Special Guest GEOFF MURPHY of Master Your Medics fame joins the guys for a trip around the game board as a Canadian crew navigate the harsh realities of the unknown reasons someone could be altered... with a STEMI. Maybe.
EMS 20/20
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EMS 20/20 is podcast hosted by two experienced Paramedics. Spencer Oliver and Christopher Pfingsten discuss real calls run by real responders and pull out the lessons you won't find in a text book. This podcast is aimed at Paramedic students, seasoned Paramedics looking to refresh, or any one interested in a deeper dive into pre-hospital health care.
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Chris finds the effects button on the mixer as Spencer relays a call that shows everything that can go wrong when systemic, cultural apathy sets in deep in a system.
Chris has his worst luck yet, as he finds an altered patient, and angry wife, and absolutely no help. How does he do? Vote on our IG! @ems2020show!
A rapidly swelling tongue and plummeting saturations point a crew into EXACTLY the... wrong? Direction? Can you figure it out before the guys do? Let us know!
TODAY IS AWESOME! For the first time ever, neither of us are in the hotseat! Instead, the crew from The RideAlong EMT School Podcast join us in an epic collab event! How does a pair of newly minted EMT's and an experienced Paramedic do against the madness that besets them? And no, we don't go easy on them...
The guys welcome Special Guest Dr. Mike Lauria to the show! A crew attends a patient that is perfectly alive, but does NOT stay that way! Can this crew get in sync with what the patient needs, or do they head down a spiral of doom? And can Spencer and Lauria STOP adding movie references?
To the whole STRANGER LUNGS episode, head over ems2020.com and get signed up for the EMS 2020 CE platform!
Spencer is given a call that has everything from boats to mystery homemade sunscreen... how does he do? Check out our IG at @ems2020show and vote today!
The guys review a call that has blood coming from... somewhere in the mouth. Maybe. Maybe deeper. But there's a lot! Enough to cause some shock? Maaayyyybbeeeee....
Chris gets a call that he... isn't the most proud of. But Spencer feels he did OK+ ! What do you think? Vote now on Instagram!
A pediatric airway/neuro/ewww call! Can Chris and Spencer get this figured out? An error occurs... does the agency step up and future proof themselves? Or do they fall to the old ways of the past?
Spencer is in the hotseat and for the life of him (or his pretend patient) him simply cannot get a good role. Did he do a good job, or will you score him lower than the dice did?
The guys handle a code that gets maybe too handled? Or not handled enough? When does a POLST form count? Listen and find out!
Spencer causes Chris to bounce off the walls by giving him a pediatric trauma patient with a clueless dad! How does he manage? Vote now!
The guys take a stab (lol) at a very chaotic scene that involves AT LEAST one stabbing... and little to know scene safety. Just how bad can a stand by go? Listen and find out?
Chris gives Spencer the greatest challenge of all: a distracted Supervisor as a partner. Can Spencer redirect a partner who clearly has more important things to do? Or will he lose his famous cool?
In a gunslinging adventure, the bullets may not be the biggest problem that comes from today's episode. Did we give up before we even got started? Listen and find out!
Chris is given a scenario with a stubborn patient and… a stubborn ambulance Paramedic? Spencer puts Chris on the fire engine this time around, let’s see if he burns! Vote!
How do you convince an unaltered but still kind of altered patient to go to the hospital? Especially when they claim they are being tormented by random people who are stealing their sandwich fixings? Listen and find out!
In a traumatic twist, Spencer finds himself planning to extricate a patient from... a tree? Does he make the right call? Can he remove this patient from a STICKy situation? Vote now on Instagram!
The guys put themselves in the shoes of a crew that enters a chaotic and potentially dangerous scene. So come on down and meet some friends of mine as Special Guest Dave Horowitz, author of Medic - A Diary, joins the guys in this harrowing tale.
Chris digs deep on a patient assessment and also on the structural integrity of the building he's in. Will he do a commendable job, or will his plans... fall through?
Holy wow is this episode... wild. Every calamity that can occur, will occur, especially if you are unprepared. It's almost as though being unprepared invites a swinging paint can to the face. How does today's crew handle a heat related call? Or is it an MI... or is it respiratory?
Can Spencer manage some absolutely wrecked lungs? Or will he drown in the salty sea? Vote and let us know what you think! @ems2020show on Instagram!
Dr. Ryan Feldman from The Poison Lab joins us again to talk about a patient that took... all of it. Like all of it. All gone. Can she be saved?
Chris is in the hotseat as Spencer gives him a chest pain call... that is interrupted by an MVA... that is interrupted by a pregnancy call... that is interrupted by a seizure call...
The guys fumble through an interesting call with many odd findings... including a high-end hotel that is well prepared for the arrival of EMS. Can this all BLS crew come to the right conclusion?
Today Chris takes aim at Spencer with a call that is all about scene management and lotsa blood! Does Spencer hit the bullseye? Vote on our Instagram!
The guys follow a crew that is mired with questionable choices and potentially a lack in leadership? Should this call have ever been ran? Will the mighty bald eagle weep for this patient? Listen and find out!
On today's special edition, Chris is put in the hotseat by Spencer on an altered LOC patient with a significant language barrier. Can Chris translate this difficult call into a success? Vote now on Instagram!
Special guest Patrick Pianezza, the writer of CODE 3 (streaming now on Apple and Amazon) joins the guys on a pediatric case with ever so helpful 'nurse' bystander. Do the guys sort things out and figure out what's what (and importantly, whose who)? Listen and find out!
Spencer brings a call riddled with stumbles from both the patient and a seasoned Paramedic. Does this field training need some training of their own? Listen and find out!
Spencer finds himself in the hot seat on a hot day in a hot field with unresponsive patient. What could be the problem? Or problems? Does Chris make things harder? Of course he does. VOTE now!
