In this QuikCrit, we break down when calcium actually helps in hyperkalemia, and when it doesn’t.

Starting with a crashing patient and a wide QRS, we walk through the cardiac action potential, why hyperkalemia slows conduction, and how calcium stabilizes the myocardium without lowering potassium.

We cover:

• Why Vₘ follows potassium (Vₘ ≈ Eₖ)
• How calcium raises threshold potential and restores conduction
• ECG changes in hyperkalemia
• Calcium chloride vs gluconate
• The role of calcium in PEA arrest
• Why giving calcium blindly may not help, and may cause harm

Bottom line:

Calcium isn’t a routine arrest drug, it’s targeted therapy for hyperkalemia.

Whether you’re a new paramedic, an EMT, or just someone who loves learning from the streets, this is a must-listen reminder that the only real mistake in medicine is not learning from the ones you make! As always, this podcast does not contain medical guidelines or protocols, please refer to your statewide scope of practice and accepted protocols and procedures for your level of licensure. TheNewlyMeds podcast has no agency affiliation and is an independently owned and operated podcast.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36403820/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9550532/

After a brief Spring break, The NewlyMeds is back with a conversation on one of the biggest questions in EMS: does time on the job actually make you better, or does real exposure, repetition, and continuous learning matter more? In this episode, we break down the difference between years of experience and meaningful experience, skill degradation in low-volume systems, confidence versus competence, and why evidence-based practice has to keep pushing EMS forward. We also talk rural vs urban volume, the value of simulation and training, and why every patient contact, including IFTs, can be a rep that makes you better.

Whether you’re a new paramedic, an EMT, or just someone who loves learning from the streets, this is a must-listen reminder that the only real mistake in medicine is not learning from the ones you make! As always, this podcast does not contain medical guidelines or protocols, please refer to your statewide scope of practice and accepted protocols and procedures for your level of licensure. TheNewlyMeds podcast has no agency affiliation and is an independently owned and operated podcast.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-frequent-patients-years-job-ems.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0736467987902149

https://www.cafsti.org/wp-content/uploads/Advanced-Life-Support-Skill-Deterioration-Among-Paramedics-in-Low-Call-Volume-Emergency-Medical-Service-Systems.pdf

Sepsis is one of the most common and deadly emergencies we see, and it often presents quietly before crashing hard. In this episode, we’re joined by Zac, a deputy chief at a Pennsylvania EMS agency launching a first-of-its-kind pilot program in the state for prehospital antibiotics in suspected sepsis. We break down practical sepsis recognition in the field, why early treatment matters, and how clinical judgment beats rigid checklists alone. Zac walks us through the real work behind the pilot: antibiotic stewardship, drawing clean blood cultures before antibiotics, aligning with hospital sepsis bundles, crew training, documentation, and making all of it operationally realistic on scene. Whether your system is progressive or just getting started, this episode gives you concrete takeaways to improve sepsis care today and a roadmap for advocating change tomorrow. If you want to connect with Zac or learn more about the pilot, email the podcast at thenewlymedspod@gmail.com Whether you’re a new paramedic, an EMT, or just someone who loves learning from the streets, this is a must-listen reminder that the only real mistake in medicine is not learning from the ones you make! As always, this podcast does not contain medical guidelines or protocols, please refer to your statewide scope of practice and accepted protocols and procedures for your level of licensure. TheNewlyMeds podcast has no agency affiliation and is an independently owned and operated podcast https://sccm.org/survivingsepsiscampaign/guidelines-and-resources/surviving-sepsis-campaign-adult-guidelines?_gl=1*1uwmjkl*_gcl_au*MTU3NTI3MTkwNy4xNzY5MDM3NjMx

https://emcrit.org/pulmcrit/ssc-1-hour/

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sepsis

https://emcrit.org/pulmcrit/understanding-lactate-in-sepsis-using-it-to-our-advantage/

https://www.handtevy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-Prehospital-Sepsis-Recognition-and-Antibiotic-Administration-A-Retrospective-Analysis.pdf

https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692%2818%2930074-6/fulltext

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12873-024-01137-0

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10324699/

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27536386231207055

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10228518/