uglyEMT

Gives a whole new meaning to finds 'em hot leaves 'em wet I say If that was in the States she would have been arrested for indecent exposure God I love OZ

Sounds like the kid through a can of beer off an overpass and shattered the windshield. Depending on how bad it was shattered, sounds like it was bad, pulling over was the safest thing to do. If you cant see safely out of your windshield, you then become a saftey hazard to the general public, thus the need to remove yourself from the flow of traffic in a safe manner, which they seem to have done, and await police assistance.

Poverty Questionnaire 1. What race are poor people? Human 2. Are poor people all alcoholics? No 3. Are poor people all drug abusers? No 4. How old are poor people? All Ages 5. Do they live in city or suburbs? Both 6. Are more poor people male or female? Same 7. Are poor people lazy? Not All 8. Do all poor people have one or numerous kids? Amounts Vary. Some Have None, Some Have One, Some Have Multiple 9. Is lack of education a reason for being poor? No 10. Is low minimum wage to blame for being poor? No 11. Are all poor people unkept? No 12. Is government assistance enough for poor people to survive? No 13. Is social mobility (moving up or down in class) possible for the poor? Yes 14. Do the poor pay taxes? Some Do. (Working Poor Do) 15. Do all poor people steal? No

Im sorry but I have to agree with the ALTE thing. ANY child with DOB, SOB, choking, ect NEEDS to be transported. The leading cause of cardiac arrest in a child is from respitory problems. Even a choking that has been cleared by a parent or on its own before EMS arrives should be transported and Xrays taken! You never know if some of the object causing the obstruction went into the lungs OR if it caused damage. When it comes to children (remeber a 17yr old is still a pedi) we should err on the side of caution and transport. This is a sad story that was 100% preventable.

wierd. tried to edit and it wouldn't work. Oh well here is my first and biggest pucker moment... Working a 45 yr old male, feeling dizzy. We get there has slight right arm pain, no SOB, no crushing chest pain. BP was 175/80, pulse was 68 RR 14 normal. Has a history of stents but no MIs. We decide on ALS just to be safe but unfortunatly none are available. So we ask which ED he wanted to go to and he said *&&%$#$ , which is our normal ED anyways, but also because thats where is heart doc is and where the stents were done. Transport is going uneventful and we think all is well. Pt then turns to me and says he doesnt fell well. By the time I ask whats wrong he is unresponsive, check for pulse NONE!!!! Grab the AED while my partner gets the airway secure and starts compressions. We hook the pads up and the unit comes back no shockable rythem!! We get to the ED and he is pronounced I couldn't believe from normal one minute to gone the next. Made me loose it enough that the crew cheif sent me home as I was uneffective from that point on. Almost made me give up on being an EMT. Thankfully my crew and partners helped me get back to normal and a few sessions with the counsoler I was back on the rig.

My DUH moment..... Go to a call for chest pain. Male in his 50s sitting on the bed clutching his chest with his right arm. Talking 2 words per breath and saying an elephant driving a bus filled with concrete (his words not mine) was on his chest. So my partner tells me to take BP. I am so wraped up in the call, thinking of everything to do with a possible MI, that I have my blinders on. I reach for the patient's left arm to put the cuff on and ooopps didnt see the fact he was an amputee from the shoulder I get the whole deer-in-headlights thing going and my partner finally says, "Why not try his good arm" I felt like a total moron from that point on with the patient. Now I have learned to actually look at the patient before I walk over to the patient

Understood and thats why the crew cheif said he could ride along. BUT and this is a large but, a vet is not liscensed to practice medicine on humans thus at that point he is a common civilian thus no higher medical authority protocol is in effect. A veterinarian (American English) or a veterinary surgeon (British English), often shortened to vet, is a physician for animals (excluding humans) and a practitioner of veterinary medicine.

