ptemt

the Council Of Elders

Hey.........that's my line! Glad to see you using it appropriately!

You are called to the residence of a 12y/o male. His parents called the ambulance because he noticed his hand were turning blue just prior to their call. What else about the history do you want to know?

Are his hands blue when you get there?

Are they cold?

It is cold here in Denver...........big blizzard.

I think you all should meet behind the playground after school for a rumble.

I trust you were not in uniform AK.

Reread fromt he beginning please. This thread had nothing to do with the perks we get while on duty in uniform, it was more of a focus on an UNDERAGE person using his uniform to PURCHASE ALCOHOL!! This is why we were "casting stones" as you say.

My apologies AK. When I closed the sentence with "personal vehicle" I had intended to imply off duty while driving to or from being on duty. In addition, here is your opening salvo;

"Hello to all

Just solicitng opinions on people that use their uniform for personal gain or discounts. We have all seen these types. You know the ones that wear them to a certain restaraunt in order to get the discount which is normally afforded to on duty crews or the ones that call up the pizza joint and request the discount despite not being on duty. "

Your "focus" on alcohol doesn't emerge until the third paragraph of your thread. I agree that what this person did was wrong. I also felt it was time to stir the pot and see if anyone responding to this thread had gotten off of a moving traffic violation while in uniform, off duty and driving their own personal vehicle at speeds they knew were against the law. Kind of a "discount" so to speak.

Have any of you that have been lining up to cast stones ever received a free pass on a moving traffic violation while you were in uniform or perhaps had your uniform hanging in your personal vehicle?

In Denver we have AMR, Action Care, Rural Metro, Columbine, Capitol City (fluent Russian a plus), Pride Mark and more for private services that run a mixture of transfers to 911. Numerous fire departments as well. Denver Health is the only hospital based EMS and has the best pay. The private services have enough turnover that jobs are generally available. Compensation is lower at the privates but you can get your foot in the door for experience. Go to yahoo Hot Jobs and put in EMT and Denver. You can also google HealthONEems for networked area hospital job searches.

Find out what text your school will be using and read it before you begin class. Having been exposed to the material prior to class will improve your in class retention, understanding and most likely your exam scores as well.

How are his pupils presenting? Hitting a soccer ball with your head can have a cumulative effect.

Emilea,

Do what you want to do. My only other advice is to stop engaging the "Council of Elders." Odds are they too had elders whom they ignored as well. I have a teenage son and I'll give you one guess as to who I remind myself of when I am giving him direction in life.

On a side note I was refused service at a New Mexico gas station because my Colorado plates say "Always Buy Colorado." Not what kind of shite is that? Some kind of reciprocal agreement I guess. I have a neighbor who sports "Pioneer" plates on his car, he keeps on putting up rock piles around the block claiming that since his family was here first he can set the boundarys. The guy across the street with "Veteran" plates doesn't see eye to eye with the "Pioneer" but fortunately we have a "Regis University" type to help mediate. I can't keep track of how many times I have been cut off by a driver on their cell phone with the columbine plate that sports "Respect Life."

As I approach flu season for the 48th time I sure don't mind a little help. I am rarely sick but the exposure in this industry makes the flu shot a good bet. I am a first timer.

I would go with the spoon as it could be fashioned into a fork or sharpen a side like a knife if the situation required.

The suggestion about volume size might explain it. THere is more pressure on a column of water 1000mL tall (however tall a 1000mL bag is) over a 500mL bag. The frustrating thing is why wouldnt the fluid just flow into the vein. Since veins are capacitors, youd thing any excess pressure would be distributed into teh vein, not up the bag applying its own pressure.

-OveractiveBrain

It's all physics, the catheters inner diameter determines the coefficient of flow. A 14 or 16 gauge catheter may provide more favorable results. I'll go with Ridryder's experience and recommendation on this one!

Hard to say what happened having not been there but it sounds like a balance of forces is occurring. The 20 gauge catheter is a very small orifice relative to the inner diameter of the connective tubing. Force being equal to pressure times area you have greater head pressure in the 1000 ml bag than the 500 ml bag. With a common connection to the two bags I would expect the one with greater pressure to back flow to the one with less, until the pressure is equalized. At the same time though I would expect some flow through the catheter. However, as the big bag back flows to the small bag a venturi effect may occur at the junction that leads to the catheter. The venturi would reduce pressure at the catheter junction and this may reduce or stop flow to the catheter until the balance of pressure is completed in the two bags.

