(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best emergency medical services books

My flight program requires that our medics obtain these certifications - so I have had to help out many of them getting through these exams.

What I can recommend is a multi-angled approach.

First, consider a review book - this will just provide an outline of what material is testable. Of the ones I've looked at, the The Resource and Study Guide for Critical Care Clinicians is the best one of the ones I've seen. Expensive though.

Next you'll need an actual text to help fill in the blanks. Critical Care Transport 2ed is a solid text - and this edition is brand new. Honestly though, if you can get an older edition for cheap, I'd just do that.

Critical Care Transport Core Cirriculum is an intriguing book - joint project between ASTNA and the IAFCCP. I haven't seen it personally, but I've heard good things, and it's also quite pricy.

Next I would consider a mechanical ventilation text - the vent section of most CCT textbooks is pretty scant. I enjoy the FlightBridge vent text - Ventilator Management: A Pre-Hospital Perspective.

Next you'll want something with lots of practice questions. For this I like the IAFCCP practice text: IAFCCP Critical Care Exam Review. There are other ones, like the well known Will Wingfield book which are also worthwhile. You can't go wrong with lots of practice questions.

Don't forget the riveting CAMTS 10th Edition Guidelines. Read those. Try not to fall asleep.

Finally, podcasts - consider podcasts specifically from FlightBridge as you mentioned, but also Meducation Specialists. They both provide lots of great info and each have a series speaking specifically to exams.

Hopefully this gives you a good start.

Good luck!

I have a few options. Since you don't seem to be trying to pass any practical exams some may not be as good.

First best is if they are in school or have one went to they have hired tutors that will be able to run through their scenario bank.

Next is books such as this:

http://www.amazon.com/Assessment-Practice-Scenarios-American-Orthopaedic/dp/0763778206/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A1WYV72S9AWPSWZ7F98

or this:

http://www.amazon.com/EMS-Scenarios-Studies-Prehospital-Providers/dp/0763755559/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=12KYQ7GHFSWKPB55XNWT

As I'm sure you know by google, there is an EMS forum where they have Medics run scenarios in text form. This may be good for you since you seem to be looking for just scenarios to read to rookies.

http://emtlife.com/forums/scenarios.15/

Lastly is BLS level scenarios from http://www.emtb.com/9e/interactivities.cfm under ambulance calls and 911 activities.

If you are super into this or plan on churning out rookies for awhile I think best bet is a book of scenarios, if just looking for downtime fun I'd go with just typing out/printing off a few sets from the emtlife threads.

my advice is this;

Do you really know your National Registry sheets by heart? Can you, on the spot, recite that sheet for a trauma patient or a medical patient word for word? Most questions on the NREMT can be answered by thinking about which answer comes first on the sheet. My other advice is to make sure you really understand how the body works. Having a good grasp of this is a must and it will really help you think weird things through.

Also, you are not getting your EMT-B just to become a firefighter. Firefighters are EMT's and paramedics. Medical calls are going to be your job, you are literally getting the license that will matter the most on 70% or more of your calls.

That being said I found going through this book and taking the pre-tests really helped me and most of the NREMT questions where very similar.

http://www.amazon.com/Barrons-EMT-Exam-Emergency-Technician/dp/0764139371

Good Luck!

Here's a few more links to things I also found on Amazon

• EMT Flashcard book
  
• 12-Lead ECG: The Art of Interpretation (We used this book during my cardiology semester of Paramedic school)
  
• EMS Pocket Drug Guide
  
• BLS Field Guide
  
• ALS Field Guide
  
• Emergency & Critical Care Pocket Guide
  
• PALS Pocket Reference Card
  
• A Quick Study Guide
  
• A book called "Fresh Out of EMT School" (I haven't read it but all of the reviews were positive and said it was helpful)
  
• A book called "Lights and Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic (Also haven't read this one, but I was recommended it and have heard good things)

> Going around waving "principles" in a professional's face will get you laughed out.

