Tamingthesru
Lessons in Transport - Cognitive Biases in Critical Care Transport
As critical care transport professionals we are often perceived as an action oriented specialty. We frequently pride ourselves on procedural excellence and efficiency. (a difficult intubation, or fast scene-time etc.) However, the reality is that we spend the vast majority of our patient care time engaged in cognitive behavior... in THINKING rather than acting!
Because of this, it is imperative that we make every possible effort to understand how we think while caring for others. In addition, we should be aware of some of the cognitive biases that threaten our thinking processes, decision making, and thus the patients who place their trust in us.
Drill, Baby, Drill
You need access? You need access right now? Drill, baby drill.
The EZ-IO is pretty ridiculously easy to use. The only real decision points in its use are what site to choose (humeral vs tibial) and what needle to use (pink, blue, or yellow). There are a couple of other nuances which we will cover below and in the embedded video.
Ultrasound in HEMS
Critics out there may slight the use of ultrasound in the prehospital environment, saying it is just going to delay patient transfer and won’t add much to your decision making. However, when used properly, the ultrasound should never delay patient care and, when used in the correct patient population, it could help greatly in both decision making and treatment. Let’s first talk about when to use it. The logistics of this may be a bit tricky.