Pharmacology¶
EMT-Basic scope includes six medications plus assisted medications. For each one you need to know: indication, contraindication, dose, route, and when NOT to give it. The when-not-to is what gets tested.
For how medications are authorized (standing orders vs. on-line medical direction) and the two-provider check process, see medication-orders.
Prerequisites: Patient Assessment
Articles¶
| Article | Description |
|---|---|
| oxygen | Universal first drug; indications, delivery devices, flow rates, hypoxic drive caution |
| oral-glucose | Altered mental status in known diabetic who can swallow; never if unresponsive or can't protect airway |
| aspirin | Suspected ACS; 324 mg chewed; contraindicated if aspirin allergy or active GI bleed |
| epinephrine-auto-injector | Anaphylaxis with systemic involvement; 0.3 mg IM; reassess and repeat if needed |
| activated-charcoal | Certain ingested poisons within 1 hour; requires medical direction; multiple contraindications |
| naloxone | Opioid overdose with respiratory depression; IM or intranasal; 0.4–2 mg; may repeat |
| nitroglycerin | Suspected ACS chest pain; 0.4 mg SL; on-line medical control required; most contraindications of any EMT-B drug |
Up next: Oxygen