While you're right about the ethics of the physicians involved at Gitmo, this does not apply to your local doctor. There has been a huge movement within medicine about improving physician-patient interactions. Key to this is a healthy respect for patient autonomy. I'll spare you the lecture but yes, doctors generally DO care about patient rights and DO care about "principles"

For example, in emergency medicine the unofficial motto is "Anyone, Anything, Anytime"

Tidy's Physiotherapy is a good general text.

As for other things you could do to prepare I would suggest:

a) Try and hone your musculoskeletal anatomy as sharp as possible, literally the more you know the easier your first year will be. Prioritise memorising the articulating bones and bony points, and muscles and their attachments and you will have a massive headstart on everyone else.

b) Similar for physiology - prioritise cardiovascular system, respiratory system, musculoskeletal, and CNS in broad terms.

The Physiotherapist's Pocket Book is a good resource for what kind of things to learn by rote - and lists a lot of very useful essential knowledge, but is designed for people who already know and just need reminding rather than learning from.

c) Dip into neurology a bit further and start familiarising yourself with some concepts, as this may be the area most different from exercise science. Basic neuroanatomy and reading about some common disorders (MS, CVA, Parkinsons).

d) Get used to palpation and generally being 'hands-on'. You will become very intimate with your fellow students - the quicker you lose any nerves the more you will get out of it.

e) Visit and shadow some physiotherapists if possible - creating a rapport with patients is half the job and you can learn a lot from observing, particularly body-language, patter, what questions to ask and how to frame them. Depending on your course you may not be going on placement in the first term, but the people skills needed are very difficult to learn from a book.

The most useful books other than the above for me were basic medical anatomy and physiology textbooks which you may know already. I used Tortora and Sherwood, but there are other similar and just as good. Instead of buying one of those tomes it may be better to browse a library for a more specific text when you need it, though.

I think that AMLS was a great course/book! The website even states:
>(AMLS) is the leading prehospital advanced medical assessment and treatment program that offers a "think outside the box" diagnosis methodology...

Even if the course is out of the question, I would recommend picking up a copy of the book to read. I'm afraid I don't know many other resources regarding DDx besides the one I mentioned. Good luck!

a good resource to have on hand is Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease: The Layman's Gide to Available Antibacterials in Austere Settings Amazon Link

There is a great section on different kinds of antibiotics and their applications in the book. We reviewed the list with a Nurse Practioner friend, ordered a variety (emphasis on the ones she recommended as broad-spectrum or commonly used) from a fish mox supplier. We then vacuum sealed them and store them in the freezer.

Just a note - we do NOT take antibiotics regularly; we are far from abusers. That's probably why our friend was willing to make recommendations for our stash.

Probably best resource would be to corner an anesthesiologist and harass them for their secret tubing black magic.

I don't own it, but I've thumbed through Management of the Difficult and Failed Airway a few times and it seems like a pretty good book. Second edition is pretty pricey even used, but looks like you can pick up a used copy of the first edition for about $20 shipped.

Emergency Medicine Secrets or Tintinalli's pocket size edition

I like the former for studying - it's presented in a Q/A fashion in nice concise chapters. Great read for MS4 and intern year. The latter is a good pocket reference for use when you're on your EM rotation.

edit: formatting

I understand how much the BLS sucks, but in times like this, it does come in handy. Let's break down your vague abdo pain call like you described as above. You finish your OPQRST and SAMPLE in about 30 secs, now what.

> 1. consider potential life/limb/function threats, such as,

>a. leaking or ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm,


>b. ectopic pregnancy,

Any chance of pregnancy? G? P? Last menstrual period?
>c. other non-abdominal disorders that may present with abdominal pain, including:


>i. diabetic ketoacidosis, and

Perform glucometry
>ii. pulmonary embolism,

SOB and CP related questioning.
>d. perforated or obstructed hollow organs with or without peritonitis,

>e. acute pancreatitis,

Infection related questioning; fever, chills, NV.

>f. testicular torsion,

>g. pelvic infection, and

>h. strangulated hernia;

Bowel movements, passing gas?

