crotchitymedic1986

Sorry, you can not have a premature contraction of any kind in afib.

I want whatever he is smoking !

I remember the first attractive female EMS employee we had on the ambulance. It was the late 80's, and attractive women in EMS was rare. What I remember most is that she got hit on everywhere we went. I mean like 20+ times per shift, and it didnt stop we she got engaged and started wearing a ring. Medics, emts, ffs, cops, mechanics, nurses, doctors, fast food workers --- if they were breathing, they were hitting on her. So now that women and attractive women are not as rare, I wonder if we are still the pigs we were back then ? Ladies ?

just a pet peeve

Good call on the paint -- i vote reaction to latex in the paint

It is improper to call ventricular ectopy a "PVC" when the patient's base rhythm is Atrial Fib. The proper terminology is ventricular ectopy. Please start 2009 with the correct terminology.

Funniest and dumbest at same time. Hosemonkeys have an open mic and dont know it, you hear MDT beeping in the background, then you hear one of the guys reading the message, "Battallion 3 wants us to meet him TAC channel 4", then you hear "Wonder what that asshole wants ?".

Wasnt my policy, just passing it on to Spenac. I believe the rationale was, that if you are a DNR, you do not need emergency ALS services, and could be transported by a convalescent unit. Although most DNR calls are non-emergent (foley or feeding tube change), it is possible for them to have emergencies as you pointed out. As I have stated many times, I would not refuse to transport anyone. I like the monthly module training idea, whether it goes towards their cert needs or not, I think monthly training should be mandatory. If you can afford it, a good resource is that red and white book that the ER Physicians use (cant remember the name, but it cost around $250.00). It will help you go far deeper than any medic book will. I would also urge you to pick unusual topics, not the usual topics, so that it will be less boring, and people may actually learn something new (instead of just review).

You know, I always thought testing after an accident was stupid, you are already going to be sued, now you have handed them a reason to get another million dollars if the test comes back positive. It would seem that it would be smarter to do random testing all year long, not just after an accident. Most people can hide their addictions for a long time. How many employees do you have at your work that wear sunglasses indoors ? How many are on psych drugs that have a warning label that says do not drive ? How many are on Lortab for their back injuries ?

Why dont you speak with the Hospital's Risk Manager ? If you fear retribution, just slide an anonymous note under his/her door. It is common for most hospitals to do case reviews on unusual patients, scenarios, or deaths. This would be a good case for the Doctor's QI/QA Committee to look at. Maybe more could have or should have been done, maybe not ?

Apparantley some of you have not found yourself in a dangerous scene where PD was not present, and was several minutes away, or were not even enroute to start with (your cut finger patient turned into a stabbing at a domestic call, with the drunk perp still on scene). With that being said, I do not think you need a gun for most scenes we encounter. The only time I carried was during times of civil unrest, when it was more likely that anyone in uniform would become a target.

I note the tongue in cheek, but you know this is a real problem in EMS, we have all had this partner. My best advice is to make his/her life a living hell while riding with you. Some acceptable tactics: 1. Demand to read the patient care report on every call, and question everything on it, before you sign it. 2. Come to work early, mess with everything on the truck -- rearrange the jump bag, the cabinets, his/her seat. 3. Jump every call you can, even after midnight. 4. Hit the potholes. 5. Dont shower, dont use breathmints during the shift. 6. Talk every minute of every non-patient minute. Talk about anything/everything. 7. Take up a new religion, and explain its benefits to him/her, and why he/her are going to hell. 8. Bring smelly foods for lunch/dinner/snacks. Tunafish sandwiches every day. 9. Put the radio on the most offensive channel to this person, or bring some CDs to work (chanting monks). 10. Call his/her spouse and tell them how sexy you find your new partner.

no one can come up with a challenging question ?

Describe the differences between : Abruptio placenta, placenta previa, and eclampsia

I know there was a study performed that showed that less than 10% of MULTI-SYSTEM trauma patients had a C-Spine injury. I will see if I can find it.

Great post, need someone to step up with a new question.

Good point spenac. The only ones that I ever saw in print, denied transport of: 1. DNR patients 2. Patients with flu symptoms and normal vital signs (had a range and age for fever). 3. Patient with hand, toe, finger fractures. 4. Patients with minor suturable or nonsuturable lacerations. I will see what I can find.

I note the sarcasm, but I was referring to the little bottles of vicks that have vicks jell in them, not the vicks tubes that fit comfortably in the nasal canal. These bottles tend to last longer, and you can glob a bunch of vicksgel in each nostril versus just taking a hit off of the tubes.

I dont remember ever calling you unprofessional sirduke. I, like everyone else, has opinions on a variety of subjects, and we argue those beliefs, but I would never call you unprofessional because you disagree with me. An example of this: I believe that sticking 14ga needles in drunks for punishment is unprofessional. If you argued the other side of the coin, I would not call you unprofessional, but I would state that the ACT was unprofessional.

Although I usually state that a discussion in a forum may do little to affect change or improvement, I hope this thread will actually inspire some people to improve their service. The question is, what are you currently studying or measuring as a CQI project or improvement project for your service ? By sharing what you are studying, you may influence someone to look at the same thing at their service, and thus improve the quality of care that they provide. If you are not currently measuring anything, I hope you will start. Here are some suggestions from me, I am sure others will put forth some better suggestions: Refusals, and all that has been discussed in previous posts. Refusal percentage after midnight versus regular hours if you are a 24/48 service. 12-Lead completion ASA administration IV or Intubation success rate Response times Onscene times Appropriateness of facility transported to: Stroke, Trauma, Cardiac patients

Just a note, the two worst smells in my opinion: 1. A cancerous tumor that has burst open (usually bleeds alot too). 2. Feces that has been vomited up through the mouth due to severe impaction. I think it is worse than burnt or rotting bodies, but others may disagree. If you are going to any of those calls, just put the whole bottle of vicks up both nostrils.

No, they are all three questions regarding the sanctity of life. Interesting though, I dont think anyone has said they were absolutely against Euthenasia, despite their feelings on the other two subjects.

you know i could never disagree with you I2K

Also I would argue there are not differing views on what is professional, its just that we change the definition of what is professional, so that we do not feel bad about being unprofessional. It is the same arguments we use when we choose to do the wrong thing, instead of the right thing: For instance, cheating on your spouse is WRONG on every level. But those who do it, find excuses that make it less wrong, so they do not have to feel the guilt for being wrong. As Forest Gump might have said, if asked: "Professional Is As Professional Does".

I couldnt disagree more sirduke. Professionalism is ACTION not ATTITUDE. I think professionalism can be summed up in one question: Do you do the "professional" thing when no one is looking ? Many of the things that have been questioned as professional activities are things that we do when no one is looking: hazing a rookie, violent or dangerous practical jokes, watching porn at the station, harassing or discriminating against a coworker, torturing patients, refusing to transport patients who need care, are big indicators for what you are really made of. You are not what you say you are, what you think you are, or what you plan to be. YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO. Some may think you can be unprofessional sometimes, as long as you switch on the professional switch when you get in front of a paitent. I disagree.