An illustration of the venturi effect can be observed watching a smoker driving with the window cracked open. As the air rushes by the car (or car rushes by the air actually), the pressure in the car is reduced and the smoke is drawn out the crack.

This is from the 6th edition of Mosby Jems PHTLS text book, chapter 5, page 97;

2. Tourniquets, In the previous edition of this text, tourniquets were described as the technique of "last resort." Military experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus the routine and safe use of tourniquets by surgeons, has led to reconsideration of this approach. The use of "elevation" and pressure on "pressure points" is no longer recommended because of insufficient data supporting their effectiveness. Tourniquets are very effective in controlling severe hemorrhage and should be used if direct pressure or a pressure dressing fails to control hemorrhage from an extremity.

Perhaps a protocol change is in the pipeline.

Can't believe y'all haven't had the stripper twisting her ankle on the 8 inch stiletto heels while she was giving a lap dance. That was fun night!

Ran a call at a low rent strip club in Denver. Male patient got clocked in the forehead with a four inch heel when the "dancer" was executing some kind of roll over maneuver. Pt denied LOC, ETOH and pretty much everything else, including refusing transport. Mostly he seemed to be embarrassed as many of the patrons were making fun of him. I insured that the seen was safe for my medic.

Wether a 10, 12 or 24 hour shift we get an extra 8 hours of straight time pay. :shock:

In Colorado we are required to have our state and CPR certification on us while working. I had a copy shop shrink down the cert, in color and then had it sealed in plastic as well I had the CPR card sealed too. For work we wear a picture ID with first name, last initial and certification level. I'll whip it out for .........................oh wait, nevermind!

Funny, but not twice.

Page

No doubt. Sorry Windsong for reposting!

If I could delete this thread I would. :shock:

A stupid question deserves an appropriate answer....

I was in Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina for my Labrador

Retriever and was in line to check out.

A woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

On impulse, I told her that no, I was starting The Purina Diet again,

although I probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital last

time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care

ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it

works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one

or two every time you feel hungry & that the food is nutritionally complete

so I was going to try it again.

I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now

enthralled with my story, particularly a tall guy behind her.

Horrified, she asked if I'd been poisoned and was that why I was in the

hospital.

I said no.....I'd been sitting in the street licking my balls and a car hit me.

I thought the tall guy was going to have to be carried out the door.

SO man medics come in informing they "were unable to open the mouth" a little cross finger, opens it up.. no problem. I have yet been bit, when performing this properly (hint : properly).

R/r 911

Ridryder,

Please expand on this. Is the cross finger better at opening the mouth or is the intent for it to be safer for the EMT.

Thanks

I think your question "Hero or fool..." has already been decided....

"Thank God for him," she told the St. Petersburg Times. "You hear it on the news every day people don't make it out alive. I'm so happy everybody....

Qualitatively he is a hero. Subjectively he may not be.

Hmmm... I do believe reading in the NHTSA Basic EMT curriculum ..." nasopharyngeal airways should not be inserted in facial trauma, potential trauma involving the cranial vault"

R/r 911

We were taught the above in class as well. What do you do then as a basic if the patient cannot or will not accept an OPA? This is not an issue in our system as dual BLS ambulances are in the minority and ALS is never far. In any case I am glad to know the incidence of problem NPA insertion with basal skull fracture is likely to be very low. No B,C to worry about without A.

What procedures do you use to insure your blades are clean ? Do you autoclave, soak in cleaning agent, or use disposable. Would you stick any of the blades that are currently on your bus, in your own mouth. If not, why do your patients deserve less ?

Ace,

It seems that GAmedic lives rent free in your head, and others for that matter. Some of your replys to this thread are easier to read than others as your type face gets bigger and more colorful.........I almost feel as if you are shouting at us, the collective readers on this forum. You repeatedly ask GAmedic to answer your questions regarding documentation.............I dunno.....so

"What procedures do you use to insure your blades are clean ? "

If you answered all of his questions and I somehow missed it then please feel free to shout back at me!

I wear jungle boots, they breathe, they're lightweight, and you can run in them like sneakers(sort of).

Here's a link: [web:7ac8170012]http://www.militaryclothing.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Shelf/ASP/Hierarchy/04.html[/web:7ac8170012]

I wear these as well. They are comfortable and inexpensive. Add the zipper device for another ten bucks or so and you have easy on and off.