SingleLovingLife

I'd have to say it is the human factor that I will remember much longer than the guts & gore. Arriving at an MVA with the driver DOA, his wife and another passenger agonal. Due to the extensive damage and being unable to extricate all we could do was count respirations while watching them die. Learning the next day an eight year old was left orphaned by the accident. Holding a patient in my arms while she struggled to answer my questions to determine her A&O status; realizing a few minutes later that she is dying of a massive bleed and her final words were to me instead of her family. Things like that will stay with you alot longer than rest.

When I worked in the grocery business in Tampa, the homeless people would buy - yes, actually pay for it - a loaf of Cuban bread and a bottle of generic Listerine. They would soak the bread in the mouthwash, tie off the bag and let it sit in the sun and ferment. They would drink the rest of the mouthwash - to get high now - and save the bread to eat later - two highs for the price of one, so to speak. Also encountered mouthwash drinkers in north Alabama. And for some reason they would pay also. Go figure!

I hate to be the mother hen here...but for the sake of all our future patients and the newbies looking to this site for inspiration/education... WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE CHECK THEIR EGO'S WHEN THEY LOG IN????[/font:9f5059fec0] Whit72, there is much to be learned from silence.

Considering this was being filmed in real time, perhaps the medics were coached beforehand to make sure they didn't all get "strip & flip" happy. If this was a closed fracture and distal PMS was good, I can understand if visual assessments for bruising and swelling were done out of camera range. Good observation, though. Maybe the camera crew loaned them some x-ray glasses!

Awesome pics Dust...although I always pictured you slightly older looking! Oh wait, I forgot, that wasn't you in the pics, was it?!?!?! LOL Be careful and take care!

I would think working in the environment of a casino, where patrons may be carrying large sums of money on their person, finding a "cooperative" medical who is packing would not be all that unusual ~ regardless as to whether or not it is within his legal rights. If you ever ran all your guests through a metal detector or did pat downs, you would probably be surprised as to how many are carrying weapons. Although I'm surprised that "altered mental status" is not one of the criteria where you can be hands on with a patient. What if they are wearing some type of Medic Alert necklace or bracelet that is concealed by their clothing? Or if they have a card in their wallet/purse with medical information on it? Given the fact that everything is monitered by surveillance cameras, it would seem like you would be able to check for these things and have it on tape that your search was legitimate. Then you might see the big, shiny badge in their wallet, or the small caliber hand gun in their purse...whatever. Given this incident, perhaps you could suggest that once it has been determined someone needs to be transported, officers/emt's be allowed to ask the patient/guest, "For the safety of those providing your care, we need to ask whether or not you are carrying any type of weapon?" Although, not knowing everyone else's laws concerning firearms ~ that question probably infringes on someone's rights somewhere. Or, just institute a policy where anyone who gets transported has to get naked! JUST KIDDING! Reminds me of my days working in retail...a nicely dressed gentleman came up to the customer service counter and asked the 19 year old clerk if he could leave something with her for safe keeping while he shopped. This is not an unusual request and she smiled and said, "Sure, no problem!" She was screaming for me a minute later ~ after he put his .357 on the counter and walked off! I thought she was going to have a stroke! It took me forever to calm her down and convince her she didn't need to go home sick. Found out later, he had a permit to carry ~ just didn't want anyone in the grocery store to "notice" it and call the cops. :roll:

First rule of test taking: Don't read into the question! Good response Medic429. If I'm not mistaken, I had almost that exact question on my basic registry - so make sure you understand the rationale behind the question - and why that answer is the best. My 2¢ worth - every impalement gets stabilized unless it could compromise their airway or interfere with CPR. I'm not a surgeon and I don't have x-ray vision! LOL

Several months ago our VFD was dispatched to a "dog house fire" - don't ask - we're talking Alabama with a capital A here. I was in the vicinity and went in route to locate. From the frontyard I could see the glow from the fire out back. My chief called and wanted to know how close it was to the home. The neighbors were telling me which side of the home we could access it from and I went around to the backyard based on their directions. Unfortunately, none of us realized the homeowner had a second dog tied up out there. Just as I keyed up my mic the second dog lunged at me snarling, growling and barking like something possessed. :shock: I said a few choice words about the dog - then remembered my radio was keyed up. I promptly recovered my composure and stated, "OK, the dog is NOT happy!" When I called dispatch later in the evening the first thing she said was "Oh my God, that dog didn't bite you, did it?" By the way, the dog house was a pen about six feet tall, ten feet long, about three feet off the ground and less than twelve feet from the residence. They had been keeping that dog warm with a portable heater and it had tipped over and ignited the dog house. Hmmm...like I said...capital A. And my department wonders why, being an EMT with limited fire training, I don't enjoy going to fires? :roll:

