Saturday March 22 8:30am to 10:00am
Front Line Insights: Lessons from the Trump Rally in Butler, PA-- EMA & EMS Preparation, Response, and Challenges
Dr. Sharon Klapec
Richard Lippert
Robert McLafferty
Megan Lenz
Nico Soler
1.5 Clinical Patient Care Con-Ed
This presentation offers a comprehensive overview of the emergency management and EMS response to the Trump Rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Attendees will gain an inside look at the incident's timeline, from initial risk assessment and resource allocation to the emergency response and post-event support. We'll delve into the critical roles played by various agencies, including local EMS, fire departments, Butler Memorial Hospital, State Assets, and the Healthcare Coalition in managing over 250 patient contacts. Key topics include the challenges faced during the rally, such as resource shortages, the rapid deployment of assets due to heat-related incidents, and the importance of pre-established relationships among responders. The presentation will also highlight the aftermath, including CISM for responders. Through first-hand accounts and interviews, we'll identify lessons learned to improve future emergency responses and community preparedness. This session will underscore the resilience and character of those on the front lines, reflecting on Zig Ziglar's quote: "Circumstances don't create character. They reveal character." This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Civil unrest situations can provide a unique dynamic for crews who are responding to them. While many of these scenarios can be peaceful, others can be particularly violent. Responders should be able to identify these incidents with good situational awareness and assessment. Topics to be covered this presentation include an overview of varying civil unrest situations, groups involved in these scenarios, devices used to distract and disrupt, considerations for response, training and much more. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
When you're on the front lines, it's not just the adrenaline rush that can be contagious--infectious diseases like TB, HIV, West Nile, and even Ebola can spread quickly if not recognized and handled properly. This presentation will inoculate you with the essentials for spotting these diseases, taking the right precautions, and staying safe. From PPE to patient care tips, we'll cover what you need to know to keep yourself, your team, and your patients healthy. After all, when it comes to infectious diseases, it's better to catch the signs early! This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has emerged as a transformative approach in the management of acute and chronic respiratory failure. By delivering positive pressure to the airways without the need for endotracheal intubation, NIV offers several advantages including reduced risk of complications, improved patient comfort, and shortened hospital stays. This presentation reviews the principles, indications, and clinical applications of NIV, with a focus on its impact on patient outcomes in various capacities. Key modalities, including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP), and now more recently, average volume-assured pressure support (AVAPs), are explored in terms of their mechanisms, benefits, and limitations. This presentation also highlights recent advancements and emerging technologies in NIV, emphasizing the importance of individualized patient assessment and management strategies. It will also briefly discuss NIV failure with transition to mechanical ventilation as well as NIV as a preoxygenation strategy. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
As professional responders we are trained to respond to many different types of medical emergencies. We know the importance of high-quality CPR and early defibrillation. But what about the scenario where a family member suffers a medical emergency, the professional responders are friends, you frequently interact professionally with the hospital team now caring for your family member, your coworkers are now assisting in the care continuum. How does that look? How does that feel? How do you respond? With sharing the Pollock family story, we hope to address some of these issues from an insider's viewpoint. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Most EMS patients can be expertly cared for in the ambulance. There are a small number of ill patients whose care cannot wait until they are extricated to the ambulance. Protocol 3000 specifically addresses these patients. The protocol was developed because there were several cases of cardiac arrests that occurred while the patient was in the care of the EMS clinicians. Little, if any care was performed before transferring the patient to the ambulance. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
From Dominique Larrey's "flying ambulances" of the eighteenth century to today's cutting-edge resuscitation techniques, prehospital care of the sick and wounded has evolved tremendously. This session will tell the story of the evolution of EMS, including key events and pioneers who have shaped the way we provide prehospital care today, at times despite great odds. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Would you recognize a patient with an aortic dissection? How would you assess a patient suspected of having an aortic dissection? Are these patients straightforward? Using a case-based format, we will explore the life-threatening pathology of aortic dissection and better prepare you to recognize this deadly disease. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