A crew runs a call with an altered patient. Could it be a rare endocrine disorder? Hypotension? Hypoglycemia? Bad cyberware? Find out on this week's episode!
Chris is in the hotseat as he does a call hungry, making each roll harder and each success a little more out of reach. Are his efforts a super sized success, or does his clinical skill belong on the dollar menu? Vote now!
RAINN WILSON joins Chris and Spencer (no, really) as they discuss a methamphetamine marathon runner who gets brought up to medium rare. Can an EMT push against the tide to get the right thing done? Can Chris expand his vocabulary? Check out CODE 3 starring RAINN WILSON in select theaters NOW!
Spencer is in the hot seat, but this time he has the help of Jerry the helpful RN at the local nursing facility / rehab / pit of despair! How does he do? Visit our Instagram to find out!
When a code 99 comes in for a frequent flyer, a crew finds themself in a classic case of "there's more than meets the eye". Do they follow the yellow brick road to get their questions answered? Click your rube red slippers three times and be transported away to a land of not quite death but maybe some destruction.
Chris is in the hotseat and immediately starts over thinking a call involving a possible stroke... or UTI... or hypoglycemia... or alcohol? Check out @ems2020show in Instagram and vote on his performance!
What does Carhart pants, Fireball Whiskey, weed, and an allergy to authority have in common? They're all in this episode! Follow the Paramedic of Darkness into the fray as we sort out and angry MVA patient that has more issues than they realize.
Spencer is in the hotseat trying to fix all the problems with a severe trauma patient. Also, Chris cannot count. Vote on Instagram now!
Hands down, this is the weirdest episode. So many twists and turns. Chris rants about TXA again (start the emails), Spencer gets weird about barnyard animals, and a goat is suspect for attempted murder. Maybe.
Chris is in the hot seat! Spencer pulls out a rare but immediately life threatening disorder that threatens to crush Chris under the weight of airway management. Does Chris prevail? VOTE NOW ON INSTAGRAM! @ems2020show
An interfacility call that seems like your basic, everyday call... until it isn't. A patient goes from walking and talking to huffing and puffing to gasping and... dying?
Spencer is given a 'kitchen sink' type call as Chris leaves him looking around every corner to see if he can walk down Holland road. Does Spencer eek out a 2, or is he leaving you waiting for more? Vote on IG!
Hey wait... that's not Oxygen! Call an emergency meeting! Does the crew in this week's episode get to the bottom of the problem BEFORE it's too late? Listen and find out on this OD turned CO!
Spencer attempts to trip Chris up with a chaotic flight call! An IFT where a small hospital is struggling to keep up with a severe trauma patient's needs. Is Chris the missing ingredient that ties the whole dish together, or does he completely ruin the flavor profile? VOTE ON INSTAGRAM!
A team of responders enter a scene made safe(ish) by PD to find a very unhappy gunshot victim. Are they able to calm his rage and treat appropriately? Listen and find out!
Time's up! Over! BLAU? Spencer is in the hot seat as an unconscious unresponsive patient is presented to him. Does he choke? Does he handle it with grace? Let us know and vote on our IG! @ems2020show
The guys analyze a crew that walks into self-imposed traps. Do they figure it out before it's too late, or do they find themselves at the bottom of a hidden pit? Listen and find out!
Spencer rolls the dice for Chris as he presents him with one grumpy customer... can Chris get through the interpersonal obstacles or will he fall flat on his face? Vote on our Instagram!
Is it an overdose? Is it trauma? Is it... something else entirely unhinged? Yes. Listen and find out what the guys have to deal with in today's exciting and surprising episode!
Chris gives Spencer a maze with no end... or a maze with too many endings? Can Spencer pull his patient out of jeopardy and save the day? Or will he miss a vital intervention that leads to a dead end?
Is this EKG even for the right patient? A wild call with everything from pediatric to... significant OLMC considerations causes the guys to call in some backup... this time in the form of Dr. Michael Lauria! Can the team find some useful lessons with a little help? Listen and find out!
Chris is given the mother of all scenarios where a pediatric patients takes... well, all the medications. PLUS! We introduce the coveted DICE ROLL to spice things up! Just because Chris asks for it doesn't mean he'll get it! Luck of the draw is at play in this week's episode. VOTE ON INSTAGRAM!
A discharge home for a patient is difficult for all the wrong reasons. Chris... defends the bad guy? Nuance is key as Chris and Spence discuss the wrong time and place in this week's episode.
SPENCER is back in the hotseat! Is it trauma? Is it childbirth? Is it both? Is it a code? Vote now on our Instagram and let Spencer know how you feel!
Is this a case of a LETHAL distracting injury? Can there ever be such a thing? Is an amped up responder with a "just-go" mentality in the right? Listen and find out!
Chris is in the hotseat and his patient is in respiratory distress and making alllll the sounds. How does Chris hold up to this onslaught of respiratory trouble? Vote on our Instagram at @ems2020podcast!
Chest pain? Check. Sus ECG? Check. STEMI? Not check. A very tired Chris and a nerded out Spencer (12-leads... go figure) give MAXIMUM effort in today's call with a curious conclusion.
Can Spencer handle the heat? Or really... can his patient? How does Spencer do when faced with a "tough" frat bro who has a fever that just won't quit? Vote now on our Instagram!
...of bodily fluid. The guys set sail on an adventure to see what they can find on a particularly... sticky... call. Also... IT ENDS WITH A SONG!
Spencer puts Chris in the hotseat with an... anxiety call? Does Chris wind up being a big rockstar or will he never make it as a wise man? Check out @ems2020show on Instagram and VOTE!
Oh no... apathy strikes again in this week's episode as two cars attempt to occupy the same space in traffic. An ALS fly car responds to sort out the chaos... do they achieve this goal? Listen and find out!