OK, thought I was having a blonde moment - but evidently someone hid a forum topic from me for a couple of weeks! LOL Dust, I already admired and respected you for your EMS knowledge - now you are taking care of our country, too. Being a brat, I know that this is truly a sacrifice that not everyone is capable of making. THANK YOU! Keep in touch - and let us know where to send the mail. Seeing that your friends from EMT City come from all over the globe - your care packages should be quite interesting. Let me know what you need from my neck of the woods - maybe some moonpies and RC cola! Take care, keep your head down, give 'em hell and come home in one piece. Love & Prayers. M~

I agree with MedicNorth - if they are a drowning they are not dead until they are WARM and PULSELESS. Of course scene safety is going to be your first and foremost priority - we are talking about four feet of icy water - no info on whether there is a current, etc. NO ONE should be going in unless they have proper water/rescue training. This being said, with your time limited resources, prioritize ALL patients but do not delay transport of those who are accessible given the weather conditions. Focus attention on drownings when they can be safely extricated. Agreed that an EASY button would be nice here! So glad I reside where the winter temperatures rarely dip below 25'F. Thanks for the posting PRPG.

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of it. 2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce. 3. How about never? Is never good for you? 4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public. 5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way. 6. Who lit the fuse on your tampon? 7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message. 8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant. 9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying. 10. Ahhhh . I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again. 11. I like you. You Remind me of myself when I was young and stupid. 12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers. 13. I have plenty of talent and vision; I just don't give a darn. 14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth. 15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you. 16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view. 17. Just because you are misunderstood doesn't mean you are an artist. 18. Any connections between your reality and mine are purely coincidental. 19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks?! 20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant. 21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off. 22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial. 23. And your crybaby opinion would be? 24. Do I look like a people person to you? 25. This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting. 26. I started out with nothing & I still have most of it left. 27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer. 28. If I throw a stick, will you leave? 29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed. 30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed. 31. Oh I get it. like humor. but different. 32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door. 33. Can I trade this job (marriage, life, etc.) for what's behind door #1? 34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses. 35. Nice perfume. Must you really marinate in it? 36. Chaos, panic, and disorder ... my work here is finally done. 37. How do I set a laser printer to stun? 38. I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted a salary. 39. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter. 40. Wait a minute --- I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.

Little Tony was staying with his grandmother for a few days. He'd been playing outside with the other kids for a while when he came into the house and asked her, "Grandma, what is that called when two people are sleeping in the same room and one is on top of the other?" She was a little taken aback, but decided to tell him the truth. "It's called sexual intercourse, darling." Little Tony just said, "Oh, OK." and went back outside to talk and play with the other kids. A few minutes later he came back in and said angrily, "Grandma, it is not called sexual intercourse! It's called Bunk Beds... and Jimmy's mom wants to talk to you!"

Like AZCEP, Dust, Rid and ERDoc made reference to - two large bore IV's does NOT mean you have to run them wide open. Titrate one to try to achieve the desired pressure and TKO the second...then IF you or the ER or the OR need them - they are already established. Rid mentioned blood tubing on one - in the trauma class I just completed there was a strong emphasis on this. Most everyone agrees that "pink" blood is "bad" - but it is going to be much easier to start a second line in the field BEFORE it becomes nearly impossible. Just my 2¢.

I'm not going to get in the middle of the boycott debate - but let's look at a different side of this. EMS services worldwide are contemplating placing cameras in their ambulances to monitor either the driver's and/or the patient compartments, in addition to having digital cameras available to their crews to document vehicle damage - in order to better communicate with ER doctors. I don't know specifically what products Olympus handles at this time - but it does not seem to be a wise business decision to put an entire profession in a bad light - when in fact you may be wanting their business. While not as humerous - same commercial could have shown EMS documenting MVC damage and sharing it with an ER doc - and showed BOTH professions in a more positive light. That's just my 2¢ worth - having spent two decades in the business world.

As an EMT with a VFD I may or may not arrive on scence prior to ALS. We are required to document what we find and what we do. Our PCR's ask for outcome of the patient - did we turn care over to another service - if so who, where did they transport to, etc. If we are first on scene, we document as if we are in charge of the scene - because until ALS arrives we are. If we arrive on scene AFTER ALS, then we document what we found and what we did, if anything. If a member of the ALS team asks me to check a BGL while they start an IV, then I document that I did the BGL and what the results were. Since I'm not starting the IV, I do not attempt to document specifics of it, except to say ALS started an IV. If I assist the ALS crew by riding to the hospital with them, then I document what I did during the ride (CPR, BVM, monitoring of vitals, etc.) By its very definition, BLS documentation may not be as extensive, because we are not performing as many skills as ALS. As long as your documentation is accurate and you state at what point you turned care over to ALS - that should suffice.