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Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

This course is part of Become an EMT Specialization

Instructors: Angela Wright, MD

34,766 already enrolled

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

535 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

535 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

4 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Become an EMT Specialization

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There are 4 modules in this course

In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR including placement of an AED, components of quality chest compressions, and options for oxygenation, (3) Identify a patient with under the influence of a drug of abuse or a toxicologic ingestion, assess a patient with a potential or known ingestion, and to formulate a plan for treatment and stabilization for transport including that of a violent patient, (4) Identify the symptoms associated with the most common environmental emergencies including hypothermia, hyperthermia, lightning strike and drowning, to assess patients with an environmental emergency and to describe initial treatment and stabilization for transportation and (5) Understanding your patient's story as well as to think critically about the complaint and symptoms associated with the gastrointestinal track, renal system, and the reproductive system.

In this module you will be learning about states of shock and the principles of resuscitation. Unlike our common use of the word shock referring to a mental state of feeling overwhelmed or alarmed, shock is a state of crisis within the body, involving one or more of the organ systems. If left uncorrected, shock can lead to death. The other topic, resuscitation, will cover the principles of treating and reversing shock, and most importantly, the treatment of cardiac arrest. We will discuss the latest scientific research and best practices of cardiac arrest resuscitation.

What's included

15 videos7 readings1 assignment

15 videos Total 65 minutes

Mastering Medicine - Part 2 3 minutes
States of Shock and Principles of Resuscitation 1 minute
Introduction to Shock 2 minutes
Categories of Shock 5 minutes
Stages of Shock 4 minutes
Evaluation and Treatment of Shock 7 minutes
Cardiac Arrest Overview 5 minutes
Cardiac Arrest Principles 6 minutes
High Performance Resuscitation 6 minutes
Other Cardiac Arrest Considerations 4 minutes
Automated External Defibrillators (AED) 5 minutes
Chest Compressions 4 minutes
High Performance CPR 7 minutes
Epinephrine Auto-injector 1 minute
Bag Valve Mask (BVM) 5 minutes

7 readings Total 95 minutes

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Current “Become an EMT” Specialization No Longer NREMT Eligible 10 minutes
About Us: Become an EMT Specialization Team at Denver Health Paramedics 5 minutes
Course Information 10 minutes
Get help and meet other learners. Join your Community! 5 minutes
Categories of Shock 15 minutes
High Performance CPR 40 minutes
NREMT - AED Checklist 10 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Cardiac Arrest and Shock Assessment 30 minutes

In this module we are going to learn about poisonings, or toxicologic ingestions. There is a whole field of medicine dedicated to the study of how the thing we ingestion, usually accidentally or in an attempt of self-harm, impact our bodies. This field is called toxicology. A poison is any substance that impairs health or causes death. A toxin is a drug or substance that is poisonous to a human, and will cause an adverse event, maybe even death. An antidote is a substance that will neutralize the effect of the poison or toxin. With an understanding of the basic terminology, we can further explore the most common poisons you will encounter in the field, how they affect the body, and how we treat these patients.

What's included

11 videos4 readings1 assignment

11 videos Total 56 minutes

Introduction to Toxicology and Substances 3 minutes
Common Substances of Abuse: Alcohol 5 minutes
Common Substances of Abuse: Stimulants, Opiates, and Cannabis 6 minutes
Other Substances of Abuse 5 minutes
The Assessment of the Poisoned Patient 6 minutes
Treatment of the Poisoned Patient 5 minutes
Psychiatric Diseases 8 minutes
Behavioural Emergencies 6 minutes
Managing the Violent Patient 6 minutes
Intramuscular Medication Administration 2 minutes
Intranasal Medication Administration 4 minutes

4 readings Total 90 minutes

Common Substances of Abuse 20 minutes
Other Substances of Abuse 10 minutes
Psychiatric Diseases 10 minutes
Behavioural Emergencies 50 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Toxicology and Substance Abuse Assessment 30 minutes

In this module you will learn how environmental emergencies are caused when the body’s physiological functions are disrupted by the patient’s natural surroundings. Many of the body’s functions only function properly at a normal temperature, so a change in the body’s temperature can cause them to fail. Some examples of environmental emergencies include cold or hot temperature changes, illness and injuries caused by other animals, high altitude illnesses and injuries or illness related to water such as drowning.

