The FlightBridgeED Podcast provides convenient, easy-to-understand critical care medical education and current topics related to the air medical industry. Each topic builds on another and weaves together a solid foundation of emergency, critical care, and prehospital medicine.
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What begins as respiratory distress quickly spirals into a critical care nightmare. In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Eric Bauer is joined by Kari Young to break down a challenging case that tests clinical reasoning, airway management, and ventilatory decision-making under pressure. Together, they walk through the patient's presentation, discuss the DASH-1A airway assessment, and explore the critical decision-making process behind when, and when not to intubate. From there, they examine the differential diagnosis, review the interventions that can either halt, or accelerate the hy
In this compelling episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Eric Bauer is joined by Kari Young, Advanced Practice Paramedic and educator, for another installment of The Nightmare Series. Together, they dissect a complex critical care case where the obvious diagnosis was only the beginning. What initially appeared to be a straightforward presentation quickly evolved into a diagnostic minefield involving diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), pneumonia, sepsis, acute respiratory failure, hypoxemia, and acute encephalopathy. Throughout the discussion, Eric and Kari walk listen
This episode of the FlightBridgeED podcast focuses on acute decompensated left heart failure, especially in the transport setting. Dr. Mike Lauria frames these patients through the lens of the SCAI cardiogenic shock spectrum, with special attention to the earlier A and B stages that can be easy to underestimate. While the crashing, hypotensive cardiogenic shock patient often gets immediate attention, the episode emphasizes that patients with early decompensated heart failure may look “stable” because their blood pressure is still normal or high, even while they are beginning to slide toward sh
This episode of the FlightBridgeED podcast focuses on post-cardiac arrest care during critical care transport, particularly for crews moving patients from outside or critical access hospitals to higher levels of care. Dr. Mike Lauria frames the post-ROSC patient around a simple mental model: help the heart, hunt for the cause, sustain the brain, and then provide all the other good critical care support needed during transport. While not all post-arrest patients are the same, this framework helps crews prioritize the problems most likely to affect survival and neurologic outcome. The first prio
This episode provides an overview of cardiogenic shock and explains why it remains such a major problem despite decades of progress in treating acute coronary syndromes. Dr. Mike Lauria notes that while STEMI and other ACS outcomes have improved dramatically with better systems, PCI, and modern cardiac care, mortality from cardiogenic shock has stayed stubbornly high. A central theme is that cardiogenic shock is becoming more common, especially among more medically complex patients with chronic heart failure and prior cardiac disease, and that critical care transport teams are increasingly enc
This episode is an overview of acute right heart failure, with a strong emphasis on why the right ventricle is so vulnerable and why clinicians often miss its role in critically ill patients. Dr. Mike Lauria explains that, unlike the left ventricle, the RV is designed to pump against a low-pressure, high-compliance pulmonary circulation. That makes it especially sensitive to sudden increases in afterload, whether from pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, ARDS, sepsis, or other cardiopulmonary stressors. The result is that RV dysfunction can develop quickly and become a major driver of s
This week’s FAST Replay is a double feature! Two talks that tackle high-stakes medicine from completely different angles, but with the same underlying theme: thinking differently when the usual approach isn’t enough. First up, Brittany Bernardoni takes us into the rapidly evolving world of Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR). From the limitations of conventional CPR to the growing use of ECMO in cardiac arrest, this session explores what may become the next major leap forward in resuscitation care. Brittany walks through the physiology, patient selection, timing, and the real-w
We’re continuing our FAST Replay series, bringing you full sessions recorded live from past FAST conferences as we build toward FAST26: Austin. This episode features Jeff Jarvis and covers a wide range of topics that directly address how we practice in EMS. From trauma care to airway to cardiac arrest, this session walks through current position statements and evolving recommendations, including: • Blood product use in trauma • How to approach traumatic (circulatory) arrest • Pneumothorax and chest decompression decisions • Postpartum hemorrhage and hypertension management • Airway timing and