Spencer winds his mind around a call where a patient is heroically pulled from a fire! But they are, unfortunately, lacking a pulse. How does Spencer stack up? Check our IG to vote!
Chris and Spence try and figure out what's real and what's not on a call where an altered man wounds up getting taken to the way wrong place. The result? Not good. Not good at all.
Spencer fires off a devious pediatric call where Chris is forced to weight something versus nothing! Vote on Chris' performance on Instagram!
**WARNING this episode deals with the topic of suicide** Clinical Toxicologist and host of The Poison Lab Dr. Ryan Feldman is BACK! The thruple review a call where the patient intentionally ingests Sodium Nitrate and an EMS crew struggles to keep up with the patients rapid decline. What, if anything, can they do? Listen and find out!
The Special Editions are back! We kick it off with an absolute doozy of a breathing problem and lungs that are so... clear? Listen and see if Spencer suffocates or if his performance is a breath of fresh air.
Attention Players: A crew heads to a traffic accident with multiple patients and is assigned to care for a 3.517892 year old child with a leg injury... or ARE THEY?
The guys get so emo when an outpatient clinic panics and... helps? Is this a case of a sick patient or patient made sick? Listen and find out!
In a bid to clench the win, Chris navigates a chest pain call from the Master Your Medics 100 Patient Scenarios Book! Can he put up a strong enough performance and force Spencer to enjoy Dutch Bros? Or will he be dining on Salmon Bisque? VOTE ON INSTAGRAM! THEIR FATES ARE IN YOUR HANDS!
A trauma call with a complicated patient and a ship that desperately needs a captain. Does the crew get it together or is it the end of the world as we know it?
WE FINALLY KNOW THE PUNISHMENT FOR THE LOSER! Also, Spencer is given a complex stroke call that needs an airway! Does he recognize it? Does he act appropriately? Let us know how you think he did below!
A car split hot dog style... a medic that is rude and disengaged... a massive med error... what isn't there to love about this week's episode?! Tune and find out just how wild things get in this week's episode!
Join Chris, Spencer AND SPECIAL GUEST **ERIC BAUER** as the team sift through a transfer that has all the bells and whistles: an intubation, a med error, a crew conflict... this one has it all!
Spencer and Chris dive into an ALOC call that was perhaps inappropriately placed into the hands of an AEMT. Is this a case of call turfing, or a misguided educational opportunity? Listen and find out!
We're back for another Master Your Medics Special Edition! Spencer tosses Chris a hot hot potato and Chris... well Chris tries. Does he need a thermometer or a calculator? Find out!
Which is the best food product to cover a burn patient in? Spoiler: none. Join the guys as we learn from burn unit RN Erin Horrax that math sucks, patient advocacy is great, and pain meds are pretty darn cool too.
First rule about EMS 20/20... talk about it, constantly. Second rule... judge Spencer on our Instagram! Does he nail this code 99 call? Does he leave a lot to be desired? Check out the poll on IG @ems2020show!
Spence, Chris, and the host of Nine One One Nonsense SAMANTHA BRAWLEY take on a critical care transport that was cold from the get go. The fish truly rots from the head as a doctor sends a patient on the wrong medication and leaves a crew with no alternatives...
In this weeks MASTER YOUR MEDICS SPECIAL EDITION, Spencer throws Chris a call that requires both clinical prowess and bedside expertise as Spencer hopes to even the odds. VOTE ON OUR INSTA!
Let's go to the mall... today! ASHLYNN O'DELL joins the guys once again to go through everyone's favorite call: an uncomplicated refusal with absolutely nothing worry about whatsoever...
CHECK OUT OUR INSTA AND VOTE! Spencer is dealt a HARD airway call by a cruel Chris! Listen and see how he does and vote to let us know how you feel!!
Spencer brings a call that is totally just anxiety. Honestly, no need to listen to the episode this week, nothing is wrong with the patient. Not at all. Move along. Sign this Refusal to Listen. Maybe have a friend listen if you really think you need it.
As payback, Spencer gives Chris a pediatric airway call. Will Chris choke? Head to @ems2020show on Instagram and vote for Chris' score!
The SpO2 climbs while the patient declines? What?! A fed up patient and Paramedic who, if they only could, would swap places with just about anyone on this week's call!
In today's Master Your Medics Special, Chris throws Spencer a pediatric breathing difficulty to see if he pulls ahead or falls behind in the currently 1-1 match between the the hosts!
Is less more? Is more less? When a patient's mental baseline is uncertain, how much EMS is too much EMS? Listen and find out to see if the guys can right the speeding bus before thing blow up!
Master Your Medics has sponsored today's episode where Spencer tests Chris with an altered LOC call. Does Chris get the shakes or does he tie up the score?
Wow. Spencer tries to outright murder Chris with a litany of system issues and leaving equipment behind as a Paramedic gets assaulted and an EMT gets abandoned. Listen now and see if Chris survives this week's episode!
For the first time ever, Chris and Spencer will be squaring off to see who can pass the test the best as the guys test one another using the 100 Patient Scenarios book by Master Your Medics! In this episode, Chris serves up a trauma call to see if Spencer can manage. Check out the masteryourmedics.com bookstore and get a copy of the 100 Patient Scenarios Book today!
Chris becomes numb to crews leaving kits out in the rig... but no worries! His senses are revitalized as apathy encroaches upon an unsuspecting intern and things go from bad to worse to bullshit! Let's see what the guys think in this week's episode!
What happens when you have talented medics at a standby event... with no operation plan? Frustration and a little hilarity is what happens, and Spencer and Chris are here again to break it all down. PLUS! Are we going back to weekly content??? Maybe...
