Help with IV therapy and Intubation "Stuff"

[Michelle Latham]

Hello! Can any of you suggest some websites where I can find material that will help me study IV therapy and intubation? Also if you have any advice from your own experiences please share! I'll be happy to take notes.
I don't have ready access to many EMT books - just a Brady EMT-B book and Mosby's Paramedic Textbook. If I try to buy books it'll take forever for them to get to Alaska!
Thanks a ton!!!!

[FiremedicMike]

As for intubation, the only way to truly 'study' is by doing. Intubating that training dummy is good practice, but after awhile it becomes pretty useless, and practice on a real person is the only way to get really good.

As for IV insertion, again I feel there isn't much reading to be done, rather a good amount of practice.

Hope this was some help to you

[larrycook]

For intubation go to a morgue and practice. For IVs take your time and practice on your class mates and whoever will let you. Remember, tell your patients that it will hurt for a short. Also, remember, when sticking it is hurting them not you. Cause you have to learn not to flinch with patient. Larry

[John Dibacco]

Michelle Ann, I agree and disagree, respectfully of course, with the previous replies. I agree that a fair amount of actual "doing" helps with skill development. I would be cautious of practicing IV's on "a classmate or whoever will let you". If you are doing these things on your own, outside of a class/clinical environment, you are in violation of Federal law, specically working with controlled equipment. I know of persons losing their jobs and/or certifications for doing these very things.
Reading is an excellent way to improve your skills, if you take the knowledge that you are picking up in the books and correctly apply it in real life situations, you are ahead of those who believe you can only learn by doing! It you can study techniques and establish a good fundamental understanding of how, when, where, and why to do the skill, I think you will find the act of doing comes much easier.
Sorry I am not familiar with specific websites, but the books you mentioned are good starts. You may look at various trade mag's websites for on-line articles. Good luck, it is refreshing to see a young technician searching out knowledge.

[Michelle Latham]

I've been reading the Paramedic text and the EMT-B text and picking brains. I'm trying to get a good grasp of the vocabulary and a basic understanding of the tools I'll use and the anatomy and physiology of veins, cells, the airway, etc. Class doesn't start until Jan. 3rd so I have some time to pre-study so I wont fall behind everyone! (I'm a slow learner so I try to get a jump start on classes.)

This is why I'm begging for reading material haha!

[Firemedic 61]

Michelle, as for intubation practice tubing a real person is the best way to learn. as for IV practice one thing i do for my advanced Explorers is to take a 1" piece of PVC pipe about 16" long and super glue O2 tubing(veins) to it lengthwise. when the glue has dried wrap the 'arm' with a dark plastic garbage bag(skin). I have found this works quite well and is reusable, just keep replacing the plastic bag.
Have fun and good luck!