This episode focuses on the critically ill patient with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and explains why this subgroup is especially dangerous in emergency and transport medicine. Dr. Mike Lauria distinguishes PAH from the broader label of “pulmonary hypertension,” emphasizing that elevated pulmonary pressures can come from several very different disease processes, but group 1 PAH is a rare intrinsic disease of the pulmonary arteries that creates fixed resistance to blood flow. Over time, this chronic increase in pulmonary vascular resistance places an enormous burden on the right ventri
This episode reviews the newly released 2026 pulmonary embolism guidelines with an emphasis on what matters most for critical care and transport clinicians: identifying the sickest PE patients early and recognizing how quickly they can deteriorate. Dr. Michael Lauria stresses that although pulmonary embolism is common, the subset with hemodynamic instability carries very high mortality and often requires transfer for advanced therapies such as ECMO, catheter-based intervention, or surgery. A major focus is the new classification system, which replaces the older “massive” and “submassive” termi
We’re continuing our FAST Replay series, bringing you full sessions recorded live from past FAST conferences as we build toward FAST26: Austin. This episode is a talk from FAST25: Lexington that covers a lot of ground, but it all comes back to one question: Why are we doing what we’re doing? From cardiac arrest to seizures to traumatic arrest, this session challenges some of the most common practices in EMS: • Amiodarone vs. lidocaine • How we’re actually dosing benzodiazepines • When ketamine makes more sense • And whether epinephrine is helping at all in traumatic cardiac arrest This isn’t a
We’re continuing our FAST Replay series, bringing you full sessions recorded live from past FAST conferences as we build toward FAST26: Austin! This episode takes on a topic everyone talks about… but few fully understand: evidence-based medicine. What does it actually mean in EMS? This session breaks it down in a way that’s practical, honest, and directly applicable to how decisions get made in the field. From the limits of single studies to the importance of real-world context to the evolution of guidelines and what drives them. This is a deeper look at how evidence should (and shouldn’t) sha
Over the next several episodes leading up to FAST26: Austin, we’re bringing you full sessions recorded live from past FAST conferences straight from the session recordings! This episode features Bruce Hoffman, RN, paramedic, educator, and FlightBridgeED Senior Educator. Bruce is known for pushing beyond the “what” and getting into the why... challenging how we think, how we lead, and how we show up in critical care transport. If you’ve never experienced FAST, this is a glimpse into what makes it different. It’s not just the content; it’s the people, the conversations, and the environment that
In this episode of the FlightBridgeED OB Critical Care Transport series, Dr. Mike Lauria is joined by maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. Liz Gartner to tackle one of the most commonly missed and dangerous metabolic emergencies in pregnancy: diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). While DKA is familiar to most clinicians, pregnancy dramatically alters its presentation—often masking it behind symptoms that look indistinguishable from “normal” pregnancy complaints like nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, and polyuria. The conversation breaks down the unique physiology of pregnancy that predispose
In this episode of FlightBridgeED, Dr. Mike Lauria is joined by maternal-fetal medicine specialists Dr. Alex Pfeiffer and Dr. Liz Gartner for a practical, transport-focused deep dive into trauma in pregnancy. With maternal morbidity and mortality rising in the U.S. and more obstetric patients requiring transfer from smaller facilities, the team breaks down what changes when you’re managing trauma with two patients sharing one circulation—and how pregnancy can mask shock until both mom and fetus suddenly decompensate. They walk through the pregnancy-specific physiology that matters most in the
Episode Description In this powerful and highly practical episode, Eric Bauer is joined by Dr. Scott Weingart for a deep dive into mechanical ventilation strategy, critical thinking in metabolic acidosis, and the nuanced management of obstructive lung disease. You’ll hear honest, experience-driven insights that challenge outdated protocols and provide a real-world framework for decision-making in high-acuity transport and emergency environments. Together, Eric and Scott unpack what matters when setting minute ventilation for acidotic patients, when and why to abandon rigid tidal volume formula
In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Dr. Mike Lauria welcomes back Dr. Nick George to dissect a topic that’s long overdue for critical discussion: airway management in critical care transport—and whether your background matters. Does being a paramedic or a nurse predict first-pass success rate? Does prior training or clinical experience truly change how well you manage airways in high-stakes situations? Drawing from new research involving over 7,800 intubations at a major HEMS program, Dr. George presents data that challenges long-held assumptions and explores the impact of training,
