HERBIE1

Damn funny!

I'm with you, Dust. Believe me. It seems painfully obvious to me, but as long as Democrats have trial lawyers in their back pockets, there will be no such things as tort reform or personal responsibility.

I used to wear Timex- takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Not "cheap" but they also won't break the budget. I now wear a Relic- a bit more expensive, but I can also wear it off duty. I do have a nice "dress watch" but rarely wear it. My needs- BRIGHT Backlite for nightime use Military time option Large face (digital or analog) Durable face Metal band Water resistant(don't need it to be dive certified in an urban setting) so it can be thoroughly deconned if needed. Unless there is gross contamination that happens to extend beyond my gloves, I also don't take it off every time I wash my hands so it needs to be sturdy. Style is a personal preference I also replace my watches every couple years or so- when the crystal gets too scratched up to read.

As we all know-not exactly news. We've been down this road many times and this horse has been beaten to a bloody pulp, but... The question I don't recall anyone really addressing is: Why has it gotten to the point where people can (ab)use the system in this way? We can talk all day about how we can assist with social service interventions, how expensive health care has become, how some people need a safety net, and now Health Care Reform is supposed to solve all our problems, but I think this is a chicken and the egg thing. When did people decide that an emergency service is appropriate for things like ankle pain, or a sore throat? WHat did people do before EMS was instituted or became so accessible for so many people? Depending on where I am, I still encounter people who simply cannot fathom using EMS for anything. They even apologize for calling for nonemergent things like CHF and MI's. I don't think that even the best reform bill can address the reasons why so many people have become completely incapable of taking care of themselves. I think that over the last couple generations, we have become far less self sufficient in so many areas of our lives. I'm thinking this is not necessarily a good thing. The government has become the great benefactor for so many people, for so long, that they have forgotten how to forge their own path in life. Just musing...

Old person?? Watch it or I'll beat the crap out of you with my walker... Thanks for the shout out.

Kaisu- I suspect you hit the nail on the head. This WAS retaliation for organizing a union. Is it illegal to do- technically yes, but this isn't a discipline thing related to work so it does not apply. Expect more of the same, and be sure to let your coworkers know that everything they say and do will be under a microscope. Obscure rules and regulations will be enforced. Management will cut no slack for anything. Management always takes it as a personal insult when employees attempt to bring a union into the company. No manager/owner wants someone else to dictate how they should run their business, how much they should pay their people, how they should provide compensation, benefits, discipline, etc. Their authority/power has been questioned, they feel betrayed, and they resent being told that they are not taking proper care of their employees. Even if you can cite chapter and verse and list particular reasons why you feel the need for union protection, it will not matter. Lawyers for management have a playbook they use when trying to intimidate employees and will try any tactic they can(within reason) to show the bad side of unionism. Sometimes it works, most of the time it merely strengthens the resolve of the employees. Good luck- and watch your back.

"Maybe we should be Non-PC and actually profile one way ticket purchasers out of predominantly terrorist areas ( I didn't say Muslim)." Why not say Muslim? This is exactly one of the criteria that needs to be on a profile.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones as well. Have a safe, healthy, and happy holiday.

The EMTs' lawyer is right- there is a rush to judgment. Problem is, I cannot see how anything they say can explain away what this crew did- or more accurately- did not do. I don't care what level of provider you are, to be so callous as to disregard someone in extremis like this- you are in the wrong profession. Nobody is expecting an EMS worker to have their own quick response bag they carry 24/7, ready for anything at any time(although some do, I guess) but even without equipment, they could have at least monitored this woman and attempted to help her. I realize that without meds or airways there is not much you can do for a grand mal seizure, but after she stopped, they could have kept her airway open. Sad.

I cannot imagine the grief that family has endured. Personally, I could excuse the original posting of the picture far easier than the person who continues to resubmit them. If I am that dad, I would do everything in my power to track down the sick SOB that thinks that's funny and reposts that picture. I would also have no need for law enforcement to stop that person from ever doing it again.

LMAO Maybe that Santa hat is the new lampshade at the office Xmas a party??

This poor kid doesn't stand a chance. Gee, I wonder where these trailer park stereotypes come from?

LMAO

That was my thought when I first saw this thread.

