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** Edmonton man given jail sentence for attacking attending paramedics

** Off-duty Ottawa medic saves man’s life

** An Edmonton man was sentenced to 54 days in jail after admitting assaulting two paramedics and a police officer following a call for a domestic dispute. The Edmonton Sun (Tony Blais/November 21) said Jonathan Perry, 32, who served the time in pre-trial custody, appeared in court last week, copping to assault and assault with a weapon in relation to the September 12, 2011 incident. According to the newspaper, police and EMS responded to Perry’s home where a struggle promptly ensued, ending with a police officer shooting Perry. Once inside the ambulance, he ripped out his IV, brandishing the sharp like a weapon. A police officer in the EMS unit managed to wrest the needle away from him. Perry, who is now a paraplegic, claims tasering and the gunshot wound led to his debilitated medical condition. He is suing police for $5.5 million for wrongful assault and false imprisonment.

** An off-duty Ottawa paramedic is being lauded after saving the life of an elderly choking patient last Wednesday. The Ottawa Sun (Kelly Roche/November 20) said the unidentified practitioner assisted the 73-year-old man after the latter began choking on his breakfast while at a restaurant. According to the newspaper, the paramedic initiated and sustained CPR until on-duty medics arrived. There is no word on the man’s condition.

** Tasmanian paramedics in Australia start job action

** Wisconsin medics battling increase in heroin overdoses

** As expected, Tasmanian Ambulance Service medics began job action Monday. ABC (November 25) said the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) members began their first phase of protests with work bans. According to the news site, the public will remain unaffected at this stage. Union spokesman Tim Jacobson said breaks for meals and work scheduling problems continue to be the main issues.

** Paramedics in Wisconsin are seeing an increasing number of heroin overdose patients. That is the word from WXOW (Heather Burian/November 24) which said end-of-year callouts for such patients in La Crosse are expected to reach around 160 from just 30 overall narcotics calls six years ago. Tri-State Ambulance Service executive director Tom Tornstrom said EMS responders are now seeing patients die on a weekly basis from the drug. He also said Narcan use is up by 36 per cent since 2010. In 2007, it was used just 43 times, while by years end it will have been given at least 200 times. Along with heroin use, Tornstrom also said practitioners are seeing patients increasingly mixing the drug with other drugs and alcohol.