Various types of medical professionals are capable of assisting individuals in an emergency field situation. The first responder is the initial professional arriving on the scene of an incident and typically has experience in rudimentary first aid. An ambulance or flight team will be the first or second set of professionals to reach the scene. They include the ambulance or helicopter operator, and one or more emergency medical technicians (EMT's). The EMT certification levels fall within three categories: basic, intermediate, and paramedic. Depending on the level of certification, technicians are capable of performing the following actions:
Automated Defibrillation
Spinal Injury Care
Oxygen Therapy
IV Application
Basic First Aid
Shots
Advanced Breathing Treatments
Drug Administration
Cardiac Monitoring
An "EMT - Basic" cannot perform IV application or give shots, whereas intermediate or paramedic levels have an enhanced scope of treatment capabilities. Professionals with the ability to administer an IV have the option of using an EMT blood warmer to decrease application risks and increase individual comfort. This device quickly warms an administered fluid to match the internal core body temperature of a patient to prevent a sudden heat decrease in situations where a large quantity of blood or solution must be given in a limited timeframe. EMS medical equipment such as this has improved field treatment options for traumatic emergencies.
EMS Medical Equipment: What Features are Essential?
Why is a warmer an important piece of EMS medical equipment during initial field care or while transporting an individual? The significance lies in what a warmer is capable of preventing as a person receives immediate care. Hypothermia is a dangerous condition that has the capability to quickly degrade the overall condition of an individual. This condition is likely in any situation where extensive fluid volumes are supplied to a patient in a rapid manner. Surgery, trauma care, field treatment, and blood transfusions are a few of the situations where this device is often necessary. An EMT blood warmer keeps the temperature of ingoing fluids within an acceptable range for continued comfort and prevention of internal body heat reductions. If these devices are not applied, a patient will suffer a fast temperature reduction that leads to hypothermia or cardiac issues.
The onset of hypothermia reduces the chance of stabilization and recovery for a patient. It takes time away from these processes by further degrading the present condition of an individual. EMS medical equipment like warmers is an affordable and easy to implement option for avoiding these scenarios in the field or within a facility. Heating devices have these specific qualities for making field applications quick and convenient:
Portable
Disposable
Quick Heating
Dependable Battery Power
Fast Setup
Minimal Training
They are small enough to be stored on any emergency vehicle and light enough to be carried to any field location. Professionals are now able to apply every necessary aspect of care at the time of arrival rather than deal with diminished treatment quality due to equipment restrictions. EMT blood warmer design alterations have permanently enhanced the abilities of response personnel and supply each patient with a better chance of having a rapid and complete recovery.