Can you fall from a bridge onto a steel barge and survive? Maybe. Chris and Spence go on an adventure where vehicles are commandeered and daring rescues are made in one of the most atypical calls we've had in quite some time!
EMS can be dangerous. Though incidents that truly threaten the lives of responding crews are not common, his leadership responds and supports those on the front lines matters.
Chris and Spencer need a little help from an expert. Enter Dr. Ryan Feldman, Clinical Toxicologist and host of The Poison Lab Podcast! A patient takes everything they can get their hands on, but of all the pills... which one is the worst? Find out on this weeks episode!
"Stop shocking me!!" Is the quote of the day when listening to this episode! Spencer and Chris delve into a fall patient then ends up being just a little bit more than a band-aid. Can the crew follow the instructions and build a great call out of loose parts?
N is for neuro symptoms, S is for stroke, and U is for uncaring agency that needs a reality check. What do you do when a responding agency is responding angrily? Listen and find out!
So what do you do when the nearest "appropriate" hospital is actually the lair of the Shredder? Do you pass it up or go by the book? Listen to this week's episode and see if the Turtles go rogue or following the teachings of Master Splinter.
When is it ever really as easy at it seems? Take a helluva dive with the guys as they figure out what was missed as a vaping patient complains about their arm.
Well now here's a fun one: what happens when a fall patient who just needs a hand up suddenly becomes an altered patient? Find out in this week's totally copyright infringement free episode!
Does this weeks crew get conned into using air for their cardiac patient? Spencer and Chris talk nitro, 90's movies, and Nicholas Cage in this weeks clip filled episode!
Each and everyone of Chris' triggers are pulled in this harrowing tale of herding cats. A severely injured/ejected patient is treated by a severely injured system... and the result is... not great.
Everyone's favorite call type is front and center as an expecting mother does what expecting mothers do. Listen as Chris makes terrible guesses at this episodes theme... but also be sure to listen to our SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
Does a crew let the dispatch information lead them astray? Are they able to see through the smoke screen of a convoluted history? Listen and find out if being sick for two days means you won't see a third!
Sometimes illusions of trauma can get the better of us. Spencer and Chris see if the crew in today's episode is fooled by sleight of... car, or if they manage to see past the tricks and get to the bottom of the magic hat.
It's just a code one leg pain... how hard could it be? Spencer and Chris find out in today's episode as the guys examine easy errors with difficult consequences!
Chris and Spence review a call that goes clinically... fine. But what happens when the patient suddenly doesn't like the direction the call is going? And what happens when a doctor is.... WRONG?!
The guys review a nutty situation where a responder is sandwiched between a DNR and a very serious diagnosis... and also their partner...
Spencer and Chris bring in the big guns from the Standard of Care podcast, Samantha Johnson and Nick Adams! This episode is probably one of the most disturbing cases of neglect we've reviewed in a while, so you've been warned!
Ashlyn O'Dell joins Chris and Spence as the trio try and be very useful engines on a trauma call! With an object stuck... somewhere and a rather un-useful little engine on scene, the team has their work cut out for them.
It might sounds crazy, but it ain't no lie... Spencer and Chris try to navigate what to do when a big mistake is made on a severe trauma patient... and it's not a mistake that is hard to make, either.
The guys try to figure out exactly where the line between sedation and death is, and as a bonus, Spencer teaches you how to smoke meth.
Crossing into Canadian terrain, Spencer and Chris delve into a call where a patient does their best attempt at refusing treatment for their... gunshot wound?
Chris and Spencer see if they can solve why a man with the most rancid of toots can't stay upright. And also... Chris totally screws up!
Also be sure to check out this week's sponsor, In Case at getincase.com/EMS2020!
Spencer throws Chris for a loop by making him critique... himself(ves)? In today's VERY strange episode, two BLS responders care for a sick baby, make a last minute switch on who is doing what, while the patient's mother seems to lose faith.
Check out this week's sponsor, In Case at getincase.com/EMS2020 !
Sometimes patients don't just say no, but sometimes they say f&^$ no! What happens when two responders are confronted by a verbally hostile patient? Does fighting fire with fire work? Spoiler: no, it does not.
Check out this episode's sponsor at getincase.com/EMS2020, and use PROMO CODE EMS2020 for $5 off!
In this week's episode, Spencer tells Chris a tale about meth, altered levels of consciousness, and maybe even child protective services. Also, frogs.
Can the guys see where (or if) a handful of secret agents went wrong? Did they go wrong? Try to keep up with the twists and turns of this weeks episodes as everything from airway management to scene management is discussed.
In a Lucky Charms fueled rage, Chris shares his thoughts on what it takes to be a Paramedic before the guys try and figure why a patient is so short of breath. Is it bronchoconstriction? Pulmonary Edema? Heart problems? Listen and find out!
So we might not be COPS, but this episode is still bound to make you sweat as an accident in treacherous terrain interrupts the Catalina Wine Mixer. From hiking to helicopters, Chris puts Spence through the paces in this week's episode!
Spencer and Chris roll the dice on today's episode as we follow brave adventurers into the unknown as they set out with a vented patient to a nearby kingdom. What could possibly go wrong? Lots. Lots can go wrong.
Check out 90 Seconds: The Epic Story of Eli Beer! Support EMS 20/20 by purchasing through our affiliate links below:
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In this BLS focused episode, what you get is quintessential EMS 20/20. Multiple treatment options, CVA symptoms with hypotension, complicated crew dynamics, agency culture issues, and Chris ranting about kits.
Is this episode's patient faking a seizure? Does it even matter? Or at least, does it matter more than the anger of a salty medic who terrorizes their trainee? Does THAT matter more than the ensuing medication error?
After Chris defends his position on TXA, Spencer UTTERLY STUMPS him in this week's episode where a patient is KILLED by HIP PAIN! Spoiler: Patient not actually killed by hip pain.
