Medicine is Dynamic – Keep an Open Mind

September 28, 2009 01:20 PM •

Medicine is dynamic. We don’t do things that we used to. In the future, we may not do things that we do now.

Treatment of shock used to include MAST trousers and elevating the patient’s lower extremities. Innovations for shock treatment are now being designed and developed that might impact treatment of shock in the future.

Other controversial topics include:

• Air transport versus ground transport

• IV fluid resuscitation

• Synthetic blood products

• Endotracheal intubation

• Spinal motion restriction

All EMS provider actions have both risks and benefits. Read current literature, discuss treatments with your medical director, participate in research trials and advocate for a strong quality assurance program to learn what treatments are evidence-based and what treatments can have the greatest impact on your patients.

Most of all, keep an open mind and continue learning to improve patient care and outcomes.

Greg Friese, MS, NRP

Greg Friese, MS, NRP, is the Lexipol Editorial Director, leading the efforts of the editorial team on Police1, FireRescue1, Corrections1 and EMS1. Greg served as the EMS1 editor-in-chief for five years. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree from the University of Idaho. He is an educator, author, national registry paramedic since 2005, and a long-distance runner. Greg was a 2010 recipient of the EMS 10 Award for innovation. He is also a three-time Jesse H. Neal award winner, the most prestigious award in specialized journalism, and the 2018 and 2020 Eddie Award winner for best Column/Blog. Connect with Greg on LinkedIn.