36 AUGUST 2017 | EMSWORLD.com
I
n the cadaver lab of the University
of Texas Southwestern Center for
Emergency Health Sciences Program
in Dallas, a small group of top EMS
medical directors gathered to examine
emerging advances in medical resuscitative
technologies. Held one day before the
February Gathering of Eagles conference,
this conclave was deemed the Emerging
Acute Resuscitative Technologies in
Healthcare (EARTH) Symposium.
With the program put together by Craig
Manifold, DO, EMS medical director, EARTH
displayed some of the latest and greatest
devices currently being implemented in EMS
agencies, as well as those being trialed for
prehospital emergency medicine use.
"We are trying to look at technology
t h at h a s i m m e d i ate p o te n ti al f o r
implementation," Manifold said.
Each of the technologies was presented
by the manufacturer's representative,
or in some cases by the inventor himself.
Manifold asked that each presentation be
accompanied by an unbiased physician
commentary about how this could apply
to EMS practice both in-hospital and pre-
hospital.
The symposium was deemed a success
by attendees, and there appeared to be a
palpable sense of excitement. Joe Holley,
MD, medical director of the Memphis Fire
Department, remarked: "As important as it
is to be introduced to these devices, even
more important is the proper training." Peter
Antevy, MD, EMS medical director for several
agencies in Florida, voiced a feeling shared
by his fellow Eagles: "If this were the Oprah
Winfrey show, we'd all get to take something
home!" he said.
Following is an in-depth look at four of
these technologies.
EMERGING
TECHNOLOGIES IN EMS
The EARTH Symposium rolls out the next generation of
medical resuscitative devices
By Hilary Gates, MEd, NRP
Photos courtesy Hilary Gates