Guidance for EMS Regarding Patients with Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) Infection
September 23, 2009 | Steve | Leave a Comment
The CDC has guidance for EMS and emergency service first responders on management of individuals with suspected and confirmed H1N1 (Swine Flu).
The CDC site also has several tools for planning purposes. As we reviewed this site, it prompted several question we had not thought about such as crew sharing and extra coverage when providers had sick family members. Can we triage patients with Influenza Like Illness (ILI), and tell them to stay home and ride it out?
In addition to the CDC guidance and recommendations, there is a FluTracker map application highlighting cases of the pandemic:

- Flu.gov also has general information on all types of flu.
- Resources for State and Local Health Officials
- Public Health Agency of Canada also has Health Care Professional specific information and a planning toolkit.
- ConsultantLive Resources for clinicians
- Antigenic Shift image explaining the transformation from animal (bird, swine) to human via Wikipedia
Again, be proactive. Make sure your personnel are immunized as soon as possible. Make sure you have stocks of mask, hand sanitizer and disinfectant. If this virus blossoms there will be a run on supplies.
Generally we are ready to battle with any situation. Even though it should not be, this is different. Remember, your ICS plan just needs to be expanded to include all of the stakeholders.
Lastly, if you don’t know the answer ask… no need to re-invent the wheel!
Emergency Services in Advertisements
July 14, 2009 | Dave | Leave a Comment
A number of ads featuring/mocking emergency services (Fire, EMS, Police and even the Coast Guard) are being used in print and video.
WWF is using the sense of urgency or “an emergency” to portray the needs of the planet. Pentax captures it’s fast and reliable image processing, for when it counts. And Monster uses the reality of our professions to confront those that do not fit in.
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