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 Communication Specialists at LifeGuard Emergency Communications Center are trained to assist in identifying the most appropriate level of care and mode of transportation for patients.
Advanced Life Support (ALS)
The patient is stable, and critical care is not anticipated. The following advanced care may be required:
• Cardiac monitoring
• Monitoring up to two medication drips or medications routinely carried
• Common IV infusions (lidocaine, heparin or nitroglycerin) at stable rates
• Administering ACLS drugs
• Intubation or other advanced airway management
• Administering and monitoring medications Blood may be hanging but the patient should not require additional blood products en route
Staffing
The LifeGuard team of two that includes either two nurses. one nurse and one paramedic, or a nurse with a NNP, depending on the patient's needs.
Critical Care
The patient is seriously ill or injured and may require any of the treatments outlined under ALS care plus:
• Invasive monitoring (central lines), for example Swan Ganz, CVP's arterial lines, ICPs or insertion of arterial lines
• Initiation and titration of vasoactive medications
• Thrombolytic infusion, for example, Streptokinase or TPA
• Critical monitoring of medications such as mannitol
• Managing internal and external pacemakers
• Needle aspiration or chest tube insertion
• Advanced airway management, such as intubation with paralytics or the use of cricothyrothomy skills
• Initiating blood infusions
• Manging ventilators with complex settings for patients with severe lung disease
• Intra-aortic balloon pump management
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