
EMS 20/20
242 episodes — Page 5 of 5

Ep 42We're Gonna Need A Bigger Rig
EMandy 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

Ep 41Shoulda Woulda Coulda
EChris 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.

Ep 40The Critical Truth
ESpencer 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.

Ep 39Gut Feeling
EA 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!

Ep 38Everything But The Gun
EIn 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.

Ep 37When School Gets It Wrong
EChris 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?

Ep 36Help Wanted!
EAn 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!

Ep 35This Shouldn't Be Happening...
EThe 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?

Ep 34Forgetting How To Walk
ELeading 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!

Ep 33Four Years Versus Twelve Leads
ESpencer 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?

Ep 32Wait... You Did What?
ECrew'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!

Ep 31Going the Distance
EWhat 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.

Ep 30Soft Touch for a Hard Hit
EAlcohol, 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.

Ep 29Sounds Like A Duck...
EIf 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.

Ep 28A Lazy Game of Hot Potato
ESpencer 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!

Ep 27I Wanna Roc!
EChris 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!

Ep 26Passing the Baton
EQ-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!

Ep 25Pump the Brakes
EA 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!

Ep 24It's Not You, It's Me
EA 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!

Ep 23Painful Realization
ECONTROVERSY 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!

Ep 22Uncomfortably Pregnant
ESpence 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!

Ep 21Clownfish Learns His ABC's...
EA 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!

Ep 20I See Dead People
EAbdominal 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!

Ep 19Dissecting an FTO's Failure
ESpencer 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.

Ep 18Sometimes Everyone Drowns
EChris 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!

Ep 17The Non-Episode Episode
EThis 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!

Ep 16Critiquing the Crossroads
EThe 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

Ep 15Critical Crossroads
EThe 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

Ep 14Soft Shell Redemption
ESoft 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.

Ep 13Soft Sell from Soft Shell
EAs 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.

Ep 12Head and the Heart
EThis 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!

Ep 11They Have A History Of Heart
ELone 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.

Ep 10Sed8tion Lessons from the Sk8ter Boy
ESpencer 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.

Ep 9The Sk8ter Boy
ENicknames 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?

Ep 8Airway Anyone? ...Anyone?
EChris 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.

Ep 7Trying to Coach Your Patient To Death
ESpencer 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.

Ep 6Fight Night! Are Pricey Manikins Worth It?
EIn the first ever Fight Night episode, Spencer and Chris debate whether or not expensive dummies are worth the cost! Let us know who won!

Ep 5The Correct Way to do Things Wrong
ESpencer 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?

Ep 4Hypothesis for Hypotension
EChris 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.

Ep 3Amputee with an AMI
EChris 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.

Ep 2Shocking Mistakes
ESpence 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.

Ep 1Seize... sure?
EChris and Spencer review a scenario in which a disagreement over a pediatric patient leads to delayed treatment.