Critical Thinking - Advanced Life Support Skills within Paramedic Scope of Practice - Essay Example

Paramedics dash to disasters and crises in ambulances. At the sight of the emergency, paramedics provide first aid treatment for the ill or wounded patients then they rush the patients to the nearest hospital (Bryan, 2003, p. 4). Many individuals owe their lives to these modern-day heroes for if they have not arrived in time, they could have been seriously injured, or worse, they could be dead by now.

Since paramedics can experience any case when they arrive at the scene of the emergency, they must be equipped with the skills in order to save a life in a minimum amount of time. Certain skills mandate that paramedics possess necessary knowledge regarding advanced life support measures such as intubation, cannulation, and dosage as well as the administration of cardiac drugs.

Advanced Life Support as defined by Tintinalli et al (2010) refers to the level of care provided by an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic or EMT-P or even more highly trained personnel such as nurses or physicians (p. 3). ALS level care comprises advanced airway management such as endotracheal intubation, defibrillation, administration of parenteral medications, and cardiac monitoring employing the utilization of advanced medical care equipment (Tintinalli et al, 2010, p. 3).  

Beebe and Myers (2011) highlighted that the paramedics’ top priority is to maintain a patent airway or prevent further complications of trauma (p. 219). If ever a patient manifests signs of airway swelling, such as audible stridor or hoarse voice, this should be attended to immediately. In such cases, aggressive airway control including endotracheal intubation should be regarded as an option (Beebe & Myers, 2011, p. 219).

It is also vital for paramedics to know how to perform cannulation. Cannulation is the insertion of a catheter, such as into a vein to allow fluid flow into the patient’s body (Caroline, 2008, p. 58). Techniques for gaining vascular access include cannulation of a peripheral extremity vein, cannulation of the external jugular vein, and cannulation of the intraosseous space. Although the ultimate goal of vascular access is to be able to administer fluids and medications, each of these techniques requires a different approach and must be practiced frequently for initial and ongoing proficiency (Caroline, 2008, p. 57). The paramedics should also know the variety of intravenous administration sets to be able to utilize the right one in a given situation. Micro drip sets are usually used for medication infusions while macro drip sets are utilized when the patient requires IV boluses to treat dehydration, hypovolemic shock, and other states of hemodynamic instability (Caroline, 2008, p. 57). Moreover, Caroline (2008) stressed that paramedics should be familiar with the various routes of medication administration, including the proper use of the equipment and proper anatomic locations for administration via each route (p. 57).

Paramedics will also monitor physiological parameters in patients who become acutely unwell (Greaves et al, 1997, p. 115). Documentation of the baseline cardiac rhythm, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation will allow the patient’s progress to be monitored and may play a vital role in succeeding management, and in some situations, the results may indicate the need for immediate treatment (Greaves et al, 1997, p. 115).