Spencer gives Chris some supervisor flashbacks as the guys analyze a call that may send the patient... and maybe even the crew... to their final destination. Listen and find out who lives, who dies, and who escapes death for at least two sequels.
Spencer let's his playlist decide the title, but can the crew in today's episode decide where all the blood is coming from? Listen and find out! Listen at GuardianCME.com to get free CE!
Today we fly our F-18's while launching our AAM's at some MDMA during and EDM concert! Or maybe it's SSRI's, or SS, or MAO-I's, or TCA's... or maybe we just need to RTB...
Can Chris navigate his way and find the right direction as Spencer pitches an ALOC curveball? How does the crew do? And why is the receiving doctor so so mean?!
Special Guests from GuardianCME! Jason Seitz and Dr. Chris Seitz join the guys as they attempt to cook up an answer to a fork in the road on this weeks episode!
Spencer and Chris are there for you in today's episode where a patient is "checked for police". Was the check good enough or should the crew have been more thorough? We also discuss the value of good... and honest... charting.
Are we dealing with another Peanut Butter Spider Sandwich situation, or is this title just clickbait? Or is it neither? An altered LOC patient has some curious and life threatening symptoms in this week's episode, and Chris briefly discusses how EMS 20/20 does advertising business at the end... if that's your thing.
Maybe don't overthink the cover art, but do Chris and Spence finally argue about what to do about a really, really sick pediatric patient? Stir the oxygen tanks as the guys try and solve Houston's problem, and check our Facebook and Instagram for the EKG's associated with this episode!
The title is not the give away you think it is! The guys follow a BLS crew that responds to the call no one ever wants to respond to. (WARNING: This episode contains sensitive subject matter.)
Type 2 for Billing... Type 1 For Doctor. In today's episode the guys (finally) follow a BLS crew through a confusing call that involves spousal arguments and a good old fashioned dollup of just plain winging it when a patient scares the $*#@ out of his wife.
Chris and Spence are joined by Dr. Ritu Sahni and Mike Verkest of the EMS Show! Have a listen to this uplifting cross over episode that suffers from a little bit of title confusion.
The guys go to battle with Snake Eyes and Duke against the evils of confirmation bias and... coffee grounds? Have a listen and see what goes right (and wrong) in this week's episode!
A patient is found in the bottom of a flooded ditch and the only thing lower than their temperature is their blood sugar... a crew navigates a call that could go in any direction. Do they choose the right path? Listen and find out!
In these week's episode, Spencer and Chris pick apart a BLS call with really, really weird symptoms. Chris is put through the gauntlet as he tries to figure out what's causing the patient's odd behavior. Spoiler: Chris fails.
SORRY FOR THE DELAY! BLAME CHRIS! The guys review a call with a patient that needs just a touch of magic to a large neck wound. Was the crew able to cast the right spell? Listen and find out!
With help from gravity, two EMT's find themselves doing the one thing we swore to never do. Is today's episode a master class in recovery, or did the crew grab shovels and dig even deeper? Listen to find out as Spencer dishes out the story and Chris rants about naming medical conditions after people.
On today's episode Spencer and Chris exam a broken system and some broken... Calcium Channels? A sweetly named crew takes on an overdose! Do they succeed? Listen and find out!
Check the body cam footage!
https://youtu.be/FIJxaIUjhfo
EPISODE 100!!! The guys follow the ups and downs of a call that gets some rarely used, but often talked about treatments. Did the guys learn something new? Will you? Listen and find out!
The guys get to talk about helicopters and weather and flight things in today's episode where a flight crew walks in on a call at a local ER that is being run perfectly. They have very little to add and things go smoothly. Except the opposite. Can they ultimately put the pieces of the puzzle back together to help this patient? Listen and find out!
Chris and Spencer bring on Samantha (a REAL LAWYER!) and Nick from the Standard of Care podcast for a call that is plagued with legal complications. An EMT is put in the awkward position of taking a patient that may not want to go to the hospital. We touch on everything from justified assault to kidnapping to false imprisonment and more! Chris suspects that a lasagna is the root of the problem, further highlighting the need for the guys to bring in people who know what they are talking about.
Chris and Spencer make an attempt to unravel the mystery behind an altered level of consciousness and more importantly, they try to figure what to (and not to) do about it.
With deep, full bodied flavors of trauma and some light herbal notes of scene management during an MCI, the guys pour you a glass of wine to... decompress with.
Spencer and Chris Boldly examine a call that occurs in a birthing center where a patient is hypotensive for obvious reasons... or are they?
Spencer and Chris try to stay with a crew as they wind down the treacherous rabbit hole that is an altered mental status patient. Do they take the wrong path? In short... probably, but listen and find out why they go where they go on this week's episode!
You ever want to intubate someone, but they tell you no? Chris swears a little less (barely) in today's episode that examines DNR's, POLST forms, and inaccurate SaO2 probes. We also get another rant from Chris!
Spencer and Chris go on a crazy adventure as they explore the choices made by Bill and Bob, two partners taking care of a patient that either stayed on or fell off the wagon... with a hard thud. Is it trauma? Is it alcohol? Did they miss something? Listen and find out on this week's episode!
The guy's review a call where the patient is deep trouble long before anyone arrives. In one of our longer and more serious episodes, the guy's talk about what it means to lead a call and how to talk to family members when things aren't going well.
The guys are given a call that takes place in a precarious system with a patient that has no memory... and a never ending stream of twists and turns that take this call from "eh" to WTF in a hurry.
On this weeks episode a very sick patient is taken to the hospital... but do issues of patient abandonment arise when a Paramedic refused to be the primary provider? Listen to this weeks call and find out if Spencer and Chris can close the case.
