aussiephil

I didnt disable anything it appears to be a problem beyond my control.....

Lone Star you said: "Phil, You raise some good points, and I agree with what you had to say. While ALL of our patients deserve respect, dignity, compassion...it's a little hard to show those to the patient that has just tried to rip your head off your shoulders in an unprovoked attack." I agree however, we need to bear in mind that it is not personal, they are not in full control of themselves & properly treated most will never present as a problem again. It is significant to point out at this stage that many particularly people suffering delusions, will receive treatment, maintain their meds for a short period & then believe they are cured or detest the side effects & go off their meds, leading to the cycle perpetuating.

OK, with the mis-spelling aside, EMS in general terms does Mental Illness very, very badly. There is plenty of evidence for us to base standard treatments for things such as chest pain (cardiac) treatments, Stroke, trauma etc, but, mental health has been the poor cousin in the heath industry. Why, because it is hard to understand, the manifestations of mental illness are, in some cases socially unacceptable. The majority patients with mental illness are controlled by medication and society would never know. Some mental illnesses are more acceptable than others (mild depression schitzophrenia for example). What needs to be considered at this point however is that when ems & police become involved, it is when the sufferer of the illness is in their most vulnerable state. They are having a severe episode. What works with one patient, will not work with another. Every situation is different. The thing that we, in ems need to consider & maintain is the right that ALL our patients have to dignity, respect & the most professional treatments possible in the circumstances. It is a fine line between some mental illnesses & being sane, who wants to be on the receiving end? We show respect for the person who has chest pain, we have empathy for them, we show compassion. Do we treat the next person, who is delusional, possibly showing aggression, with the same compassion & empathy? They, like the cardiac patient did not get to choose their illness. medicine in general terms does not fully understand the nature of most mental illnesses, but progress is always being made. I think we all need to consider how we look at mental illness, both personally & professionally. Phil PS I used the spell check

For us, our current contraindications are Allergy & Active or suspected bleeding or know bleeding tendency. As Erdoc said it is risk versus benefit & the documentation (evidence) on the subject of the administraion is almost endless. The benefits to patients with ischaemic heart disease is huge, and should be a priority for all suspected cases. There are trials here currently with the administration of Clopidogrel as an alternative where there is a history or fear of previous reaction, to date there is no data available on sucess.

While the goal is hospitalisation, the mind is a powerful thing & I have witnessed the relief in people when we walk through the door. In a pt having an AMI, if this relieves anxiety & lowers their BP even a small amount, isnt that a good thing? Coupled with the drug therapies that are on offer, we can achieve fantastic results, pre hospital, but these pts need hospitalisation & further more difinitive treatment. To undervalue the knowledge, & benefits of walking onto a scene & simply speaking to the patient, calming them is, in my humble opinion, more beneficial than drug therapies. Phil

Brent, regardless of skill level, capabilities etc. in many cases the sight of a person in uniform will begin to alleviate the persons fears. Yes this is a placebo effect, yes this is positive. The other thing to remember here is that the vast majority of calls are BLS calls, where the primary roll, & evein in ALS protocols the first thing you do is ABC, so placaebo or not, everyone, from first responder to Doctor will still be able to do the same thing, maintain an Airway, Ensure airmovment is happening & if not, Breath for them & commence commpressions if Circulation has ceased. Phil

No way, as JakeEMT stated it is elective. Having said that there is the point of the government having responsibility for public health education, eg trying to educate people on the health dmage caused by obesity & trying to have them need to use the health system - preventative medicine is as important as treating an illness. Racemedic, what I am talking about i basic healthcare needs. Immunisation, vacination, the treating of illness on presentation. The basic tenet of having a 'well' society. JPINFV, So, if healthcare is a "right" who decides what health care providers get paid? Who decides what amount of health care is enough? What about people who use more health care than 'their fair share?' Should people who have money be allowed to spend it on health care and get a higher level of service? If not, why? It's their money after all. No one can or should dictate how much a person can charge, here that is a breach of the Trade Practices Act, however, the Australian Medical Association have a Scedule of Fees, as I am sure the American Medical Association could do & that recommends the minimum charge. Rebates can then be worked out from this. It then becomes a supply & demand thing, if the Scheduled fee is say $40.00 but he wants to charge $80.00 & force his patients to make up the gap, he can, but will expect to lose patients. Health should not be about the money, it should be about the lives it involves. If a person is a frequent flyer, so what, there is a reason for it (could it be a mental illness?), but regardless they are still deserving of medical treatment at that time.

