In Running on Empty: Circulating on Fumes, The Ten Minute Medic trades sirens for subtlety—reminding us that not all emergencies come screaming. Our unlucky protagonist is a pregnant patient whose body has turned “morning sickness” into an Olympic event, leaving her so dehydrated her cardiovascular system is basically running on fumes.

This episode turns a quiet case of hyperemesis gravidarum into a masterclass on spotting shock before it strikes. It’s equal parts physiology refresher and paramedic pep talk—complete with the gentle reminder to be good humans to our patients...especially when they are making a new human!

Ever had a patient swear it’s their lungs—but the problem’s really their heart? In this episode, we dig into cardiac dyspnea, the kind of shortness of breath that starts in the left ventricle, not the bronchi. You’ll learn how pressure backs up into the pulmonary circuit, why patients can’t lie flat without gasping, and what separates heart failure breathlessness from COPD or asthma. Perfect for paramedics who want to sharpen their clinical instincts and catch the subtle signs before the monitor does.

Welcome to my classroom! Bladder infections in geriatric patients can lead to sepsis due to weakened immune systems, anatomical changes, and decreased antibody production, allowing bacteria to spread rapidly from urinary tract to bloodstream. In this short podcast, listen in on part of the reason as to why urinary tract infections can lead to sepsis in the older patient thus becoming deadly.