Ok so last night we were bored and started talking about the funniest calls we were on or something funny that happened during a call. Well heres the best one I heard out of all of them...... Units respond to a multi car MVA w/ multiple injures. One of those cant have enough man power kinda calls. Well on scene the units find civilians helping patients and its basically a big cluster fcuk. Once things get under control and sorted out they find a civilan helping a pretty bad patient. As they start taking over patient care the civilan states that he is a doctor and would like to contiue to help. Well the crew decides its OK, so far hes done a great job, and continues to have him lend assistance. They get the patient packaged and ready for transport and the "Doctor" is still helping and gets into the rig. Thankfully the crew decides to ask why he wants to ride along. He states that since he began patient care he would like to continue. The crew cheif thinks about that for a second and decides to let him stay due to the whole higher medical authority treatment protocol. They get to the hospital and transfer the patient to the ED. Well on the way back the "Doctor" asks for a ride and they lend it to him. So they begin to talk on the ride back and one of the EMTs decides to finally ask what kind of doctor he is............... "I'm A Veternarian" Needless to say, always ask what kind of doctor someone is before you decide they can lend assistance.

Thanks folks for the responses. We have been talking about it, and working through some of the issues. Herbie you were right, issues are there I had no idea about I think we will be fine as time goes on, I just have to educate her a little more on all the precautions we take, the fact we take scene safety very seriously, and BSI BSI BSI LOL The radio thing, well like I said its not a scanner but dept issued base station. I have told the wife that if I get a call and shut it off please leave it off. Hopefully she will. Its going to be tough but I know we will make it through this, like I said earlier, its new for us (me being in the back) so its just another leasson we both have to work on. Knowing I have an extended family to help me (my EMS brothers and sisters) makes a big difference in alot of ways. Thanks folks for everything on this subject. I really do appreciate it.

Anthony - according to the father nothing was done, from the time he dialed 911 till he turned around the child began crying. When asked about back slaps or anything of that nature he stated no. I agree that anytime an intervention is done on a small child a checkup should be done, just in case. Kiwi - We did ascultate the lung fields with nothing remarkable heard. With capillary refill good, the loud crying and good skin color, and her pulling away from us twords Mommy we felt she was in good shape. We did recommend to them to seek further medical at their own physician (thinking RMA here) but they had just recently moved to the area, there words not mine, and asked us to transport. For a pedi I have no problems being a taxi LOL Crochiti - It was the grape itself, parents witnessed it. As stated earlier we did notify the Mom to start cutting the grapes into smaller pieces. And we also told both parents to come to our family CPR course so next time they will have the knowledge to help their daughter before we arrive.

Thanks Herbie I ususally leave the phone on the call box at the station, I have seen too many phones get lost or damaged having them in the rig or in a pocket LOL As far as the radio unfortunatly its a base unit, Motorola CDM1550 LS, I usually hit the mute button if I remember as I go out the door but guess my wife likes to listen in LOL I will just sit down with her. I guess its a learning experience for both of us. We have to learn to understand one another as far as the calls go. Just because its not my voice on the radio (now that I ride in the back usually) or my rig's number calling in (rig 54 where are you? LOL) that its OK, I am OK, and my Crew is OK. I guess I was just nervous about her. I know alot of folks have told me to watch out for my family members just as much as I watch out for my partners. So I guess this tripped the uh-oh alarm for me. I am just nervous that I am seeing the beginings of an underlying stress problem related to my duties and want to help before it gets too bad. Maybe I looked at the radio thing as being the call for help. Thanks everyone for responding, it means alot to me and I hope I can help you folks out if ever needed in the future.

Yes suggested to Mom try cutting the grapes. Yes transported to ED for X-rays and exams. Cap refil was normal. No changes in lung sounds during transport (all 4 times we ran vitals) Crew was thinking same thing as far as stridor... I was confirming here the stridor. I always suggest to family or patients themselves (if over 18) to go to the ED for a checkup after a choking incident. The patient did extremly well during transport, vitals were all within normal limits, skin became cool just prior to ED(2min out). I figured it was a pretty typical call but wanted to confirm my thoughts on stridor without saying it But any choking call can turn serious if the partial obstruction decides to move. We did do a quick look into her mouth and couldn't see the grape so it was pretty far down.

I think this belongs here Admin if it needs to be moved feel free to do so. This was a real call, all facts will be presented as they actually occured. Dispatched at 2000 for an allergic reaction. No further information from dispatch.... Arrive on scene to find a 4 year old female loudly crying in her mothers arms, father happy to see you and is the one communicating to you. Says the child was eating a grape and swallowed it then began not breathing, no noise, was drooling heavily. He believed the child was having an allergic reaction. Thats when he called 911. By the time he got back to the child, child was crying, grape not found anywhere. Child presents with good color, loudly crying, and resistant towards EMTs and just wants Mommy to hold her. You hear a high pitch in her cry, almost wheezing like in nature. .............

