In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a respiratory emergency for transport, and 5) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a cardiovascular emergency for transport. 6) describe the most common neurologic and endocrine emergencies and what you can do for them as an EMT.
This course is part of the Become an EMT Specialization
Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
Offered By
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
13 hours to complete
Pharmacology Basics
At the end of this module, you will be able to: 1) apply a systematic approach of patient assessment specifically to a patient with a medical complaint, 2) explain the basic principles of pharmacology including forms of medications, routes of medication administration, and to define the basic components of a drug profile and, 3) organize the appropriate steps when administering any medication including the five rights, premedication evaluation and post administration evaluation.
9 videos (Total 40 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes
9 videos
Medical Assessment4m
Primary and Secondary Assessment5m
Pharmacology Basics7m
Medication Administration8m
General Assessment3m
Epinephrine Auto-injector1m
Intramuscular Medication Administration2m
Intranasal Medication Administration3m
3 readings
About Us: Become an EMT Specialization Team at Denver Health Paramedics5m
Course Information15m
NREMT Medical Assessment25m
2 practice exercises
Course Disclaimer2m
Pharmacology Basics Assessment30m
Week
23 hours to complete
Airway and Breathing
Assessment of and management of the airway is critical in patient care. This module is all about the airway. In this module you will 1) identify the most important anatomic and physiologic portions of the respiratory system, 2) distinguish between normal and abnormal in the setting of airway and breathing 3) learn how and when to use the various tools you will have as an EMT to stabilize or improve the respiratory conditions in diverse patients.
14 videos (Total 68 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
14 videos
Airway and Breathing - Part 25m
Assessment of Airway9m
MOANS4m
Breathing and Respiratory Equipment7m
Opening an Airway6m
Airway Medications5m
Management of the Airway6m
Big Valve Mask (BVM)4m
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)3m
Head Tilt - Chin Lift - Jaw Thrust1m
Nasopharyngeal Airway (NPA)1m
Oropharyngeal Airway (OPA)1m
Oxygen Administration3m
5 readings
Airway and Breathing10m
Assessment of Airway10m
Assessment of Airway20m
NREMT Big Valve Mask (BVM) Of an Apneic Adult Patient15m
NREMT Oxygen Administration By Non-Rebreather Mask15m
1 practice exercise
Airway and Breathing Assessment30m
Week
32 hours to complete
Respiratory Emergencies
In this module, we will dig a little deeper into the respiratory system now that you have an overview of how this system works and its importance. By the end of this module you will 1) start to classify types of symptoms and triage them on scene 2) distinguish between an upper and lower airway issues 3) Develop the framework to assess acute and chronic respiratory diseases. 4) Work through the primary and secondary surveys you will perform when faced with a patient with many different respiratory complaints.
10 videos (Total 47 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
10 videos
Asthma5m
Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis4m
Other Respiratory Emergencies - Part 16m
Other Respiratory Emergencies - Part 23m
Respiratory Assessment5m
Assessment of Respiratory Complaint4m
Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI)3m
Nebulizer4m
Suction5m
3 readings
Airway Trouble20m
Asthma10m
Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis20m
1 practice exercise
Respiratory Emergencies Assessment30m
Week
42 hours to complete
Cardiovascular Emergencies
In this module we cover a system closely related to the respiratory system- the cardiovascular system. In this module you will learn 1) the intricacies of the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system. 2) a few of the most common diseases that affect the cardiovascular system 3) how to approach and assess patients with cardiac complaints with an emphasis on patients with possible acute coronary syndromes 4) the differences in treatment for various cardiac complaints.
13 videos (Total 58 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
13 videos
Cardiac Conduction2m
Cardiac Contraction5m
Vascular System3m
Blood2m
Cardiac Pathology5m
Atypical Chest Pain and Other Cardiac Pathologies3m
Cardiac Arrest3m
Treatment of ACS - Part 16m
Treatment of ACS - Part 22m
Heart Failure5m
Syncope6m
Blood Pressure7m
2 readings
Cardiac Auscultation30m
Cardiac Conduction10m
2 practice exercises
Cardiovascular Emergencies Practice Assessment6m
Cardiovascular Emergencies Assessment30m
Instructors
Angela Wright, MD
EMS FellowEmergency Department
Whitney Barrett, MD
Assistant ProfessorEmergency Medicine
Arthur Pliaconis
ParamedicDenver Health Paramedic Division
Kathrine Lopez
ParamedicDenver Health Paramedic Division
About University of Colorado System
The University of Colorado is a recognized leader in higher education on the national and global stage. We collaborate to meet the diverse needs of our students and communities. We promote innovation, encourage discovery and support the extension of knowledge in ways unique to the state of Colorado and beyond.
About the Become an EMT Specialization
Health care is an exciting and ever growing profession that can take you many different directions. You can apply the fundamentals you learn here about emergent patient care, stabilization, and disease processes toward becoming an EMT or further health care pursuits. In this specialization you will learn to care for stable and unstable patients before they get to a hospital, how to identify time sensitive diseases, and medical and traumatic conditions that affect both adults and pediatric patients.
Course 1 ensures you can assess a scene and prepare to provide care, understand the framework for patient assessment, history of emergency medical services, and the personal requirements to be an EMT. Course 2 addresses airway, breathing and circulation, medications and medication administration that EMTs are allowed to provide, and how to identify a patient having a stroke or diabetic emergency. Course 3 covers skills related to high performance CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, toxicology, and wilderness emergency medicine. Course 4 will offer skills for trauma emergencies and Course 5 focuses pregnancy, infants and pediatrics.
Essential skills are demonstrated throughout the specialization. Finally, apply the course materials to real patient scenarios in the Capstone to help prepare you for national registry testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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