In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Dr. Mike Lauria is joined by Dr. Nick George, a retrieval and EMS physician currently practicing full-time in Darwin, Australia. Together, they break down the often-overwhelming topic of aortic emergencies in a way that’s brilliantly simple, practical, and immediately applicable for all providers—whether you’re in the ICU, on the flight line, or working your way up in emergency medicine. Dr. George introduces a clean mental model—1 tube, 2 major problems, 3 causes—to guide listeners through the classification, diagnosis, and critical transport con
In this powerful and unfiltered episode, Eric Bauer sits down with Dr. Mark Piehl—pediatric ICU physician, trauma resuscitation expert, and inventor of the LifeFlow device—for a deep conversation that will reshape how you think about blood product administration in trauma care. From pediatric hemorrhagic shock to adult penetrating trauma, from urban EMS to rural ground teams, they unpack the most critical emerging concepts in early resuscitation. You’ll hear eye-opening real-world cases, challenges in implementation, and candid debates about whole blood, plasma vs. PRBCs, and whether saline st
Get ready for a transformative episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, where host Eric Bauer teams up with EMS trailblazer Dr. Peter Antevy to dive into the life-saving world of pre-hospital hemorrhage control and blood product administration. Discover how whole blood is reshaping trauma care, doubling survival rates for patients bleeding out from trauma, OB emergencies, or medical crises. Dr. Antevy shares hard-won lessons from Palm Beach County, revealing the vital signs that trigger transfusions, the logistics of launching a blood program, and why resuscitating before intubating is a game-ch
In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Dr. Michael Lauria sits down with Dr. Bryce Taylor—flight physician, trauma educator, and surgical critical care expert—for a deep dive into one of the most visually shocking and physiologically demanding scenarios in transport medicine: the patient with an open abdomen. From trauma-based damage control laparotomies to the high-stakes management of abdominal compartment syndrome, this episode unpacks the pathophysiology, decision-making, and transport logistics for these fragile patients. Whether you're facing hemostatic chaos, rising pressures, o
What if the biggest mistake you’re making with your COPD vent patients isn’t in what you’re doing—but in how fast you’re doing it? In this episode, Eric Bauer takes us deep into the nuances of ventilating a COPD patient in acute respiratory failure. Through a complex case breakdown, Eric challenges conventional thinking around rate, tidal volume, and ventilator pressures, offering critical insights into the obstructive approach. You’ll hear the step-by-step evolution of ventilator management from a real-world interfacility transfer of a hypercapnic, non-compliant COPD patient. Discover why hig
Join Eric Bauer and Dr. Mike Lauria as they dissect two challenging critical care transport cases centered on managing respiratory failure in obese and morbidly obese patients. Get ready for a deep dive into advanced physiological concepts, practical tips for troubleshooting ventilator settings, and real-world lessons you can apply to patient care right away. From recognizing unique challenges in the obese population to fine-tuning pressures and understanding how to balance protective ventilation with the realities of chest wall resistance, this episode offers clear, expert-level insights deli
In this episode of the FlightBridgeED Podcast, Dr. Michael Lauria and guest Dr. Alex Pfeiffer, a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) fellow, delve into the critical and complex topic of Placenta Accreta Spectrum Disorder (PAS). With its rapidly evolving complications, this condition demands acute recognition, careful transport coordination, and multidisciplinary care. Together, they unpack the spectrum’s pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnostic strategies, and advanced management protocols essential for critical care and transport teams. Whether you’re a seasoned provider or new to pre-hospital med
Explore the fascinating world of 12-lead ECG interpretation with a special guest, Reid Gilbert-Vass, PA-C, creator of "ECG Lectures with Reid" on YouTube. Reid discusses his journey from Marine Corps logistics to EMS and ultimately becoming a PA specializing in cardiology. Learn his structured, anatomy-driven approach to ECG interpretation, designed to help clinicians at all levels—from beginners to seasoned critical care professionals—develop a deeper understanding of cardiac physiology and electrophysiology. Join the FlightBridgeED Podcast: MDCAST host, Michael Lauria, as they discuss Reed's
