EMS Protocols Quick Guide – Medical
Allergic Reactions
Refer to Handtevy™ for pediatric dosing.
- Mild Symptoms (skin only):
- Administer Diphenhydramine 50 mg IV/IM over 2 minutes.
- Moderate/Severe Symptoms (2 or more body systems, airway involvement, hypotension):
- Administer Epinephrine 1:1,000 0.3 mL IM in the mid anterolateral thigh. May repeat once in 5 minutes PRN.
- Administer Diphenhydramine 50 mg IV/IO/IM over 2 minutes.
- Administer Methylprednisolone 40 mg IV/IO/IM.
- Administer Albuterol 5 mg nebulized. Repeat at 2.5 mg up to 3 times as needed.
- Refractory Anaphylaxis (refractory to above or for peri-arrest state):
- Administer push-dose Epinephrine 1:100,000 1 mL IV/IO every minute (10 mcg/min), max dose 30 mL.
Diabetic Emergencies
Refer to Handtevy™ for pediatric dosing.
- Hypoglycemia (blood glucose < 70 mg/dL):
- Administer D10W 100 mL IV bolus. Recheck blood glucose and repeat up to 3 boluses at 50 mL increments (total 250 mL).
- If IV access unobtainable, administer Glucagon 1 mg IM/IN.
- Hyperglycemia (blood glucose > 300 mg/dL with dehydration, vomiting, abdominal pain, DKA):
- Administer NS 500 mL bolus. May repeat once.
Suspected Opiate Toxicity
Refer to Handtevy™ for pediatric dosing.
- Treatment:
- Administer Naloxone 0.5 mg IV/IM/IO/IN. Repeat every 2 minutes to achieve desired effect (max dose 6 mg).
- Desired Effect:
- Patent airway with spontaneous RR ≥ 10 bpm.
- SpO2 ≥ 94% (with or without supplemental O2).
- ETCO2 < 45 mmHg.
- Special Considerations:
- Document if law enforcement or other entities administered Naloxone prior to EMS arrival.
- Contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC if patient refuses transport after receiving Naloxone.
Naloxone Leave-Behind
- Consider Leave-Behind Kit:
- If patient refuses transport after suspected opiate overdose reversal.
- If responsible family member/friend is present who agrees to call 911 in overdose emergency.
- Distribution:
- Educate individual receiving the kit on its contents.
- Document distribution in ePCR under medications.
Hyperkalemia
Refer to Handtevy™ for pediatric dosing.
- Suspect Hyperkalemia:
- History of acute or chronic renal failure and/or on dialysis.
- EKG abnormalities: peaked T-waves, new onset heart blocks, wide QRS, sine wave, regular really-wide complex tachycardia.
- Treatment:
- Administer Calcium Chloride 1 g IV/IO. Flush line thoroughly after administration.
- Administer Albuterol 2.5 mg via nebulizer. Continuous treatment for total dose of 15 mg.
Seizures
Refer to Handtevy™ for pediatric dosing.
- Protect Patient: Prevent injury during seizure activity.
- Witnessed Seizure Onset:
- Administer Midazolam 2.5 mg IV/IM/IN bolus. Repeat every 5 minutes until seizure resolves (max 4 doses).
- Unwitnessed Seizure Onset (still seizing on arrival) OR Repeated Convulsive Seizures w/o Regaining Consciousness:
- Administer Midazolam 10 mg IM once.
- Contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC if seizure activity persists.
- Additional Care:
- Initiate cooling measures if febrile.
- Measure blood glucose in all patients with seizure or altered LOC.
Drowning
Refer to Handtevy™ for pediatric dosing.
- Initial Assessment:
- Remove patient from water.
- Apply spinal motion restriction if indicated.
- Consider hypothermia. Remove wet clothing and keep warm with blankets.
- Treatment:
- For cardiac arrest, proceed to appropriate protocol in Section 2.
- Insert nasogastric tube for abdominal distention.
- If wheezing/bronchospasm, treat per Respiratory Distress Protocol 4.6.
- If pulmonary edema or rales are present and SpO2 < 94%, use CPAP per Airway Management Protocol 1.4.
- Contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC for patients refusing treatment/transport with symptoms beyond a cough (e.g., rales, hypoxia, foam in airway, hypotension).
- Transport:
- Patients > 15 years with ROSC: Transport to local Resource Hospital.
- Patients ≤ 15 years with ROSC: Transport to ACH or TGH by helicopter if possible, or ground transport to closest Resource Hospital.