Hey- the docs get the big bucks for making those decisions. It all boils down to the level of training of their providers (ALS or BLS), the call volume,the experience of the EMS folks, their con ed requirements, QA and QI, how many providers they have, and how well the EMS director knows his people. I know studies have come out that support the use of a prehospital protocol, but there is also a huge difference from system to system, or even county to county. It's hard to make blanket statements as to the safety or efficacy when there are so many variables from system to system. I don't blame the docs for being leery of things like this.

To your point about people being discharged shortly after we bring them in, all nicely packaged and immobilized... Often times, we "know" that a person is fine, and they probably have a simple sprain at most, and as soon as the doc does a quick clinical exam, they are off our backboard and sitting in a chair. Obviously the exam the doc does is not difficult, but they have the license and authority to be able to take a "calculated risk". Years ago, ANYONE who we brought in with a collar and backboard automatically got at least a cross table C-spine Xray- no questions asked. Now, with overcrowding and limitations on resources and money, docs are using our reports, their judgment, clinical skills and experience to clear people without incurring the added cost and time of an Xray. Sign of the times, I guess. It would be nice if we were allowed to clinically clear some of our potential backboard cases here, but for 100 good, conscientious providers who would do the right thing, there is always someone who is just plain lazy and dangerous. Sad, but true.

Like I said before, the union''s job is to protect it's members, but I certainly wouldn't consider that opinion as the definitive answer. I guarantee that the medical director's opinion won't be as optimistic or dismissive as the union president's.

Good point about accident victims and pictures. I know many places use them to show surgeons the extent of damage to a vehicle. I was wondering if they had a dedicated camera for this, or if someone just used their cell phone cameras. Around here, the docs take our word for what the damage is- intrusion, steering wheel intact, windshield starred, etc. I honestly think that most docs have a hard time correlating injuries vs the condition of the car- especially now that cars have safety cages that protect the passengers so well. Every day we see mangled cars that look horrible, yet folks walk away without a scratch on them. We tell the ER's that the exterior of the car was essentially destroyed, yet the person presents clinically fine. Obviously with a badly damaged car, your index of suspicion for serious injuries jumps, you make the ER aware of the damage, so they can look for potential injuries that may not be immediately apparent. We all know about mechanisms of injuries, the physics of what happens to the body with rapid deceleration, and honestly it's amazing more people don't have things like torn aortic arches or ruptured spleens.

Yep. Most procedures have inherent risks- anesthesia complications, PE's, unknown underlying medical issues, etc. Even a simple IV stick has the potential of causing problems. In the case of chemo and radiation, we know how toxic they are to the body, but like you say, it's a risk/benefit thing. If you are treating an aggressive form of cancer, you worry about the more immediate consequences of the disease vs something that may happen down the road because of treatment.

It seems to me this stems from the claim that the victim was still breathing when the crew arrived. Maybe, maybe not. I've had people tell me that a person who had profound rigor and lividity had "just stopped breathing" too, so I take that witness's statement with a grain of salt.

No treatment- especially something such as radiation therapy- are free from side effects. Sometimes the effects are immediate, sometimes delayed. I'd say 25 good years is a pretty good trade off, and if given the choice, I'd take that in a minute. Obviously we never know at the time what is in store for us later.

Looks like plenty of fresh incidents I've seen but it's hard to tell from a picture.

Think cumulative effects. If we are concerned about exposure, 1 or 2 exams aren't the problem. Less invasive is the trend for medical procedures now, which means good imaging is a must. Exploratory surgeries are no longer the norm- diagnostic imaging is the preferred method, which means many more studies than before. A simple example was when I started in the ER, DPL's (diagnostic peritoneal lavages) were one of the determinations of whether or not an abdominal trauma patient bought a trip to the OR. CT's and MRI's were used sparingly back then because of cost. Now, although they are still pricey, the images are quicker, better, and they are used to rule out internal bleeding. Granted a DPL isn't the same as exploratory surgery, but it was invasive nonetheless.

This issue is even bigger than the standard clinical studies that generate exposure to radiation. In recent years there has been a surge in things like heart scans and body scans to check for potential problems. People can pay a few bucks, without a prescription, and get to see all the plaque building up in their bodies- both harmless and harmful. The problem will only get worse unless we get a handle on it.

Quite disturbing.