Welcome to Ask MAC
Ask MAC is a tool aimed at providing paramedics with an opportunity to find question and answers related to the medical directives, challenging or unique calls, or other relevant topics for discussion.
All answers provided on Ask MAC have been reviewed by and reflect the opinions of the Medical Directors within the Southwest Ontario Regional Base Hospital Program (SWORBHP).
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- Acute Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema
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- Emergency Childbirth
- Endotracheal and Tracheostomy Suctioning and Reinsertion
- Hyperkalemia
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- Intravenous and Fluid Therapy
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- Moderate to Severe Allergic Reaction
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- Orotracheal Intubation
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- Procedural Sedation
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- Symptomatic Bradycardia
- Tachydysrhythmia
- Trauma Cardiac Arrest
In pts with poor peripheral perfusion (ie. sepsis) can we do a blood sugar reading on pts ear? Recently had call where pt was severely septic and we gave glucagon and then dextrose and pts blood sugar kept going down. ER doctor took blood sugar on pts ear where perfusion was better then peripherally and sugar levels were well above normal.
Published On: May 19, 2023Is there a gestational age limit on administering oxytocin? For example, you have a patient that has miscarried in the first or second trimester and is hemorrhaging heavily after passing the fetus, would it be appropriate to treat with oxytocin?
Published On: May 19, 2023Should we administer oxytocin in event of a miscarriage? If so, is there a minimum gestation?
Published On: May 19, 2023For acetaminophen and ibuprofen, suspected ischemic chest pain is listed as a contraindication. Is this listed mainly to indicate that ischemic chest pain should not be treated with the analgesia directive? Could analgesics be administered to treat a different area of pain that is occurring at the same time as the chest pain that appears to be unrelated? For example, I had a patient with chronic pain that she takes acetaminophen for, but she was experiencing acute chest pain suspected to be ischemic. Would it be correct to withhold acetaminophen in this case and not provide treatment for the chronic pain that she is experiencing at the same time as suspected cardiac ischemia?
Published On: April 17, 2023Why is diabetic ketoacidosis different than hyperosmolar state?
Published On: April 17, 2023Is ASA considered a blood thinner? I understand its an anti-platelet and not an anticoagulant but is it still considered a blood thinner?
Published On: April 17, 2023Does the patient need to be actively smoking to count for the Condition of 20 pack-year history in order to administer Dexamethasone?
Published On: March 13, 2023Does Vaping or marijuana use count towards the 20 pack-year history of smoking.
Published On: March 13, 2023The vial of dexamethasone does not say that it can be given orally. Is it safe to give this route?
Published On: March 13, 2023Why are we waiting to implement the cardiac arrest medical directive changes until Feb?
Published On: March 13, 2023For ALS-PCS 5.0: If a patient re-arrested prior to extrication, do we carry out another 20 minutes of resuscitation or do we go after first analysis?
Published On: March 13, 2023Can I attempt the Valsalva on a patient who has chest pain? What if the patient has a clear onset of palpitations, then after onset develops chest pain and or shortness of breath?
Published On: March 13, 2023Why does Ketorolac in the Analgesia Medical Directive have normotensive as a condition, when other NSAID directives do not include a SBP condition?
Published On: March 13, 2023What time-frame is considered Immediately after delivery for administration of Oxytocin if we arrive on-scene after the baby is delivered?
Published On: March 13, 2023My question is in regards to when an IV certified medic is working with a non-certified medic. If the certified medic establishes IV access and has a lock in place, but doesnt give any fluids or medications can the non-certified medic still continue to attend the call? Or does the certified one become the attending. Specific example would be a Code Stroke where we established IV access prior to leaving scene, but it was originally the non-certified medics call.
Published On: October 4, 2022Should Ibuprofen be withheld for patients suffering possible Crohns, colitis and IBS flare ups?
Published On: October 4, 2022Should we consider cocaine induced chest pain as ischemic and be treating with ASA and NTG? Example: 20 year old male patient midsternal chest tightness. Admits to using cocaine and the symptoms occurring after that. I guess my question is, is the cocaine causing ischemia which causes the chest pain?
Published On: September 29, 2022Have alternative pain control options such as oral morphine and nitrous oxide been (re)considered recently for pre-hospital administration? If not, what’s the reasoning?
Published On: September 29, 2022I have a question in regards to the hypoglycemia directive. We were dispatched to a patient who suffered a fall, with history of diabetes. Upon assessment the patient was GCS 15, answering questions appropriately and oriented to person, place, time and event, however the patient was unable to move their limbs, and had loss of sensation in portions of the arms, torso, and legs, as well as a depressed skull fracture. The patient was hypovolemic and hypoglycemic at 3.2, stating he has not been eating or drinking fluids all day. Due to a complaint of back pain and paralysis, the a c-dollar was applied and scoop was used to extricate. Because the patient was secured to the stretcher supine, treating with oral gel was not an option, and transport was a priority. Some of the symptoms exhibited by the patient are concurrent with typical signs of hypoglycemia. In this situation where the patient is NOT altered, but hypoglycemic, with sufficient suspicion to suspect that low blood sugar may be causing some of the symptoms, would it be reasonable to treat the patient with IV dextrose? How do we proceed in situations where patients may be hypoglycemic, are not altered (GCS less than 15) but are unable to tolerate oral glucose or carbs? I can see this being the case for traumas.