A crew find a patient that rapidly deteriorates, prompting quick action. Baffling monitor readings are the result, so the Chris and Spence bring in back up: Nicole Johnson, a seasoned ICU RN and host of the Found Down podcast join the team to figure out some crazy numbers in one of our biggest episodes yet!
In an-almost-Valentines-Day special, the guys pick a part a call that has some unusual possibilities for symptoms that started during unusual circumstances that results in an unusual diagnosis. Can the guys shed any light on this unusual episode?
A drunk patient decides that a new Paramedic and their partner need a one stop shop for possible problems, and they absolutely deliver. But do Chris and Spencer deliver on the education? Listen and find out!
Chris (finally) brings a call that involved an upside down truck, a frozen patient, and a frozen crew... at least when it comes to deciding on exactly what to do! Do they ever figure it out? Listen and find out!
A crew of three Paramedics finds themselves in a situation that no responder ever wants to be in when a patient goes Super Saiyan. Medicate? Evacuate? Also, Chris questions the validity of checking for painful stimuli and challenges the internet... will he regret it?
This week's episode features a simpler call that absolutely has some clinical errors in it... but are they a result of a bad partnership? Which is more toxic: the patient or the work environment? Listen and find out in this intense episode of EMS 20/20!
In the 80th Episode of EMS 20/20, a car crash leads to a highly symptomatic patient... but why? Is it trauma, or was there a medical event that caused the crash? Is it both? Be sure to view the EKG on our social media and see if you can figure it out before we do!
Spencer and Chris dive into a call where parental controls are in play as a pediatric patient struggles to breathe. How do you both treat a patient and calm scared parents? Listen and find out!
Like a leaky faucet, a patient's leg has sprung a leak and a BLS crew does their best to stop the out of control flow. Do they dam the river? Find out on this week's episode!
LISTENER FEEDBACK WANTED! A crew has to make a hard choice... stay and play or load and go? With a rapidly closing window to make a hard decision does the crew make the right choice? Spence and Chris give their opinions and ask for yours in this weeks episode!
This week's call takes us to a chaotic and tense ER as a crew picks up a very sick patient to transfer them to a higher level of care. Interpersonal Communication takes center stage in this episode as Chris and Spencer play counselor.
Caught between quelling both a grumpy crowd and an unruly airway, a group of Care Bears are faced with problems from every angle. Do they prevail? Could they have prevailed? The guys go the distance to find out in this weeks episode!
A patient presents with classic signs of a heart attack... but is it? Spencer attempts to stump Chris (and possibly succeeds) in this weeks episode! Also... Chris tees off on physicians with Dr. House Syndrome ;)
A Paramedic orders a Grande but ends up with a Venti sized problem on their hands. The guys try to answer one question: is there such a thing as too much coffee?
A patient with a OW troubling and painOWful experience is treated by a OW crew OW that may be jumping to conclusions. Can our hosts offer up some sage advice without making too many Star Trek references? Can a patients implanted defibrillator shock you? Listen and find out!
A young patient is mentally stranded in space as a crew tries their best to figure out what, if anything could be wrong with this patient. Is it drugs? Is it a stroke? Listen and find out!
In our 70th episode we talk about a call with a very difficult and vibrating (yes, vibrating) patient that is paired with a difficult partner. Just how bad can imitation marijuana be? Listen and find out!
In today's episode we learn that Chris cannot take a scooter seriously as the guys analyze the treatment of a patient with an incredibly rare condition!
An EMT Advanced finds themselves helming a call that just cannot seem to take a right turn. Can Spence and Chris spot the problem(s)? Have a listen and let us know what you think!
Do you want to get FREE CE credits for listening? EMS 20/20 is teaming up with Guardian Test Prep to make it happen. Head over to www.guardiancme.com and add your name to the mailing list ASAP. We will tell you the second you are able to get free CE credits for listening to EMS 20/20 and we won't spam your inbox.
In this weeks episode the guys run through a call about trust and helicopters in our first ever call from a Flight Paramedic! Can our crew sort out the truth before committing limited resources to a patient? Listen and find out!
A crew of responders finds themselves evacuating a hoarder home after finding one body and one patient who is really trying to be a body. Listen in to this weeks episode to see if this cluster of a call could have been changed for the better!
Spencer brings a code with a very sticky problem while Chris brings unrelated science. Listen and find out if Chris and Spence can get to the bottom of this harrowing call.
In what may be our longest episode to date, Spencer and Chris tackle a call in which a patient has... everything. They have everything. So what can one do with so many paths to take? Listen and find out on this weeks epic episode!
This time Spencer takes a swing at making a double episode as Chris tries to spot a common theme. Sometimes calls can be so easy they're hard. Have a listen and see if you can guess what gets missed before the guys do!
A patient continues to slide downhill while an ambulance crew acts quickly to stop the decline... but can they? Could they have? Listen this week as the guys go through a difficult pediatric call to try and find some answers.
In this weeks episode Chris brings not one, but two trauma calls! The guys delve into common injury masks as well as the ever present backboard controversy.
A Paramedic shoulders the weight of a hectic call. Sedation, Intubation, Ventilation, Defibrillation, Exasperation... all the ations are present in this weeks absolutely epic episode!
A 700 pound patient just needs a hand up... or at least that's what this weeks crew were hoping for. We'll hold the spoilers, but this call tips the scales when it comes to twists, turns, and diagnosis.
A pair of medics take on a call with a pretty straight forward history with what should have been a pretty straight forward solution. But this is EMS 20/20...
WTF is wrong with this patient... is the perfect way to introduce today's episode! A seemingly basic call turns into a near death experience that is saved by... a pothole?
Confusions sets in as a Paramedic attempts to locate a trauma patient and... their partner? The guys work their way through a chaotic scene, so listen and find out if this weeks crew finds the right ingredients to pull it all together.
