La Pine Fire medics use new system to save young lives

The La Pine Fire District recently completed a two-year project to upgrade its life support system that helps paramedics act more quickly in a medical emergency involving youngsters.

Lt. Mike Moores explained the workings of the new, time-efficient system, which allows paramedics to determine more accurate drug dosages within seconds.

“Everything is size-appropriate for me — turn to here, and there is a 1-year-old,” Moores said. “It tells me all of their drugs, and a concentration or a volume, vs. a calculation.”

Until now, the La Pine Fire District used Broselow Tape, a color-coded tape measure that helped paramedics determine drug dosages for children in medical situations.

Paramedic Jesse Pincher said the new system, which includes a chart that maps out specific dosages, helps medics act more quickly, safely and efficiently.

“I know all of the sizes of the equipment I need,” said Pincher, “It’s right here, and when I open the kit, it’s categorized to be age-appropriate, and all of the drug calculations are laid out in volume.”

Moores said the new system takes off some of the stress that often comes with treating pediatric patients.

“It eases the stress of the situation when you are dealing with pediatrics,” he said. “And we don’t deal with them very often, so they can be stressful and emotional for the parents and paramedics,”

Moores said the updated system is especially important in in rural areas like La Pine.

“Parents tend to wait maybe a little longer, just for the fact that there is a commute to the hospital,” he said.

The convenience of the new system is helping paramedics like Pincher and Moores save children’s’ lives,

“It makes the patient outcome better and our job easier,” Pincher said.