In this session we will explore the role that vital signs play in diagnostic workups, what they can tell us about patient conditions, and why they are important in guiding patient care. We will look at a few cases where borderline vitals hint at serious underlying pathology. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among individuals over 65, with the risk significantly heightened by certain medications and drug interactions from multiple concurrent prescriptions. This issue is further complicated by current prescribing practices. This presentation will emphasize the importance of identifying medications that increase fall risk during patient assessments. It will examine the most commonly prescribed drug classes, their potential adverse effects--particularly those linked to falls--and evidence-based strategies for managing these risks, such as using medication review tools. Additionally, this presentation will highlight the crucial role that clear, effective communication during the transfer of care plays in ensuring continuity of treatment and improving patient outcomes. Despite the importance of this issue, it remains underrepresented in EMS education, making it a vital area for enhanced training and focus. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Exploring the details about hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia and evidence-based treatments. Also, is it safe to not transport? This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Inspired by a case report done by several familiar AHN Physicians, as well as a growing divide in knowhow between providers, a multi-county case study review and provider knowledge inventory was conducted and this presentation idea was born. Using their best tips and niftiest "MacGyver medicine" tricks, a group of AHN prehospital providers and EMS physicians will run through their favorite methods for providing optimal treatment to some of the most difficult or unusual prehospital emergencies you might encounter, accessible to all experience levels and applicable to a variety of job types. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Traumatic cardiac arrests have historically had poor survival rates. We will discuss established guidelines for patient survivability and updates for best practices in the field. When it comes to choosing when and how to act, how can we do better? This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Basic Life Support (BLS) providers are often faced with critical decisions that carry significant legal and ethical implications. This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of the legal responsibilities BLS providers must be aware of, including scope of practice, standards of care, and the duty to act. It will also explore key laws that protect providers, such as Good Samaritan laws, which offer legal immunity to those rendering aid in emergencies, while outlining their limitations. Additionally, this session will cover the concept of patient consent, including informed and implied consent, and the criteria for determining a patient's capacity to refuse care. Special emphasis will be placed on handling refusal of care situations, discussing the importance of proper documentation and communication when a patient declines treatment. The ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice will be discussed, offering guidance on how to navigate difficult scenarios where patient rights may conflict with the provider's duty to save lives. Through real-life case studies, participants will gain practical insights into balancing legal compliance with ethical considerations, ensuring that they deliver care that protects both the patient and the provider. By the end, attendees will be equipped to make sound, informed decisions in challenging situations. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Do you know what neurodiversity is and how it impacts clinical care? Approximately 15 to 20 percent of the global population is considered neurodiverse. These individuals have a range variation of how they process information, perceive the world around them, and communicate with others. EMS providers need to be aware of these nuances to keep their neurodiverse patients as comfortable as possible in a potentially chaotic or unfamiliar interaction. Supporting the special needs of these individuals can help optimize care in the neurodiverse patient. During this lecture we will define neurodiversity, classify the range of special needs for neurodiverse patients, and discover techniques to optimize assessment and care of these patients. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
A person presents to the treatment room at the concert you're working at saying they have shortness of breath, "coughing up a lot of stuff," nausea, and they think they may have pooped a little. This all started 10 minutes ago. You think, "Huh, this really doesn't sound like the normal drunk patients we deal with..." You start treatment and transport to the hospital for them when another five people come in with similar problems. What is happening here and what will you do? Come learn about some nasty toxins that can really put a damper on anyone's good time, or farm time. We'll cover when to think about these toxins, how they work, and how you can save lives. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
The goal of this lecture is that the student will leave being able to identify and manage a compromised airway using basic life support modalities, and how to assist the advanced life support provider. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
There has been a significant rise in the number of states that allow for legal cannabis use. As of 2024, roughly 38 states allow for medical cannabis use, while 18 states allow for recreational cannabis use. With the modern advancements in medicine there have been identified safe and therapeutic indications for cannabis. With the continual growing use of cannabis, EMS providers will likely encounter more cannabis-related incidents than ever before. It is imperative that EMS providers understand the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and medicolegal considerations related to cannabis use. This presentation will review these important aspects as well as review a couple of case presentations related to cannabis related illnesses. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.
Bad things happen to good dogs. K9 officers routinely put themselves in harm's way while enforcing the law, and sometimes become casualties in the line of duty. In this talk, we will discuss how EMS can take the skills we already know and translate it to provide the same high quality prehospital care to police dogs. We will learn how to manage injuries and illness affecting K9s including airway management, IV access, bleeding control, and resuscitation using equipment and medications we already have in our vehicles. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels. This session is appropriate for all EMS levels.