Thanks folks. I appreciate the responses. I always leave the phone behind LOL I cant stand having it in back with me and a patient. I do check it when we get back though. As far as the scanner, its actually the squad issued radio at home. Being in a very rural area sometimes our Plextrons don't always go off so we have the radios at home so we actually hear the police dispatches. Its a drawback, I know and I do keep it off when not on duty, but on my duty days its on and the wife listens in. I will talk with her and help her understand about the no news is good news. I will try and help her understand how we do what we do and also whats going on when we are on call and the reasons we dont answer radios or call in consistantly. I hope to help her understand these things. As far as emergency contacts, yes our squad has them in place and my wife would be called ASAP. Keep the replys coming folks, the more I read the more I understand and the better I can help. Thanks

Oklahoma City Bombing Anyways... guy definatly sounds like he needs to seek professional help. Sight formulas, carring a side arm at an airport. Wanting to see the president with said items Yea, someone is off his meds. As far as the wacker car... thats an instant Come on man, lights and sirens on a POV with no reason for them? Just asking for a LEO to stop you. The antennas ok I'll give you that one being in a HAM club and all. But the dash mounted camera??? Now your pushing impersonating an officer laws. Definatly can't wait to see what comes out of this one. Was it an attempt on the President's life? Was it a stunt? Was he actually thinking everything was OK? Can't wait to hear the details.. "Dispatch, 54.. I have a Wacker.. Send Backup!!"

Hey folks. I have a question that I need some help with and hopefully with all your experience you'll be able to help. Got home from a bad call last night, went from drill to real call, and found my wife weeping. When I asked what was wrong she said she got worried about me. I asked her why and she said it was because she didn't hear from me and it was going on a long time. I have to clarify that statement.. my wife usually hears my voice over the radio during my calls so she knows I am alright. Well last night I was on scene vs transporting so no radio communications. It was a double mva, multiple patients, looooong extracation in the pouring rain call. My rig was first on scene thus became the donor rig (everything off mine let the others do transport) thus my crew and I were the ones staying on scene during the entire call. Well I didn't think anything of it, time wise that is. But it apparently caused my wife some anxiety. I tried to explain to her that everything is fine and that my crew and I were fine just no radio communications thats all. Hell wraped up in the backseat of a civic doing head stabilization while they cut the kid out I couldn't use a radio even if I wanted too. Anyways... to my question. How do we help our loved ones understand or cope with our calls. I know we have each other (emt family) to talk with and work things out when we get stressed but what do we do for our families? I haven't had to deal with this side of EMS yet. We got through wierd schedules, we got through training and school. Now we are dealing with the stress at home of real calls, real emotions, real anxiety. I am happy that my wife thinks of me and my crew while on calls, gives us another set of eyes watching our backs. But the anxiety is new, the worry from not hearing from me. Most times calls are 2 hrs round trip and during that time she will hear me on the radio a few times talking with dispatch, coordinating with the fire cheif, what-have-you. But this time around it was almost 4hrs in bad weather and I wasn't even duty crew that night. I was a training when the tones came out and the Captain sent us all to respond. So she was even more nervous probably by hearing the way we were dispatched. What do you all do to calm the fears of your loved ones? Not saying they don't or won't worry about us but when those feelings go from normal worrys to anxiety and tears I think I should do something to help my wife through that. If this is normal and happens from time to time with you all then by all means just let me know that and I will learn to just be a shoulder to cry on but if this is something other then that and is experienced by others please let me know how or what I can do to help. Thanks everyone for any help you can give me with this.

First after joining my squad was dog bite. Multiple contusions of the hand RMA. First call that I drove the rig for was chest pain. No arrest but an ALS intercept nontheless. First call as a EMT was a stroke. ALS was with us on scene, patient was doing good in the ED when we left.

