Course Breakdown: 2-Hour Self-Paced Course
Credit Awarded: 2 Hours
Credit Type: Advanced
Accredited: CAPCE (F3-Distributive), CE Broker (FL, KY, TN), Pennsylvania Bureau of EMS*, and Virginia Office of EMS
Enrollment Period: One year or until completed, whichever comes first
Topics: Respiratory Emergencies
*PA Bureau of EMS reporting is by Regional Endorsement.
This self-paced course is designed for EMS providers at the ALS and Critical Care levels, focusing on the assessment, differential diagnosis, and management of respiratory emergencies.
- Refine skills in respiratory assessment, including physical examination, auscultation techniques, waveform capnography interpretation, and diagnostic imaging analysis.
- Key topics include pulmonary and cardiovascular causes of respiratory distress, pathophysiology of acute and chronic respiratory conditions, and the role of laboratory studies in diagnosis.
- Specific conditions covered include acute respiratory failure, pneumonia, asthma, COPD, ARDS, pulmonary embolism, and cardiac-related respiratory distress.
Through case-based discussions and advanced airway management considerations, this course emphasizes a systematic approach to rapidly identifying and treating life-threatening respiratory conditions. By the end of the course, providers will have enhanced their clinical decision-making abilities, ensuring optimal patient outcomes in prehospital and critical care settings.