>2. perform, at a minimum, a secondary survey to assess the abdomen for,
i. pulsations,
ii. scars,
iii. discolouration,
iv. distention,
v. masses,
vi. guarding,
vii. rigidity, and
viii. tenderness;


Truth is it takes time to develop your own way to run a call, and that includes your lines of questioning. The BLS is a good resource to get you moving in the right direction. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine Manual is also an amazing resource I also recommend.

Good luck out on the road!

EMS Documentation is a fairly good text, but try to have the station/company buy a copy rather than you shelling out your own money. Ultimately when you're done with it I'm sure others will be interested in reading it as well so it's nice to have one laying around quarters.

When do you ship? I ship on Aug 13.

I bought this one bc its recently published and cheap with good ratings:
http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Medical-Technician-Practice-Preparation/dp/0738610062/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368246529&sr=8-2&keywords=emt+basic


But other good ones are (buy it used to save :p):

http://www.amazon.com/McGraw-Hills-EMT-Basic-Second-Edition-DiPrima/dp/0071751270/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1368246529&sr=8-4&keywords=emt+basic

http://www.amazon.com/SUCCESS-EMT-Basic-Edition-Joseph-Mistovich/dp/0132253968/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1368246529&sr=8-5&keywords=emt+basic

A bit late to the party, sorry. I'm doing MCEM.

It's a good exam, reasonably clinically oriented, relevant and up-to-date. The curriculum is pretty clear and there are some decent revision materials out there (but unfortunately nothing compared to what's available for MRCP or Primary FRCA).

I sat Part A twice, mostly because I didn't take it seriously the first time round. I revised from the Oxford Revision Notes Series (Part A & Part B) with practice questions from Get Through.

ACE-SAT: https://www.amazon.com/Aeromedical-Certification-Examinations-Self-Assessment-Test/dp/061519124X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468868935&sr=8-1&keywords=ace-sat

ASTNA Patient Transport: PRinciples and Practice https://www.amazon.com/ASTNA-Patient-Transport-Principles-Practice/dp/0323057497/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468868951&sr=8-1&keywords=astna

Critical Care Transport: https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Transport-American-Orthopaedic-Surgeons/dp/1449642586

Those three books were the majority of my study material going in to (successfully) taking the FP-C exam.

The two pieces of flight medicine you'll need are the flight physiology and the critical care medicine. The flight physiology is pretty straightforward. Gas laws, pressures, altitudes, FAA regulations, and so forth. The critical care medicine is a lot more—you'll need the knowledge of an ICU nurse: lots of drips, lab values, central line pressures, and more.

All stuff well worth knowing.

makes up nonsense in a triggered tantrum
I will gladly take care of my own stitches, on my own body, thanks.
''Stitch Yourself Shut- Surgery at Home.''
http://www.instructables.com/id/Stich-Yourself-Shut-Sugery-at-home/
You don't have to be a holy religious icon doctor god to stitch yourself up, or your kids for that matter. Ask any farming family in the real world, hundreds of miles from the hospital. Mock the military field medic who is a deadbeat for helping wounded soldiers in the field as a ''deadbeat''.
Learning how to be valuable in case of emergency is ''being a deadbeat'' hurr durr.
Warning to all redditors... You are not smart enough to read this book. Only doctors are.
https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Medic-Reference-United-States/dp/0763735639
Or this one https://www.amazon.com/68W-Advanced-Field-Craft-Combat/dp/0763786594/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3WJB56SV0TSHY8F8MSAC
Make sure you have no knowledge of any medical care, as a parent, because being educated about medical care is being a ''deadbeat''.
Now you tantrum again and sling insults.

Former combat medic (68w) here. That bag is ate up but it's true that the supplies are basically what we use. You can't get the same hands on training we get but you can get the book they give us to train with 68W Advanced Field Craft: Combat Medic Skills.

Here's a link to a guide book on Amazon.

If you click on the 'look inside button' you can at least see the table of contents...

This is literally the textbook we use in school.