What's included

9 videos4 readings1 assignment

9 videos Total 45 minutes

Not All Who Wander Are Tox 1 minute
Environmental Emergencies 4 minutes
Hypothermic Patient 4 minutes
Management of the Hypothermic Patient 6 minutes
Hyperthermic Patient 5 minutes
When Lightning Strikes 3 minutes
Altitude and Water 5 minutes
Geriatric Patients 9 minutes
Patient with Special Challenges 8 minutes

4 readings Total 95 minutes

Envenomation 10 minutes
Hypothermia 10 minutes
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine 45 minutes
Geriatric Patient 30 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Not All Who Wander Are Tox Assessment 30 minutes

In this module we will capture topics an EMT might come across that don’t fit into the sections so far. The important “other” things that can cause patients problems. The role of an EMT is as an advocate for your patient to provide the best care possible. Part of that is taking the time to understand your patient’s story as well as to think critically about the complaint especially if difficult to diagnose. Also, we will focus of problems in the abdomen involving the gastrointestinal track, renal system and reproductive system.

What's included

10 videos6 readings1 assignment

10 videos Total 56 minutes

Other Emergency Situations 2 minutes
My Stomach Hurts 7 minutes
Digestive Tract Disorders 8 minutes
Liver Disease and the Aorta 6 minutes
Renal Emergencies 8 minutes
Ovaries and Testes 8 minutes
Abdominal Pain 8 minutes
Blood Disorders 6 minutes
What We've Learned So Far 1 minute
Epistaxis 1 minute

6 readings Total 145 minutes

Referred Pain 10 minutes
Renal Emergencies 10 minutes
Abdominal Pain 10 minutes
Anatomy of the Abdomen 45 minutes
Practice Assessment (Optional) 60 minutes
Epistaxis 10 minutes

1 assignment Total 30 minutes

Blood and Guts Assessment 30 minutes

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Instructors

Instructor ratings

(134 ratings)

Angela Wright, MD

University of Colorado System

9 Courses 126,769 learners

Offered by

University of Colorado System

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Reviewed on May 31, 2020

It was very useful and informative. The pattern of assignment and evaluation of that was up to the point. And teaching was super

Reviewed on Aug 27, 2020

Very helpful course on diagnosis & management on certain diseases. Content is basic but the explanation is thorough and there are also supplementary readings. The quizzes can be quite difficult.

Reviewed on Jul 2, 2020

Excellent! Learned more than I could ever expect, awesome presentations by speakers too !

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Frequently asked questions

IMPORTANT UPDATE: "Become an EMT" Specialization & NREMT Certification

Current Course Status

The existing version of the "Become an EMT" specialization no longer meets the updated certification standards implemented by the NREMT in 2024. The current version cannot be used to qualify for NREMT examination. It remains a valuable resource for anyone exploring emergency medical services, continuing education, or general EMS knowledge. The current version is not a pathway to NREMT certification at this time.

New Version Coming Summer 2026

A fully redesigned NREMT‑aligned specialization is scheduled to launch in Summer 2026. NREMT‑aligned specialization is scheduled to launch in Summer 2026. This update ensures the course meets all current certification requirements and supports your long‑term success.

Path to NREMT Certification with the New Course

Two components must be successfully completed to sit for the NREMT exam:

If You Are Currently Enrolled

If you are enrolled and working toward NREMT certification, we recommend pausing your participation and waiting for the Summer 2026 specialization. The knowledge you've already gained will still hold value as you start the new course, however, the current course will not carry over to the new version.

If You Are Considering Enrollment

We recommend waiting for the new NREMT-eligible specialization when it launches in Summer 2026. Until then, the current specialization remains a solid foundation for:

Questions? Reach out to us anytime at uchmedic@uchealth.org — we're happy to help you plan your path forward.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.