Podcast 169 - EVD Transport Logistics w/ Alaina Martini
Listen now
Description
Alaina Martini, a flight nurse at Allegheny Life Flight, shares her expertise on transporting patients with external ventricular drains (EVDs). She explains the indications for EVD insertion, such as aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and obstructive hydrocephalus. Alaina discusses the importance of assessing the color and texture of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to detect changes and potential rebleeding. She also explains the process of inserting the EVD and how it is guided by CT scans to avoid damaging important brain tissue. Alaina emphasizes the need to know if the aneurysm is secure before adjusting the EVD drain level, as opening it too low can increase the risk of rebleeding. She also discusses the use of hypertonic saline and osmotic therapy to manage increased intracranial pressure. Tyler and Alaina discuss various aspects of managing patients with external ventricular drains (EVDs) during transport in this conversation. They cover topics such as the clamping of EVDs, positioning the patient's head, troubleshooting common issues, and securing the EVD during transport. Alaina provides insights and recommendations based on her experience as a neurocritical care nurse.
More Episodes
In this episode of FOAMfrat, Tyler speaks with paramedic Kyle Rice to discuss a deeply personal and eye-opening experience—rolling his ambulance after running a red light. Kyle shares the lessons he learned about complacency, crew resource management, and the often-overlooked dangers of driving...
Published 10/27/24
Published 10/27/24
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jeffrey Jarvis, author of a fascinating paper on the impact of lights and siren (L&S) use in EMS responses. If you’re like most of us, when you hear those blaring sirens and see flashing lights, you think, “Wow, someone’s really in trouble!” But the truth,...
Published 10/06/24