Kevin Wetherbee, AAS/EMS, NRP, FP-C, Author at DistanceCME

About Kevin Wetherbee, AAS/EMS, NRP, FP-C

Kevin Wetherbee, AS, NRP, EMS-I, began his EMS career right out of high school in upstate New York in 1984. He became a paramedic in 1986 and has worked in some form of EMS system since that time. He has experience in 911, non-emergent transport, emergency room care, inter-facility transport, critical care transport and industrial EMS. He currently instructs for DistanceCME, is a critical care medic operating in Columbia, SC, and is an educational subcontractor for the Teleflex corporation, providing emergency medicine device education throughout the country. He is a continuing education program administrator in South Carolina as well as an instructor in CPR, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, AMLS and CEVO courses. He has earned his Associates of Applied Sciences degree in Emergency Medical Services and graduated with high honors from Corning Community College in Corning, NY.

The Workhorse of the Human Body: How the Human Heart is a Behind the Scenes Hero

Most of us give little thought to how consistent and reliable the human heart is. Without an effectively pumping heart, the human body ceases to function and can die physiologically within minutes. Some organs can tolerate a lack of blood flow better than others. Vital organs such as the brain, the kidneys, the heart, and the liver are the most rapidly affected by a lack or decrease in blood flow while other organs of the body can tolerate a lack perfusion for a longer period of time. The heart is considered “the pump’ of the circulatory system and without a consistently functioning pump, the human body cannot perform adequately to sustain life.

The EZ-IO You Think You Know Part 4

In the previous articles, we talked about the indications, contraindications, use, landmarking, insertion and maintenance of the EZ-IO vascular access system. In this final installment, we will cover insertion in the pediatric patient, pain control and removal of the device. As stated earlier, this device like all other medical devices, has limitations. No medical device fits [...]

The EZ-IO that you think you know Part 3

In parts 1 and 2 of this series, we have outlined the indications, contraindications, medications that can be infused through and IO, needle size selection and driver characteristics. Now lets unpack how to landmark for EZ-IO insertion. As stated in Part 2, the ends of long bones contain a large amount of red blood cells (RBC) [...]

The EZ-IO You Think You Know: Part 2

In part one of this series we talked about the indications, contraindications, MRI conditional compatibility and what medications can be administered via an intraosseous route. Today we will further unpack the specific needle sizes, driver options, usage and potential anatomic sites for insertion using the EZ-IO system. As stated earlier, intraosseous access should be reserved [...]

The EZ-IO that you think you know Part 1

For years, intraosseous (IO) access has been considered the “hail mary, last ditch effort” of vascular access. The procedure was often only utilized after all other repeated intravenous (IV) attempts had proven unsuccessful. What if intraosseous access could be utilized earlier? What if we could prevent the dynamic downward spiral that often accompanies multiple unsuccessful [...]

EMS Agenda 2050, Did you hear about it?

Hang around any EMS advisory council meeting or attend a few local, State or Federal EMS symposiums and eventually you may hear some talk about the EMS Agenda 2050. So what is all the fuss about and how does it affect me now and in the future? EMS Agenda 2050 has been described as a [...]

Do you know about NCCP 2025 yet?

OK, so you decide to finally look up how much continuing education hours you have either accrued or need to successfully re certify your National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification using the continuing education option. Being in EMS, one thing we are all good at is waiting until the last minute to check [...]

Too Hot To Handle

Thermal burns occur with alarming frequency. Nearly a half a million americans suﬀer burn injuries severe enough to require specialized burn care annually. Of those, approximately 3500 adults and children suﬀer fatal burns, this works out to just under 10 fatalities per day. Add that to the number of individuals who suﬀer smoke inhalation or [...]

The Pancreas: A Story of Pulling Double Duty

Most healthcare providers, when asked would equate the role of the pancreas with blood sugar regulation. While true, this fact was unknown until the late 19th century. The pancreas’ role in blood sugar regulation was initially discovered by Dr. Oscar Minkowski and Dr Joseph VonMering much by accident. These two researchers were studying the role of [...]

What A Shock! – History of the Modern Pacemaker

The History of the Modern Pacemaker and Symptomatic Bradycardia The year was 1952 and Paul Zoll introduced the first transcutaneous cardiac pacemaker to treat symptomatic bradycardia. Six years later, the first successful implantation of a pacemaker was performed in Sweden on Arne Larsson by performing a thoracotomy and suturing 2 epicardial electrodes to the heart. [...]

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