So again, EMS is used as a cash cow to prop up a FD. I say again. 2 Seperate professions. Run them seperate.

I am argueing that we have a social & moral obligation to assist those less fortunate in society. I have said that here Or should we all be treated equally, without prejudice based on socio-economic factors & here We have a social responsibility to ensure that healthcare is available to all, not just those who can afford it. & here Basic healthcare, the right to live your life knowing that in a first world country you have the best doctors etc & that they are available if needed is a primary need & here Why is it that we have people like Bono (from U2) Bill Gates & Co comtributing millions of dollars to third world countries to provide basic healthcare FREE? Because they recognise that it is the only way to improve how those people will live in the years to come. I will say it one more time. Healthcare should not be run for profit. Healthcare is a basic right of all people to have provided at little or no cost. This runs from GP visits, to inpatient & outpatient visits.

If a government department can cover their costs on their own, then there is no reason why they should not do so. JPINV, based on this statment, do you think it is right that a person who is unable to afford health insurance, has severe chest pain, & self presents to a hospital to recieve treatment that may not be effective because he is too late? Or, a person who has insurance, calls an ambulance, is rushed straight through without triage & recieves faster treatment? Or should we all be treated equally, without prejudice based on socio-economic factors?

I can only speak for us in Aussieland vent, but we all do carry adrenaline in every car here.........

I will throw in my 2 cents worth, from an aussie perspective. I have 3 children currently attending school. At the school there are a number of children with allergies to varying foods. We are a small community & the ambulance station is approx 5 miles from the school. All teachers have attended courses in anaphalaxis & the use of epi pens, however, it is up to the family to provide them to the school & each is labled for the particular child. Do I feel threatened because a teacher will administer a drug that is normally reserved for EMS? No. Am I thankful that they are proactive in learning about this? Hell yes. The simple fact is that today, unlike years gone by, more & more children are diagnosed with allergies, I am sure we all have opinions as to why (too many preservatives in foor, hormones & antibiotics in chickens etc.). Put simply, what is needed in an anaphalactic reaction is swift, decisive treatments. Nothing More. Nothing Less. Make no mistake about it, Anaphalaxis is life treatening & provided the drugs are in date, lets train everybody in the use of Epi-pens. Phil

:shock: Just another reason for the services to all be seperate.........

Dust, you know I respect your opinion, however, what we are really talking about here is the underlying issue of the availability of ALL health, from pre hospital to intra hospital & outpatient care. I dont deny that governments are incompetent, but remove that. We have a social responsibility to ensure that healthcare is available to all, not just those who can afford it. To compare healthcare to jury duty is a complete nonsense. There is nothing similar about them. Basic healthcare, the right to live your life knowing that in a first world country you have the best doctors etc & that they are available if needed is a primary need. Why is it that we have people like Bono (from U2) Bill Gates & Co comtributing millions of dollars to third world countries to provide basic healthcare FREE? Because they recognise that it is the only way to improve how those people will live in the years to come. Maslow, in his heirachy of needs tells us that firstly we, as humans need Food Water Shelter & Clothing, then we need Security, the basic need for Social Secuity in a Family & society that protects against Hunger, Violence & protects wellbeing. This tells us that it is a basic right, second only to the more basic of needs. Would it be right to say bill a person for the time it takes for a Police Officer to write a ticket as well as being fined for it? Do police departments run at a profit? No & nor they should. Same with Health departments. Let us do what we should be doing & treat patients without them having the fear of an exorbidant invoice arriving in a couple of weeks time.

