Before I even begin this discussion, I am going to come right out and say that I carry an EMS field guide with me on every single call. Now I’m going to spend the rest of this article defending my position on it!

I heard many people argue that field guides or “cheat sheets” are crutches. I can certainly understand how someone could become dependent on having the information in their back pocket. I have heard plenty of stories of medics flipping out after getting on scene only to realize that they forgot their field guide.

I will say that I have been that guy. The first time I forgot to pack my guide, I ran an infant cardiac arrest. Even though I got nervous, I was still confident that I knew my dosages. I treated the kid without delay and the call ran as smooth as it would have if I did have it.

Even if you carry a guide, it shouldn’t replace your core knowledge. You should have no problem figuring out a dosage or doing drug math. Carrying the guide should be a way to double check your work. You shouldn’t have to rely on it 100%.

The popular field guides that are on the market now have tons of useful information. Poison information and prescription drug information are just 2 examples of things that are nearly impossible to accurately keep in your memory bank. Having the information in your back pocket will be extremely beneficial.

My personal favorite guide is the “ALS EMS Field Guide” by Infomed. I never leave home without it. I also carry a nurses drug reference book and a medical dictionary in my backpack. If nothing else, they can be used to research a patient’s medical history and medications during long transport times and learn something new.

In conclusion, I feel that the field guides are a great tool, but can easily turn into a crutch if you don’t stay on top of your core knowledge. The guides should be used to add to your existing knowledge, not replace it.

If anyone knows of any good field guides that I didn’t mention, please let me know. I’m always looking for new tools to use at work.

Being the geek that I am, I am constantly on the lookout for digital alternatives to things like calendars, checkbooks, and paramedic field-guides. Of course, being the not-so-wealthy-EMS-salary guy leaves me looking for cheap, if not free solutions.

My search for EMS-related applications started when I bought my Motorola Droid phone last week. After downloading the metal-detector (yes metal-detector) and internet radio applications, I began searching for apps that would be useful to an EMT or Paramedic.

I did my initial search was done using the built in app-market app that comes with Android. I searched various keywords like “EMS”, “Paramedic”, “Paramedic field guide”, “ALS Field Guide”, etc. I came up with 2 applications, however the results are not so good.

Here is a rundown of what I found.

BLS Drug Profiles:

The application comes with 6 drug profiles (Aspirin, EPI Auto-Injector, Activated Charcoal, Albuterol Inhaler, Nitro, Oral Glucose). While the information seems to be accurate, it’s not a very useful application for in-field use. I guess if you somehow forgot your doses or contraindications, then this might might be of some help. This app has been removed from my collection.

USA Drug Reference:

At first glance, this seemed like an extremely useful application. It’s basically an electronic version of a PDR or Nurses drug reference book. It has a really neat scrolling feature that makes flipping through the different drugs a breeze. It seemed like the perfect drug reference. That is until I actually tried looking at the information on the individual drugs. The majority of the categories are empty or have missing information. The program is solid, but the information is definitely lacking. This is quite a shame as the app has huge potential.

There are some applications out there that cost money. Skyscape’s “Rapid Paramedic” reference is basically a digital version of their hard copy pocket guide. I guess I would spend the money if I didn’t already own the pocket guide. Unfortunately, Epocrates does not have an android version of their program. It is available for Blackberries, iPhones and Palm phones. This, of course, is a major bummer. Hopefully they will come out with a compatible version soon.

The built-in GPS navigator is far superior to any GPS device that I have ever purchased. It utilizes Google Maps, which means that it updates constantly. I suppose it could be used to route yourself to calls, however I would check to make sure you aren’t violating any policies before you do so. I happen to work for an ambulance service that prohibits using personal gps devices. However, I have looked up random addresses in my area and compared the recommended routing given by Google Maps and my personal preferred routing by just looking at a map. I must say that I am quite impressed.

I must say that I am a bit disappointed in the lack of EMS-related apps for Android, being that the platform has been around for a while now. I will certainly keep my eyes out and post when I find any. If anyone knows of any that I missed, please let me know!