EMS Care Chapter 22 | Environmental Medical Emergencies 

EMS Care Chapter 22 | Environmental Medical Emergencies comprise a wide variety of patient presentations, from straightforward heat and cold exposure to toxic envenomation and exposure to allergens and noxious plants.  We subsequently explore  in-depth the following lessons:

• Exposure to Extreme Temperatures
• Water-Related Emergencies
• Other Environmental Emergencies

Core Concepts covered :

• To understand the dangers across different environments and the specific injuries associated with each.
• To provide appropriate prehospital care.

Important Notes

• If you only want to take the online course for CME credit, you can pay here.  The fee for online-only does NOT include a skills session nor (re)certification.  You will receive a certificate for CME credit after successful completion of the course.
•  If you sign up for one of those courses, you will be automatically enrolled in this course. Click here for scheduled courses.
• To get credit for this course, you must watch all the lessons in their entirety, the course review, and pass the quiz at the end with a score of 75% or better.

An Excerpt from the course on Environmental Emergencies 

To manage these heat-related emergencies,

• Remove patient from the hot environment.
• Administer oxygen if there are signs of hypoxia or the potential for shock.
• Loosen or remove clothing.
• Put the patient in the supine position.
• Give the patient small sips of water.
• Apply moist towels over cramped muscles.
• Apply cool packs to the neck, groin, and armpit regions
• Check blood glucose level
• Transport the patient

Heatstroke is an emergency because the body’s temperature control mechanisms fail, so the body is unable to get rid of the excess heat. If you’re transporting a patient with heat stroke, inform the receiving facility ahead of time.