Published On: September 29, 2022hello when treating a pt with adenosine the contra indications are active bronchial constriction on exam, the companion document also states that adenosine can cause bronchial constriction in asthmatic pts. so may question is … is an asthmatic pt contraindicated for adenosine tx or is more of a relative vs absolute situation
Published On: July 21, 2022Can you rationalize the administration of Epi prior to salbutamol in severe asthma exacerbation Pt? I know they both have bronchodilatory properties, just curious as to the additional benefits
Published On: June 20, 2022Pt with Hx of URTI and a Dx of Asthma. With all signs of croup (Barking cough, low grade fever, severe respiratory distress) on auscultation you hear stridor and whizzing in lungs. Which treatment should be prioritized? Salbutamol vs Epi (NEB)? Thank you
Published On: June 20, 2022So we had a call to a burn victim that was grossly charred, but was breathing. He started to deteriorate in transport but we made it to the hospital. I was wondering if he were to arrest if that would be a traumatic VSA, I know it’s not a blunt or penetrating trauma but it doesn’t make much sense as a medical cardiac arrest either. Also could a patient meet the standards for an obvious death after patient contact?
Published On: June 20, 2022When administering a fluid bolus to a cardiogenic shock patient, what is our targeted systolic blood pressure? Is it similar to that of a ROSC to target 90 mmHg, or reversing hypotension and targeting 100 mmHg?
Published On: June 20, 2022Is it safe to use blanket warmers in the vehicles for warming IV fluids? I know that the infusion of ambient temperature (21°C) intravenous fluid may be a significant risk factor for severe hypothermia and the manufacturer of our IV fluids recommends a 40 °C for a max of 14 days. Do you know if this is being done anywhere effectively and safely and if so what are they using?
Published On: June 20, 2022I just have a question regarding analgesics. A contraindication for acetaminophen is use of it within the last 4 hours. Lets say for an adult patient they took 500mg prior to EMS arrival, would it then be okay to administer an additional 500mg to complete the full max single dose of 1000mg or should you withhold the acetaminophen in honour of the contraindication?
Published On: June 20, 2022Just wondering, I have heard of a few coworkers putting the cardiac monitor on when giving acetaminophen and ibuprofen and others are not putting it on. I was under the impression that the monitor had to be on prior to giving medications. Is this a must or not?
Published On: June 20, 2022Does cpap have to be used with nitro
Published On: March 30, 2022Hello, I have a question regarding the 4th analysis when youre actively calling for a medical TOR. If theyre around Ill speak with family to give them an update on what weve been doing, that Im going to call and doctor and what the outcome of that phone call may be. Often, after Ive had that chat, and made the call by the time Im back the 2mins has passed and a 4th analysis may have been done by my partner. What would you like to see happen there. Do we perform that 4th analysis or is that only performed just prior to departure if were transporting. Thanks for your help.
Published On: March 30, 2022If a patient is given first time Nitro by a PCP IV but then isnt ever actually prescribed nitro by a doctor does this count as prior hx of nitro use? Could a then PCP non IV give this pt nitro the next time they call?
Published On: March 30, 2022Hello, How would you like us to proceed with a young pt (say under 30) who complains of chest pain and describes it as ischemic pain, saying all the right things ex; pressure, heaviness etc. But who is vitally stable and doesnt not appear to be in any distress or severe pain. Would you still like us to treat it as ischemia on the side of caution even though its most likely anxiety/stess etc ?
Published On: March 30, 2022If an IV medic attempts to start an IV on pt and the attempt(s) are unsuccessful do they have to remain the attending medic or can the non IV medic continue to attend the call?
Published On: March 30, 2022Can we give a lower dose of Tylenol than the dosage of 960-1000mg as written in our directives? I had a patient who would state she could only tolerate one extra strength Tylenol and taking two would upset her stomach. Would it be wrong to give her 650mg instead of 975mg?
Published On: March 30, 2022If you attend to an unresponsive patient with diabetes paraphernalia (glucometer kit, dexcom, empty bag of candy, etc) on them and your glucometer is malfunctioning, do you have sufficient cause to administer dextrose or glucagon?
Published On: March 30, 2022When dealing with an anaphylactic patient, the PCP medical directive says to administer up to 2 doses of epi at a maximum single dose of 0.5mg, whereas the bronchoconstriction AND cardiac arrest medical directives are only one dose at a maximum single dose of 0.5mg. Can some explain why?
