for advanced mobile field medical specialists obvious. Funding was begun during the seventies, leading to the current network structure existing today. The goal was formally described as being a rapid response to any medical crisis, providing care while at the scene, and during any necessary ambulance transport.
Modern services usually include two categories of emergency workers. The most common are EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), who perform all basic duties, but are considered entry level positions. Even so, their formal training is extensive and comprehensive, specifically designed for those first to arrive on scene. These technicians are allowed to treat patients for basic problems, but cannot administer shots.
Administering medication via needle is one of those restrictions, and must be performed by a paramedic. Paramedics are not considered doctors, but do receive additional instruction in anatomy, physiology, and cardiology, as well as keeping current on the latest methods of resuscitating and sustaining heart attack victims. They know how to clear air pathways, inject drugs, and connect intravenous solutions.
The current emergency system is light years ahead of the old, but is still retains the same structure. There is a genuine need for another level of expertise in the field, and extending the training and capabilities of paramedics is considered a logical next step. The concept was actually conceived many years ago, but was dropped for various reasons, including political and hierarchical concerns.
This additional level of training actually helps prevent emergencies. Besides performing standard crisis work, these paramedics are also able to more readily make home visits that involve patient education and monitoring, helping to control serious conditions that often lead to a crisis, such as asthma, diabetes, or heart failure. This not only helps prevent emergencies from developing, but also frees personnel to treat other life-threatening occurrences.
This next-level training provides a critical missing link in medical services, and it also creates a much-needed career path for paramedics. Many leave emergency services for non-field hospital work because there is no way progress further in that particular arena. Advanced training not only improves the state of current emergency field medicine, but it also helps to retain the best and brightest workers.
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