“The Local Hometown Hero Who Has an Opportunity to Save Millions of Lives”
-written by Brett Bryant 2.17.23
Since 1987 Donald F. Guillette has been involved in the field of Fire/ EMS with 30 years of EMS Instruction. Retired in 2016 after spending 20 years with the City of Orlando Fire Department, 23 years as EMS Program Director for Polk State College and 17 years as a Core Instructor with the University of Miami Center for Research and Medical Education. Mr. Guillette’s education consists of completing his EMT in 1988 and paramedic in 1992. He furthered his education by obtaining an AS degree in Emergency Medical Service (AS-EMS) and Fire Science (AS-FS) in 2006 along with obtaining his RN (ASN)nursing degree in 2007. Awards received were being named Firefighter of the year for Lake Alfred Fire Department in 1992, First place award in 1999 and 2000 for Orange County Advanced Cardiac Life Support Competition, Polk Community College (Currently Polk State College) Endowed Teaching Chair recipient 2004. University of Miami Instructor of the Year 2010, University of Miami “Above and Beyond Award” 2018. University of Miami Gordon Center School of Research and Medicine “Distinguished Contributor Award” 2019. Between 09/2004-09/2021, Don traveled through the US teaching while employed at the Gordon Center of Research and Medical Education as a Core Instructor for the University of Miami.
Of all of lives he has influenced through the opportunities of being a firefighter, a paramedic and an educator for over 3o+ years – now he really has the opportunity to save lives well beyond his years through his experience and discoveries in the realm of capnography and early detection of potential infection that may affect millions of lives per year. Recent research has revealed some of the following information:
“Sepsis Alliance is the leading sepsis organization in the U.S. working in all 50 states to save lives and reduce suffering from sepsis.
In the U.S.: 1.7 million Americans are diagnosed with sepsis every year, and more than 270,000 of those Americans die – more than from prostate cancer, breast cancer, and opioid overdoses combined.
Sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals and is responsible for approximately $62 billion in hospitalization and skilled nursing costs annually.
From a recent study, it was recognized that patients who arrived in the ICU from hospital floors were sicker and had worse outcomes.
Evidence indicates that patients diagnosed with sepsis and septic shock on general hospital floors are at particularly high risk of death. Delays in sepsis recognition and slow initiation of treatment in multiple settings have been associated with worse outcomes.
The higher risk of death for patients on the medical surgical floors has been largely attributed to delayed recognition of their deteriorating condition.
Around half (49%) of patients with sepsis in intensive care units acquired the infection in the hospital. An estimated 27% of people with sepsis in hospitals and 42% of people in intensive care units will die.
When sepsis is not recognized early and managed promptly, it can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure and death.
Even sepsis survivors are not out of danger: only half will completely recover, the rest will either die within 1 year or be burdened by long-term disabilities.”
From a monetary perspective, the average full marginal loss for a U.S. hospital’s treatment of sepsis amounts to as much as $34 million annually, making it one of the highest cost-containment challenges in the nation’s hospitals.
I’m assuming you are registering the above information like I am. It’s a real problem. I wonder how many of us have had loved ones that have died from infection that if it would have been caught earlier, could have added to their lives. I personally have.
Don Guillette has had the opportunity in being instrumental in this realm. His forte can be found in capnography. Capnography is an effective method to diagnose early respiratory depression and airway disorders, especially during sedation, leading to a reduction in serious complications. Waveform capnography represents the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in exhaled air, which assesses ventilation. It consists of a number and a graph. The number is capnometry, which is the partial pressure of CO2 detected at the end of exhalation.
While capnography is used in hospitals today, Don has discovered that by making capnography a top-priority assessment tool and implementing an effective education of how to understand capnography – leads to substantial success of finding patients that are sick way before current and traditional methods show.
The testimonies of his past students resonate with decisions that were made in the field due to Don’s teaching that led to better health of the recipients. Even multiple stories Don has stashed away, are a collection of a real difference this man has made throughout the years. Thousands of EMT, Paramedics and Fire Rescue personnel have benefited from Don’s knowledge. Don is just an average hero, saving lives with the capacity to save so many more.
At the moment, he is wrapping up his upcoming book “More Than Just Numbers – Save Lives Make A Difference.” Less than a year ago, I had the opportunity helping develop his online educational course Capnography Capstone. Don Guillette has devoted the majority of his life, resources, time, finances in taking his wisdom and experience to make this world a better place.
So…what would you do if you had an answer that solves that major problem & the opportunity to do something about it?
The amazing part is I believe we all possess the opportunity to be a hero. Sharing the right information with the right person at the right time can lead to accomplishments. Accomplishments that have the opportunity to even save your life one day.
Oddly enough, the real problem that I have encountered is the over-towering and impenetrable gates of the hospital industry. To spare the deep experiences of disappointment, I will just say that attempting to have a productive conversation with head authorities high within the industry, has thus far yielded major unsatisfactory results. Either attempting a simple phone call from an overworked doctor screaming at you that “they don’t have time for this” to the silence of requesting a meeting with a hospital educational coordinator met by a response of “not interested.” To me, being someone on the outside looking in – I’m disappointed there is not a more visible desire to welcome any opportunity that holds that amazing potential to save lives and decrease hospital cost of loss by the millions per year. But maybe, we haven’t shared this knowledge with the right hero.
My final question…are you capable of being a hero? Maybe you know the right person who needs to know the potential Don holds the key to. Maybe you will have the conversation that leads to the consideration of the hospital industry taking a break to consider what difference this course and education can make of the world. Just like Don, maybe you can be a hero too!
