I rarely create posts that point directly to another post, but I’m making an exception. Every once in a while I come across a post so phenomenally useful that I just have to point it out and share it. Recently Kevin Pho, M.D. of the KevinMD blog (pictured left) posted just that type of post on his blog. The post, written by Carolyn Thomas, shares the first person descriptions of dozens of women who have had heart attacks.
Why is this so useful to my EMT and paramedic readership? Right now, 43% of your female patients who are experiencing heart attacks will present with no chest pain. Chest pain may be the “classic sign” of a heart attack in men, but women are a different story. Female patients are twice as likely to have their heart attacks misdiagnosed by a physician. How many will slip by your assessment skills undiagnosed?
Here’s my suggestion. Check out this post, “Heart Attack Symptoms in Women, In Their Own Words” over at KevinMD.com. Read these excerpts from real female heart attack patients, describing what their heart attack felt like to them. I think you’ll find it a surprising, interesting and informative exercise.
By now, you’ve most likely heard the reports of a possible swine flu pandemic and maybe you’ve even fielded a few questions from concerned friends and neighbors. As always, The EMT Spot aims to keep you updated on what you need to know to do your job safely.
The latest strain of swine flu is an influenza type A virus. (H1N1) These viruses emerge from 
the shared pool of influenza viruses that occasionally transfer from birds (avian flu), to humans (common flu), to pigs (swine flu). Each time we trade these viruses back and forth between humans and animals, the viruses have an opportunity to mutate. The new strains may be more contagious than the last and may respond differently to antivirals. (But not necessarily.) Currenty the CDC is recomending Oseltamivir and Zanamivir for this strain of virus.
As of today the virus has killed 68 people in Mexico and sickened over one thousand more. Now the illness has jumped the boarder and appears to be spreading fairly rapidly across the U.S. At the time of this writing 20 cases have been confirmed by the CDC within the U.S. starting in California and moving to Texas. The list of confirmed cases now includes New York, Kansas and Ohio.
What to look for in your patients
Swine flu presents like a common respiratory influenza. Patients will present with common flu symptoms that can vary significantly in severity from one person to the next. Look for productive or dry cough, fever, chills, body aches, sore throat and fatigue. There have been some reports of GI symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
Swine flu may precipitate significant respiratory distress, especially in patients with underlying respiratory conditions or those with compromised immune systems like HIV patients and patients receiving chemotherapy.
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