Congratulations Jess. Well done.

Every 14th of February you get the chance to display your fondness for your wife or girlfriend by showering her with gifts, flowers, dinner, shows and any other baubles that women find romantic. Secretly...guys feel left out. That's right...left out. There's no special holiday for the ladies to show their appreciation for the men in their life. Men as a whole are either too proud or just too embarrassed to admit it. This is why a new holiday has been created. March 20th is now officially 'Steak, Blow job & Shut the F@ck Up Day.' Simple, effective and self-explanatory...this holiday has been created so you ladies can have a day to show your man just how much you love him. No cards, no flowers, no special nights on the town the name of the holiday explains it all...just a steak, a BJ & shut your mouth for the rest of the day! That's it! This twin pairing of Valentine's Day and Steak, Blow job & Shut the F@ck Up Day will usher in a new age of love as men everywhere will try THAT much harder in February to ensure a more memorable March! It's like a perpetual love machine. The word is already spreading, but as with any new idea, it needs a little push to start the ball rolling. So spread the word, and help bring love and peace to this crazy world.

Dont we, as First World citizens, who are always concerned with the plight of the third world, have a responsibility to those who live in our country who are less fortunate? In my opinion healthcare, including ambulatory pre hospital care, is a basic right of ALL people & should not be run 'for profit', nor should patients be billed for it. How can we in First World countries tell the third world what to do when we cant even look after our own? Phil

Thanks Brens, spoil it for everyone. The best opportunity in ages to pay out on AK & you have to post this LMAO

1. The Pedal-powered Wheel Chair 2. The Inflatable Dart Board 3. The Submarine Screen Door 4. The Waterproof Towel 5. The Solarpowered Torch 6. The Dictionary Index 7. The Helicopter Ejector Seat 8. Powered Water 9. The Waterproof Tea Bag 10. A Book on How to Read

When you have an "I Hate My Job" day, try this: On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson ~ Be very sure you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed. Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken. Now the fun part begins. Take out the literature from the box and read it carefully. You will notice that in small print there is a statement: "Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested and then sanitized ". Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, "I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer Quality Control Department at Johnson & Johnson." HAVE A NICE DAY AND REMEMBER, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE WITH A JOB THAT IS MORE OF A PAIN IN THE A$$ THAN YOURS!

Surley it makes sense to keep the services seperate. Fire is one profession, EMS is a profession, policing is a profession. They should be seperate. When the reporter claims statistics like 90% of fire responses are medical it shows that all fire are trying to do is justify their existance. Keep all services as seperate stand alone units, not private companies, that compliment each other, not one trying to envelop the others

1. Two times a week we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage, good food and companionship. She goes on Tuesdays; I go on Fridays 2. We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in California, and mine is in Texas. 3. I take my wife everywhere.... but she keeps finding her way back. 4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the kitchen. 5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops. 6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker. She said "There are too many gadgets, and no place to sit down!" So I bought her an electric chair. 7. My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there was water in the carburetor. I asked where the car was. She told me, "In the lake." 8. She got a mud pack, and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off. 9. She ran after the garbage truck, yelling, "Am I too late for the garbage?" The driver said, "No, jump in!" 10. Remember: Marriage is the number one cause of divorce. 11. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first na me was Always. 12. I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her. 13. The last fight was my fault though. My wife asked, "What's on the TV?" I said, "Dust!" :twisted: 8) :twisted: 8) :twisted: 8) :twisted:

Any time mate, i will look after you 8)

You all mssed the most obvious -FART!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Couldn't the same be said for the crossover of Fire & EMS in the US? Are they not 2 seperate & unique professions? I find it interesting that people will say rescue shouldn't be part of EMS, when we rescue people that need to have medical attention, but do not give both fire & ems the credence they deserve individually. Keep rescue medical.