Obstetrical
- Obtain Obstetrical History:
- Number of pregnancies and deliveries.
- Miscarriages.
- Duration of current pregnancy.
- Ruptured membranes, contractions.
- Known complications of pregnancy.
- Management of Normal Delivery:
- Support baby’s head over perineum with gentle pressure.
- Tear amniotic sac if covering head after it emerges.
- Guide head down to allow delivery of anterior shoulder.
- Deliver other shoulder by gentle upward traction.
- Deliver remainder of infant slowly.
- Clamp cord after 1-3 minutes, 6 inches from infant’s abdomen.
- Cut cord between clamps.
- Record APGAR scores at 1 and 5 minutes.
- Suction only if airway obstruction or positive pressure ventilation required.
- Dry and warm infant, wrap in towel, place on maternal chest.
- Allow placenta to deliver spontaneously.
- Keep infant warm and transport per Policy 004 – Hospital Destination.
- Umbilical Cord Around Neck:
- Unwrap or slip cord from neck if possible.
- If unable to free cord, clamp with two clamps and cut between them.
- Shoulder Dystocia:
- Hyperflex mother’s hips to severe supine knee-chest position.
- Apply firm suprapubic pressure to dislodge shoulder.
- Apply high-flow oxygen to mother.
- Contact receiving hospital.
- Transport ASAP.
- Contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC as needed.
- Prolapsed Umbilical Cord:
- Gently lift head/body off cord. Assess for pulsations in cord.
- Place mother in knee-chest position.
- Apply high-flow oxygen to mother.
- Contact receiving hospital.
- Transport ASAP.
- Breech Birth:
- Allow buttocks and trunk to deliver spontaneously, then support body while head is delivered.
- If head fails to deliver, create open airway with gloved hand.
- Apply high-flow oxygen to mother.
- Transport immediately if arm or leg presents through vagina.
- Contact receiving hospital.
- Assess for prolapsed cord.
- Excessive Bleeding:
- Treat for shock: NS 1 L IV/IO to maintain SBP > 90 mmHg (repeat once, max 2 L).
- Contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC if hypotension persists.
- Loosely place trauma pads over vagina to stop flow. DO NOT pack the vagina.
- Contact receiving hospital.
- Transport ASAP.
Hyperactive Delirium with Severe Agitation
Refer to Handtevy™ for pediatric dosing.
- Safety: Ensure physical safety of patient, others, and EMS crew.
- Inclusion Criteria:
- Danger to self or others.
- Lack of decisional capacity and uncooperative, agitated, violent.
- Assessment:
- Ensure behavior is not due to underlying metabolic disorder (hypoglycemia, hypoxia).
- Treatment:
- Administer Midazolam 5 mg IM/IN or 2.5 mg IV AND Haloperidol 5 mg IM.
- If additional sedation is required, contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC.
- Special Considerations:
- Continuous EKG, SpO2, and ETCO2 monitoring for patients with physical or chemical restraints.
- Never restrain or transport patient in prone position.
- Remove restraints when safe.
- Request law enforcement assistance as needed.
- If symptoms believed to be anxiety only, contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC.
Pain Management
Refer to Handtevy™ for pediatric dosing.
- Monitoring:
- Continuous SpO2 and ETCO2 monitoring.
- Document at least 3 sets of vitals and pain level.
- Moderate/Severe Pain:
- Hydromorphone: 1 mg IV/IM/IO every 10 minutes as needed (max 3 doses). Contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC if more pain control required.
- OR Fentanyl:
- Large frame: 100 mcg IV/IO/IM.
- Medium frame: 75 mcg IV/IO/IM.
- Small frame: 50 mcg IV/IO/IM
- Repeat every 10 minutes as needed, titrating to pain relief (max 3 doses). Contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC if more pain control required.
- Alternative
- If IV/IO not feasible, administer Hydromorphone 2 mg IM/IN every 10 minutes as needed (max 3 doses). Contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC if more pain control required.
- Avoid Hydromorphone or Fentanyl in patients with respiratory
- If patient is unresponsive or cannot follow commands, contact EMS Operations Captain for OLMC before pain medications.
Sepsis
- Criteria: Infection + ≥2:
- Temp >100.4°F – <96.8°F,
- RR >20
- HR >90
- SBP <90
- ETCO2 <25.
- Treatment:
- NS 500 mL bolus; repeat as needed.
- Push-dose epinephrine for refractory hypotension.