The guys pick apart a call where the provides look too closely and find something no one saw coming, but only after challenging YOU, the listeners to come up with the best code 3 driving music!
As we announced in this weeks episode, we want to hear your favorite code 3 (that's driving with lights and sirens) song! Add it in the comments below (feel free to tell us why). In two weeks we'll tell you which of the songs you submitted is our favorite and that person will win a prize!
The guys review a call that involves a COVID patient that really keeps trying to die and Spencer ruins French cuisine. Does the crew pull it out and save the day? Listen and find out!
Like frames in a hit movie about landing a plane in the Hudson River, EKG's are but a single moment in time. Dr. Seitz joins in this weeks episode and guys read YOUR responses from last weeks EKG. Does the crew make the right call? Listen and find out!
NREMT tests looming? Need to refresh? Join Seitz and Sirens TODAY with the promo code EMS2020 for 20% off!
https://www.seitzandsirens.com
A call that will make your jaw drop with just how many battles had to be fought just to lose out in the end. This one was a hard one to review, but the guys plowed through it and brought you over an hour of facepalming...
Petty assumptions get critically in the way as friction between crews cause some waves. Do they recover? Chris and Spencer pull out way too many lessons from just a single call in this weeks episode.
In their 50th episode, Chris and Spencer analyze a call where a provider finds themselves one on one with a combative mental health patient. Could this have been avoided?
What would Spencer do becomes the name of the game as the guys pull apart a call that is more about what you can't hear than what you can. Does the crew pull it off? Listen and find out!
An absolutely killer episode where Chris is put to the test as he evaluates a syncope patient that... refuses care? Should they have refused? Does Chris miss something? Listen and find out!
Spencer and Chris examine a case where the medical treatment goes smoothly... but the question remains: Who can refuse transport? And is sharing information with police a HIPAA violation? You asked for it, we delivered! Listen to find out!
Two Paramedics approach a patient with vastly different treatment plans in mind... Chris and Spencer are called in to judge who is right and who is wrong. Can they do it? Is there even a clear winner? Find out!
Sometimes we are put in the terrible position to treat one of our own! The guys call in Dr. Seitz from Seitz and Sirens to dissect the treatment of a reaction caused by a sneaky strawberry.
The Delayed Sequence Intubation episode you've all been waiting for! Plus Spiders! Plus Mmmhopps beer! What a time to be alive, and hopefully the crew in this call can keep a very sick patient from falling off the oxygenation cliff!
The guys break down a call where too much of a good thing is administered with catastrophic consequences. What could have prevented this, or could it have been prevented at all? And what should happen to the provider who made the mistake? Listen as this weeks episode explores how easily things can go way wrong!
Mandy Krekora joins the guys to answer your airway questions (RSI vs DSI, anyone?) and dive into a hectic airway nightmare that involves a sleepy giant, vanilla Ensure and an oddly placed trashcan.
In addition to being on EMS 20/20, you can learn even more from Mandy on April 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th as she puts on the Bariatric Airway Bootcamp, a unique and rare opportunity to practice airway techniques on actual bariatric cadavers in the Denver, Colorado area! Follow the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bariatric-airway-bootcamp-tickets-140628909855?fbclid=IwAR1-fgt6TAWSMGk2ME8YLtEDhwWnzcODZfVBMHfmX2d1A8UpAGspso_pD4k
Chris and Spence review a call where a missed opportunity leads to... an accurate diagnosis? The guys analyze a call that illustrates that while recovering from a mistake is good, not making the mistake in the first place is probably a wee bit better.
Spencer and Chris go over an interfacility transfer gone awry... and they dig deep into the issue of crew integrity. A septic patient with a drug abuse history misses out on critical treatments that may have cost them.
A psychic EMT makes a prediction... but are his psychic abilities any match for another responders experience? Does anyone even make a mistake in this episode? Find out as the guys explore an unpredictable (maybe) call!
In this week's episode, Spencer and Chris dissect a call where two problems met: a tired crew and an oddly presenting patient. Did the crew overcome their fatigue to perform in a way that makes EMS proud? Spoiler: Nope.
Chris and Spencer examine a call where a patient goes from pretty OK to really, really bad. Is this something that school could have prepared the crew for? Or is this one of those reality check moments?
An unusual pairing of Paramedics in an unusual setting in an unfamiliar area creates for an ungood circumstance. Spencer and Chris go the distance in dissecting a call that takes place in the middle of a foot race!
The guys review a substantially disjointed call in which a patient is coded... or are they? How can a densely, perhaps even over-resourced system miss THIS?
Leading your first code with minimal resources can be likened to being birthed as a baby giraffe learning what legs are for. Spencer and Chris review a new Paramedic doing exactly that as they come back with another episode aimed at helping new providers climb those first hurdles!
Spencer nerds out over an interesting 12-lead and flexes his EKG knowledge as the guys analyze a call in which a responder misses a STEMI... or did he?
Crew's respond to a care facility where a medication was given incorrectly... and that's not even the worst thing that happens... Listen to this weeks episode of EMS 20/20 to find out how a bad situation can be made even worse!
What happens when a patient starves themselves (almost) to death? What's the difference between a clinical overreaction and a Dr. House moment? In an EMS 20/20 first ever double header, the guys explore two calls with some unique challenges and an overarching theme.
Alcohol, boyfriends, alcohol, a dog, and more alcohol. Spencer and Chris analyze a call where an experienced crew deal with an untrusting patient, a loud (but hilarious) boyfriend, and a dog named Falcor that really couldn't care less.
If it sounds like a duck, it must be one, right? Have a listen as Paramedics Baller, Shot Caller, and Impala unsuccessfully shock a patient. You too can be shocked: For the first time ever in the history of the universe... CHRIS IS WRONG.
