Credits Hours: 1.00

Course Description:
Medications are constantly being introduced into EMS practice, making it difficult for printed textbooks to stay current. As a result, the wise EMS provider anticipates future changes in protocol and continuously educates himself. This course details medications new to the prehospital environment across the United States and Canada. The medications covered in this course are: vasopressin, amiodarone, etomidate, fentanyl, midazolam, and the neuromuscular blockers.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Identify and describe the pharmacology, prehospital indications, and precautions for the following emergency medications:
  • Vasopressin (ADH)
  • Amiodarone (Cordarone)
  • Etomidate (Amidate)
  • Fentanyl (Sublimaze)
  • Midazolam (Versed)
• Describe the role of vasopressin, in conjunction with epinephrine, in cardiac arrest resuscitation by the paramedic.
• Discuss the role of rapid sequence induction (RSI) agents, such as etomidate, fentanyl, and midazolam.
• Compare and contrast the pharmacology of depolarizing and non-depolarizing neuromuscular-blocking agents commonly used in emergency medicine.