Published On: January 19, 2022The AHA and COVID-19 guideline has a caveat that states in “suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases” we should implement the prescribed practices. In the event that the patient in cardiac arrest is not confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 symptoms is it reasonable to every to pre-pandemic practice of resuscitation?
Published On: January 19, 2022Follow-up question that was asked on 29-Jan-2021 about pulse checks after no shock is indicated. Base hospital answered that pulse checks should occur concurrently with each rhythm analysis. Is this true for those of us that are using S-AEDs rather than manual rhythm analysis? The reason I ask is because First Aid & CPR courses suggest that touching a patient during an AED analysis will introduce artifact that could affect the accuracy of the analysis.
Published On: January 19, 2022Does a prescription of NTG patch count as previous history of use for NTG spray? Would it be a concern that the medication would be administered through a different route and therefore have a different onset of effect?
Published On: January 19, 2022I have had a few calls to nursing homes where the patients IV fell out and the patient is being sent to the hospital for an IV restart. If the patient does not have any complaints otherwise, would an IV certified crew be able to start the IV and patch to not have the patient transported? If so, would this be documented as a refusal? I have always transported these patients but it would be helpful to know if there are other options to avoid an unnecessary trip to the hospital. Thank you!
Published On: January 19, 2022Do you recommend a c-collar in patients with SGA or ETT in order to help prevent tube displacement?
Published On: November 3, 2021Slide in conclusion portion of the course, states capnography waveform is gold standard for ETT/SGA tube placement. Previous slide during course states that this has no been studied on other airway except ETT. Can you please clarify this ambiguity.
Published On: November 3, 2021Hello and thank you for your time everyone. Module 2 point 2 reinforces the concept that high quality CPR is the primary focus for care of an opioid overdose VSA patient. However, It also highlights that naloxone may be administered as long as AHA guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation are adequately being met. Given this point; is it o.k. for paramedics to administer naloxone for these type of VSA patients? The directive book and phone application Medical Cardiac Arrest directive continues to state, “There is no clear role for routine administration of naloxone in confirmed cardiac arrest”. I found it a little unclear whether this segment was reinforcing the concept to not administering naloxone for a VSA patient, or providing guidance that it is acceptable as long as other aspects of care are effectively delivered.
Published On: November 3, 2021I have recently read about recommendations/suggestion for the use of the distal femur as an alternative IO access sites specifically in pediatrics. Is this being considered as an option in Ontario?
Published On: November 3, 2021Mom is having a post-partum hemorrhage CTAS 1-2 and there is a stable neonate, can we leave neonate on scene with Dad and call for 2nd unit for baby or can we leave? Do we have to wait until arrival of 2nd unit? No policy on this.
Published On: November 3, 2021What is the correct course of action if a pt goes VSA while crew is on scene, (ex. 1st analyses reveals VF, pt shocked, then 2 more analyses 2 min apart- both PEA), then pt starts spontaneously breathing and has pulse (ROSC)…then rearrests 2 min later and is in VF so crew shocks…CPR continued as pt still pulseless. Keep in mind crew is still on scene waiting for fire to show up as crew needs help with extrication.. this situation has happened and 1 crew member had called BHP for direction as it’s ‘grey” area as normally you are transporting by then and would do 1 analysis following rearrest and shock if necessary and continue with transport/CPR.. BHP was not clear just kept saying “follow your protocol” when in fact the crew was but at that point was very “grey”. Would we treat it as a whole new medical cardiac arrest protocol as its a re-arrest on scene until fire arrives? Or what would be the best course of action?
Published On: September 17, 2021Can you TOR someone who is in PEA
Published On: August 5, 2021Given that rapid atrial fibrillation and other tachydysrhythmias can result from myocardial ischemia; is it wise to provide ASA to these patients as a precaution. I am a PCP, and we dont have a defined treatment for pulsed tachycardia.
Published On: August 5, 2021I had a patient who met the criteria for Nitro administration under the ACPE directive. The initial BP was 104/72, with no previous Nitro use, and unable to obtain IV access. The pts blood pressure in the back went up to 143/88 while in the back of the ambulance… can nitro be given now that the blood pressure has increased, even if the pt started <140 SBP?
Published On: August 5, 2021For the IV bolus directive when one of the contraindications is fluid overload, if a patient has CHF and is presenting hypotensive, and is not experiencing SOB but has chronic edema in his/her feet/legs is that technically a contraindication to not bolus? Considering that would fall under fluid overload ? What are the signs and symptoms of fluid overload you guys are wanting us to look out for and be aware of?
Published On: August 5, 2021In regards to an IV that you have established are other medical professionals allowed to use it to give drugs on way to hospital? Back story, picked up a female patient who had just given birth with significant post partum hemorrhage. Midwife onscene was unable to establish a line but you subsequently start one. Midwife wants to push oxytocin through the IV that you have established is this OK?
Published On: August 5, 2021