Spencer and Chris unravel a complicated scene that didn't need to happen. The only thing harder to find than this patients pulse is the history of his present illness! Do they ever find it? Have a listen and find out!
Chris and Spencer review one helluva a breathing call! That's right, two back to back breathing episodes, but this one has a special twist: what happens when the thing that always works... doesn't? And can adding a doctor to a call always make things better? Have a listen and find out!
Q-tip and Cotton Ball respond to an urgent care clinic where staff has a reasonable plan with unreasonable expectations for a young asthma patient. The call goes from bad to better to way worse as Chris and Spencer comb through the details in this week's episode!
A new Paramedic careens down an unsafe road but is thankfully stopped before something disastrous happens by a more experienced Paramedic... only to miss other warning signs further down the road. Have a listen as Chris and Spencer map out a safe route through a tricky situation!
A Paramedic does a fantastic thorough assessment, thinks outside the box, and delivers appropriate care, but the patient still wants some space from being alive. Is there something the crew could have done better after all? Have a listen and find out!
CONTROVERSY WARNING! So just how good are pre-hospital providers at evaluating and treating pain? Can we call a faker out with any accuracy? Are we giving too much pain medication? Too little? Dr. Seitz from https://www.seitzandsirens.com joins Chris and Spencer in one of the most controversial episodes yet!
Spence and Chris talk about a call where two Paramedics cross their fingers, close their eyes, and just hope a call goes away. But guess what? In EMS, you don't get to do that. Listen and find out why!
A couple of fish are taken to school as Clownfish and Anglerfish learn the finer points of time management. Does it cost the patient dearly? Does it even matter? Would Chris have done any better? Find out on this weeks episode of EMS 20/20!
Abdominal pain turns code turns DOUBLE CODE. A seasoned Paramedic finds herself alone at the top of the EMS food chain trying to get pulses back in not one but two people who really, really need pulses. How does she manage the chaos? Listen and find out! ALSO: New intro that Chris changed at the last minute... sorry Spence!
Spencer brings a case with a patient that is absolutely totally fine...until he absolutely totally isn't. A trainee and his trainer let their hopes for the best obscure the worst in a case that even had Chris shrugging his shoulders.
Chris and Spence talk about a drowning Paramedic... er, patient! Maybe both? What happens when the sole Paramedic on scene can't pull the trigger? Listen to find out as the guys talk about rapid and delayed sequence intubation as well the pushing the limits of the scope of practice!
This week Chris and Spencer do... nothing! Spencer is out helping areas affected by the fires here in Oregon as on site medical staff. But no worries! Next week we will be back on track with a new episode!
The guys are joined by Dr. Chris Seitz, and ER physician who helps bring some much needed perspective to last weeks complex episode. Was CPAP the right thing to do? Were pressers needed? What about intubation? It all gets answered on this week's deep dive!
Need to pass your NREMT exam? Check out Seitz and Sirens and get it done! Use promo code EMS2020 for a discount! https://www.seitzandsirens.com/emt-test-prep
The guys follow a harrowing call where two Paramedics, Dingo and Corgi, come to a crossroad on a very ill patient. The crew will need to make a decision on how to treat this critically sick patient. Are they able to make the right choice? Are they able to make a choice at all? In the follow up episode next week, we will be joined by Dr. Chris Seitz from Seitz and Sirens! https://www.seitzandsirens.com/emt-test-prep
Soft Shell returns from last week as Spencer and Chris discuss the ins and outs of subarachnoid bleeds. What can cause them, what they can do to the patient, and what we can do in the field, the guys cover it all as they review Soft Shell's redemption.
As a freshly minted lead Paramedic, Soft Shelled Turtle comes across a patient with a telling set of symptoms that go from bad to worse. To make matter more interesting, Softy decides that the patients condition is better delivered as a surprise to receiving ER, leading to pure pandemonium.
This week's episode is a deep dive into what Lone Wolf nailed in They Have A History of Heart. Spencer and Chris talk about talking to patients, the one skill you need on quite literally every call, but the one skill that few have truly mastered... including us!
Lone Wolf, an experienced Paramedic, puts on a master class of communicating with a jackass of a patient... but makes one single misstep that almost costs the patient their life! Chris and Spence review a call that could be all too real to anyone in the field as a difficult patient makes history taking a challenge.
Spencer and Chris talk about Sedatives and Paralytics commonly used in EMS. Why should you pick one over the other? What are the pros and cons of each? Did you know that paralysis does not equal sedation? Because it really doesn't.
Nicknames return! A crew secures an airway in a calm, decisive manner and begins transport on their trauma patient. Easy going from here on in, right? ...right?
Chris and Spencer identify the key skill to being a good PIC while examining a leaderless scene. A team overstays their welcome, an airway lingers for too long, and a crew member disappears.
Spencer and Chris dig into a call where assumptions run wild and a Paramedic makes an attempt to coach someone out of a life threatening disease.
In the first ever Fight Night episode, Spencer and Chris debate whether or not expensive dummies are worth the cost! Let us know who won!
Spencer and Chris pick a part a call where a tube stays in place longer than it should and the crew doesn't stay in place long enough. An end tidal of 0 and a load-and-go code 99? Someone messed up... or did they?
Chris and Spencer dig into a call where a patient has a mysterious onset of sudden hypotension. A lone Paramedic has hard choices to make with little in the way of vital signs, presenting decision making roadblocks to overcome.
Chris and Spencer talk about a call that just doesn't stop getting worse as a mix of veteran and new providers tackle a chest pain patient with a complicated history.
Spence and Chris discuss the pitfalls of assessment short cuts as they review a scenario that gets harder and harder to listen to as the call goes on.
Chris and Spencer review a scenario in which a disagreement over a pediatric patient leads to delayed treatment.