Dust makes a great point here and it works. Being a recent student myself I can attest to the lack of confidence. I had the knowledge and skills, during exercises my instructors would sometimes let me run it like a crew cheif would and just observe. Without the "test" pressure I was fine, I felt good about it. Then test time came and I would freeze up. Dont know why but I did. Finally an instructor called me out in class to do this memory dump. I nearly craped my pants with the thought of standing in front of the whole class and talking about whatever the instructor asked. I was a wreck but as I slowly began "dumping" my brain I started feeling more confident in what I was saying which led to more confidence in standing in front of the room. One thing they did as well (my instructors) is make everyone a "crew chief" during an excersise in rotation. Sometimes the student gains confidence in being able to articulate to the rest of the "crew" and whatching them perform. Have one student do it wrong and see if the "chief" picks up on it and corrects them. Sometimes its then that the confidence comes in. When before they realize it they have steped in and fixed a problem but without thinking about it just doing it. I know my advise might not mean much do to lack of experience and with the information already posted being so good. But hoepfully a seed can be gotten from my little nugget of experience. I was not a confident test taking student even though I had the knowledge, it was my instructors that brought me out of it. I thank them for it, and I thank you as well for bringing this up about students. Hopefully future students, teachers, instructors will read this thread and be better for it.

LOL Great one. Its awsome LOL Thanks for today's laugh

OMG Thats great

Couldn't have said it better myself To Happiness: Glad to hear your son got turned around and also his friends too. Its nice to hear when an organization can do that for folks and especially when they are the next generation. Hopefully he and his friends fulfill all their asperations and go on and have long fruitfull happy lives.

I agree 100% that the level of training needs to be raised. But that is our standard currently, unfortunatly. Touche' Sorry about that. Im haveing "one of those days" While attending school, even before that, by being a driver I was exposed to the field of EMS, got a feel for the dynamic nature of it. I found out if I liked it before commiting to a squad. While in school as I progressed I was able to do more at the scene. As I got further along and began more patient interaction I began loveing the field even more and striving to learn as much as I could to help patients more (within scope of practice of course) Again I think driver only is good, does it have draw backs yes. What doesn't but I see advatages. I had to take a course for driving the rig. Learning how to drive properly, when to use L&S effectivly. Driving in winter conditions on less than ideal road surfaces. All the while keeping my crew and pt safe and comfortable in the back. It left the 2 EMTs in the back free to treat the patient and not worry about the driver. As far as doing CPR, yes at least in my area all are CPR/AED certified. Then can help with extrications yes, usually that is left to the FD in my area. EMT in the vehicle monitoring the patient but the actual extrication is FD. I can see your point there. It is a burden if the driver is just a driver and has no experience and the EMT has to tell him or her what to do while also tending to the patient. kiwi you make all valid points and thank you for them. Guess I am just overly sensitive today and spouted off. I appologize for that and too anyone I may have offended, POed, slaped in the face, or gave the finger too during my not so bright rants earlier

OK I understand now. Gotcha. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

HUH? An EMT-B is inadequatly trained to do their job? Sorry but thats just plain wrong on so many levels! Weren't you a B at some point in your profession? Not everyone has to be a paramedic to be a quality prehospital care provider!! Sorry but..... Sorry I was a disgrace while attending school at least I got a great learning experience before becoming certified.

Yes I agree about the ALS. Unfortunatly all ALS in the state are hospital based. So volly or paid your still meeting ALS somewhere. The whole blood sugar thing, yea REALLY anyoing. Starting in July BLS is supposed to be able to once the new round of Bs get out of school (being taught currently) Then the fun begins, your going to have Bs fresh out of school that can take BG levels yet folks with more time on squads will have to core 13 before they can. Stupid I know and I can see why NJ is a joke. Again paid or volley doesnt matter. Most squads have 2 to 3 EMTs on board. Usually if you have just driver and 1 EMT aboard the driver is usually going through EMT school or is at least CPR / AED certified. Can help with pt care on scene but is not certified to ride in the back. At least in my area anyway. I guess I am now seeing why you all look at us like jokes, sure sounds like we are. I guess my big problem is putting down vollies, dont understand why anyone would? We save tax payers money, are grounded in our communities, and are just as certified as any paid EMT. Yes NJ policies are screwed up but dont blame the EMT, blame administration. We just follow protocol.