Burn Care in EMS: What Actually Matters in the First 15 Minutes

Burn Care in EMS: What Actually Matters in the First 15 Minutes

Author: Ross Orpet, Paramedic turned EMS Physician August 24, 2026 Duration: 1:02:04
Burn patients can create a disproportionate amount of anxiety. The calls are uncommon, the injuries can be visually overwhelming, and it is easy to get distracted by the burn itself.Ross and Will talk with Mark Johnston, a longtime Advanced Burn Life Support instructor and burn program leader at Regions Hospital, about simplifying prehospital burn care. Mark explains how most burn patients should be approached and why you need to resist the urge to make wound care the first priority. They also dig into the findings that should make you truly concerned about an inhalation injury, how to estimate total body surface area, and which smaller burns still warrant burn-center evaluation.In this episode, you’ll learn: Which airway findings increase concern for inhalation injury Why the simple 125/250/500 mL-per-hour approach can be more useful in the field than calculating a full Parkland formula How mechanism changes your priorities in thermal, chemical, electrical, and enclosed-space burns How wet dressings and aggressive wound care can increase heat loss or distract clinicians from early interventions   Resources:Want more? Sign up for our weekly newsletter, The Confidence Dispatch.Want individualized coaching and mentorship? Check out The Loud & Clear Fellowship.Just have a question and want some personalized help? Book a free coaching call with us.Interested in ABLS Now? Our listeners get 10% off through the end of August.The Emergency Mind: Wiring Your Brain for Performance Under Pressure, by Dan Dworkis, MD PhDPeak Performance Under Pressure, by Stephen HearnsEpisode 109: Understanding the EMS Power CurveGuests:Mark Johnston, BSN, RN, TCRN, Burn Program Manager at Regions Hospital

Stepping out of the classroom and into the rig is where the real learning begins, but that transition often leaves even seasoned providers with a lingering doubt. Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles addresses that gap directly, moving past the basic protocols to explore the foundational reasoning that makes for excellent prehospital care. Hosted by Ross Orpet, a paramedic who now practices as an EMS physician, this podcast digs into the "why" behind the algorithms. It’s built on the understanding that no textbook can possibly cover every unique scenario you’ll encounter on the road. Instead of just listing steps, each episode examines the core principles that guide critical decisions when the situation doesn't fit a neat checklist. You’ll hear discussions that bridge the gap between field experience and medical rationale, focusing on the adaptive thinking required for complex emergencies. This is advanced continuing education designed for paramedics, EMTs, and all prehospital providers who feel that standard training was just the beginning. The conversations in this series aim to solidify your clinical judgment, helping you build confidence through comprehension. By tuning in, you gain access to a deeper level of professional development, where the objective is to think clearer and act more decisively, no matter how many days you have on the job. This podcast serves as a vital resource for those committed to mastering their craft beyond the basics.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles - Advanced Continuing Education for Paramedics, EMTs & Prehospital Care Providers
Podcast Episodes
Dump Kits and Checklists: Why Expert Paramedics Still Crash [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:14
Miss your first intubation attempt and your patient's risk of adverse events jumps sevenfold. By the third attempt? Nearly guaranteed complications. This isn't about your anatomical knowledge or practice hours—expert cli…
Stupidity in EMS: The causes and remedies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:21
You're not making mistakes because you're dumb. You're making mistakes because of seven predictable factors—and once you know them, you can control them. Kris Kaull delivered a masterclass at FASTCAN on the hidden forces…
Hypothermia Rescue: Cardiac Arrest in a Tree Well [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:59
What happens when a 24-year-old woman is found frozen in a tree well after last being seen 8 hours prior, with a core temperature of 62°F (17°C)? In this extraordinary case, paramedic Miles Randell and his team performed…
When The Anatomy Is Gone: Facial Trauma Airway Management [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:21
What do you do when the anatomy you've memorized simply doesn't exist anymore? When a patient's entire face is gone, and your standard airway management tools won't work? This is where training meets reality. Critical ca…
Stop Building Resilience, Strengthen Your Resistance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:14
Discover the difference between resistance (your daily shield built through sleep, nutrition, relationships, and spiritual wellness) and resilience (the anaerobic sprint you can't maintain forever). Recorded on-site at F…
What If They Find Out I'm A Fraud? - Imposter Syndrome in EMS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:02
Ever cried in the ambulance because you felt completely overwhelmed? Sophie Fuller has—and she's done something powerful with that experience. In this raw discussion, the Life and Sirens podcast host shares her most vuln…