Your monthly clinical update from James Oswald (Clinical Practice Guideline Specialist) and A/Prof Ben Meadley (Director of Paramedicine):

Clinical Update

• Warm IV fluid (13:38): Stop warming IV fluids in overhead compartments or with hot water bottles. Risks scalding/superheating. Store in equipment towers only.
• Paediatric distraction (03:26): kits available now. Evidence-based, non-digital active tools work best. Order via iProc. Document use in VACIS.
• Paediatric NIV (9:20): pathways with RCH/Monash/PIPER. Use patient device if feasible; alternatives include Flow-Safe and Zoll Z-Vent. More guidance coming.

Patient safety

• Low acuity, high risk (12:32): Some high-risk patients sit in apparently low acuity cases. Advocate, self-upgrade when risk warrants. Lodge cases in RiskMan.
• Standing height falls (14:49): Standing-height falls in older adults: great feedback from the field, we discuss common themes.

Paper of the Month (19:26): measurable “hyperacute T-wave” definition predicts OMI even without STEMI criteria.

Equipment (21:40): new neonatal BVMs; syringe-holder prototypes to separate RSI meds.

CPD (24:21): short courses and LinkedIn Learning suggestions.

Further resources

• Occlusion myocardial infarction and artificial intelligence
• Hyperacute T-wave definition
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/27536386251371078
• https://shortcourses.rmit.edu.au/collections/all
• https://mbs.edu/short-courses
• https://www.monash.edu/business/corporate-education/short-courses
• Linkedin.com/learning/

Get in touch

James: https://linktr.ee/ClinicalConversations

Ben: X/Twitter⁠ | Linkedin

clinicalguidelines@ambulance.vic.gov.au