A crew with Siksika Emergency Medical Services (an aboriginal ALS ambulance service in southern Alberta, Canada) treats a male patient found unconscious due to a suspected poly-pharmacy overdose. Contributing factors, such as patient presentation and the remote setting of the incident (approximately 75 miles from the nearest trauma center), played a part when the team selected rapid sequence intubation (RSI), which enabled them to insert an endotracheal tube to better protect his airway. Learn more about how to properly assess patients suspected of a drug overdose, as well as when to use narcan and RSI, atjems.com/patient_assessment.
