By Mike McEvoy
FireEMS Editor
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP – www.ismp.org) has released a report from a two-day summit held in September 2014 on safe administration of intravenous push medications to adults. Fifty-six participants representing frontline providers, professional organizations, manufacturers and regulatory bodies took part in the summit and subsequent development of consensus safe practices. While intended for hospitals and medical facilities, the guidelines include several recommendations with important implications for EMS. The document can be downloaded without cost from ISMP at www.ismp.org/Tools/guidelines/ivsummitpush/ivpushmedguidelines.pdf
MIKE McEVOY is the EMS coordinator for Saratoga County, New York, and the EMS editor for Fire Engineeringmagazine. He is a nurse clinician in the cardiac surgical ICU at Albany Medical Center, where he also chairs the resuscitation committee and teaches critical care courses. He is the chief medical officer and a paramedic/firefighter for West Crescent Fire Department and a paramedic supervisor for the Clifton Park & Halfmoon Ambulance. He serves on the EMS Section board of directors of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and speaks at nursing, critical care, fire, and EMS conferences worldwide.
