EMS Field Guide BLS Version Paperback – June 30, 2011

This field guide has a lot of information in it. As an EMT-B trying to get my EMT-I and EMT-Paramedic later on, this field guide is a good reference or just as study material if you have a free hour or so.The pages are very thin, but they are not paper, but a synthetic paper/plastic material that should not rip very easily. It actually stretches if you try and tear it. The other thing is that this kit IS "water-proof/resistant" and alcohol fast, meaning the ink will not run if you spill alcohol on it, great for all of you frat party EMTs (or those of you who use Isopropyl alcohol on the job).The information lines up with current EMS guidelines, I believe it was revised in 2011, which is recently enough. As for the toxicology section, I would like to see a bit more chemicals to reference. The other complaint about this book is that the CPR section will on occasion advise you to perform CPR on patients who should have a pulse. I'm not sure why, but remember this guide is NOT your standard of training, the curriculum and textbook are. This guide is only a reference to inform and guide you in remembering your training.The main purpose of this guide is to get a little heads-up for the less common EMS occurrences, like poisonings and stuff like that. So its more of a consultation than a first-aid guide in itself. That said, it does do a very thorough job of covering all of EMS spectrum including non-medical scenarios like ambulance operations and hazmat.Like I said, though, this is NOT a first-aid guide, it's an EMT reference. It would be very very difficult to 'decode' for the non-EMS trained personnel, so don't think you can toss this into your first aid kit in the car and be all set. It doesn't cover the basic care of first aid patients at all, just special interventions and care for certain situations (for instance you won't find how to care for a scrape or cut, but you will find intubation recommendations for pre-term delivery infants with APGAR scores of less than 3). If you don't know what that means, go to a First Aid book, no this guide.

I love this reference guide! This is a perfect, discreet, way to reference vital, excuse the pun, information. This is basically your EMT class in a pocket guide. Everything we learned at school can be found here.There is also a smartphone app, kind of costly ($7), but it has calculators, diagrams, and other features that make it a great buy as well. I have both since I don't always have cell service at work, which is required to run the app. Having both is great. I would recommend this to all EMS workers. Everyone needs a cheat sheet once in a while, and this is the ultimate crib note. That is not to say you should rely on this for all of your patient care as this would be sloppy and a good sign you are a bad EMT, however it's no shame to forget something every now and them. Not using skills makes you dumb about them.This is NOT a first aid guide for basic first aid and CPR certified persons. This is is intended for medical professionals only and use of any technique in this guide outside of your scope can lead to criminal charges or more common, being sued by a patient. Again, this is for EMT certification and up!

This guide is perfect! It has all the information you could need at anytime. The size of the guide fits perfectly into any shirt, jacket or pant pocket or into any pouch or holster. This product arrived ahead of the scheduled delivery and was in perfect brand new condition. The pages are sturdy, clean and long lasting and will withstand any punishment a career in EMS can throw at it. The information is easily accessible and easy to read. The guide is laid out in a way that makes finding the information you need easy and fast. This guide is the perfect accessory to any EMT's field pack. I rate it at FIVE STARS and recommend this guide to everyone.

This is a great quick reference guide for most day to day situations. It's also great for studying and memorization. I work as an EMT on an ambulance and always have this on me.I would love to see additions for psych/alcohol related situations as well as a question bank for possible medical conditions. For example a quick list of common symptoms (headache, dizziness, blurred vision, weakness, nausea, etc.) and conditions (Stroke, seizures, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, cardiac issues, breathing problems, organ removal, misc. surgeries, etc.).I think everyone in EMS develops there own adaptation of these questions, but it takes some time for newcomers to the field. It would have been helpful to have a starting point in a guide like this. Other than that it's a solid product with great information.

After taking EMS training, I figured having this around would be great to have to keep up on the things I've learned, and as a reference if I ever needed it. I now consider it an essential because of how easy it is to find things, to get good lists and tips of thing such as English-Spanish translations, and a long list of pertinent medications and what they are for. I feel better prepared to deal with things I don't know. With diligent use, this could spare a few medical control calls. The book is waterproof and alcohol fast, in case you need to clean it. The spiral is thick, which makes it overall very durable. The pages themselves seem like they could tear from the binding under extreme use, but the more I use it, the easier the pages turn and less I worry about them. I would highly recommend this to anyone with EMS training. I would also advise not to attempt any interventions or assessments in this book without being trained to do so. Work within your scope.

I just bought this in order to prepare for my EMT-Basic course starting January 2012. The school I am taking it at is extremely strict so I want to be prepared. From first glance this book is extremely helpful and I can't wait to start the program. One thing I noticed that is a really great feature for me because I live in Arizona (popular state for Spanish-speakers) is a section that translates the typical questions an EMT would ask to a responsive patient. I will update this review as I progress through my training!

I bought this guide as something to have in my St john ambulance uniform as a quick reference, I love it.In this guide, it mentions; EMS abbreviations, Cardiac Arrest/CPR, Childbirth, Defibrillator, Choking, Diabetes emergency, ECG's, GCS, infectious diseases, intra-osseous infusion, oxygen administration, paediatric emergencies, poisons/overdoses, pupil gauge, trauma triage, prescription drug reference and much more...I love how it is waterproof, perfect for those rainy days.I would defiantly recommend this to any medical personnel or anyone interested in basic life support treatment.

great