medic_ruth

I would use one, should the need arise, I just asked another medic on duty with me right now and she says she would too.

:headbang: awesome

Hi UMstudent. (I'm hoping that UM is for University of Michigan but if not, I'll give you some info anyway. I am a rural EMSer so this maybe a different perspective for you. Our system is ALS. there are only 3 ALS services in our county so we cover 166 square miles. our mode of transport is all ground here due to some laws governing helicopters in restricted air-space (long story) though patients can be transferred out of our local hospital via fixed wing if need be. Our protocols allow us to do IOs and needle crichs in the field. we also run and interpret 12leads we do not do RSI yet. Our transport time is anywhere from 15-60 minutes to the only hospital. We carry quite a few drugs and I will list them in case you have any questions or comments about them: ASA Activated charcoal Adenosine Albuterol Atrovent Atropine Calcium Chloride D 50 Valium Benadryl Dopamine Epi 1:1000 and 1:10000 Romazicon Narcan Lasix Glucagon Lidocaine bolus and infusion pre-mix Procainamide Magnesium Sulfate Morphine Demerol Versed Solu-Medrol Nitro tab and drip Sodium bi-carb phenergan terbutaline thiamine verapamil lopressor We run a medic/EMT crew at the very least and work in shifts of 56 hours on 112 off. Starting wage for an EMT basic is 10.95 per hour and for a medic is 14.14 per hour full timers get paid vacation, sick and personal hours and the medical is Blue cross/Blue shield (not bad) free. (dental and vision you have to pay for) We are a private not-for-profit owned by an indian tribe. not affiliated with the fire service but respond with them and vice-versa. Hope that was helpfull.

Amen Brother Double Amen Medic53226: Why the suspense, friend? let us know what was up with this patient.

C'mon man, that's not ignorant, its a fact. Of course we are putting our safety and our partner's safety first, but to think that nothing is ever going to go wrong in this profession is naive at the very least. It didn't take me 10 years in EMS to figure that out. Knowing that things could very well go wrong is the best way to prepare yourself to be protected, but only in a perfect world will you be 100% safe 100% of the time. For example: the last time you responded to the little old lady's house with difficulty breathing and were assessing her in the kitchen when the neighbor showed up and brought her big-old-mean-dog with her? you can't assign someone to be the doggy-look-out on every call so now you have to deal with this situation while it is staring you in the face. See what I mean?

......I think I'm gonna need some smelling salts.........

Interesting. I had never heard of anything like this before either. Sounds like a great idea to pass along to our Preparedness team. I live in an area with a "top 10" site for potential attacks in the U.S. and we are minimally protected. Very sad.

So, give us the scoop. how did this turn out? phsych pt? or something you're not sharing? I'm curious

And, before I put this to rest, I will explain this one thing to AK - last year, we renewed our ACLS cards (I and my crew) we were taught with a 2005 book. now, our medical control is telling us that as of next year the sequences are going to be changing in defibrillation, medications etc.. and that CPR is changing as well. The training officers that we use through the hospital are only telling us that we will be updating with a new class at the first of the year. All I wanted to know was if anyone could help me find these new algorhythms. I am not good at looking stuff up. I just wanted some help. That's all. :crybaby:

And I rest my case.......stupid me, stupid me, stupid me

This part was helpfull: This was smart ass and this was the stupid treatment: Look, AK, I know from reading your posts you are optimistic enough to think that everyone around here is out to be nothing but helpful. Sadly though, I have been encountering people who are not always such. I appreciate your input and will "cool my jets" if you think I need to. In the mean time, I'll have someone else look them up for me since this site and my email is about the hight of my internet surfing. someone around here will be more helpful without making me feel foolish.

Thanks, Smart-Ass, but if that obvious bit of info had worked for me I wouldn't have posted here. We are still working under the old guidelines in this area and won't be switching over until next January, I just wanted to get a jump on things. Thanks for the "stupid" treatment. please dont post here again. Anyone who wants to help without the attitude would be more than welcome to send me a message.

Hi all. I am not very good at finding stuff on the web. We are sitting around the station wishing we could download or print off the new ACLS guidlines that are coming soon. Can anyone help?

My lunch was an ice water and a stale cookie that i relocated from the ER break-room

-- stretchermonkey lest we forget that lay-people are taught to look for "signs of circulation" and no longer do pulse checks. -- stretchermonkey This does not happen to all people, hence the terms "dry drowning" and "wet drowing" --mike I agree 100%. I am also in a rural area. Though we don't have helicopters available to us (I am in the U.P. of Michigan and they can't fly across the straits) We do sometimes have a considerable amount of time to wait if we need more resources. We also tell neighboring townships the same thing. If you think you need us, call! We don't mind turning around and going back home!!

Wow. Sounds like a problem that needs to seriously be addressed. In the mean time, get the steering wheel covers. We like them here.

Ahh... the force is strong with this one. Wouldn't mind chatting with you some time.

I think you summed it all up right there man. Right on.

Instant glucose can be given in the buccal membrane, but like Ghost said, watch for the aspiration problem. Just a question for everyone.....In our area we carry glucagon IM shots for the times when we can't get a line. does anyone else and if so how do you like it?

A couple of years ago while working an area that has State Prisons in it, I was called to one of them for a beta blocker over dose. Arrived and found that the prisoner had taken half a bottle of his blood pressure med. he wasn't doing well, we did our thing, took care of him and went back in service. The medic who was coming on to relieve me that evening had the nerve to laugh at me when he came in for having such a crappy call. he was still laughing when I walked out the door......2 hours later my patients bunk mate took the other half of the beta blockers! ha ha oncoming medic. what goes around comes around.

Hey James! You know, I stopped posting for a long time because of all the people around here who like to read waaaaaay too much into what your saying. (Just so you know, I used my common sense and figured out that "drive like crazy" meant "rapid transport") :roll: Anyway, I'm back and I loved your story. Had fun trying to figure it out. Take care and be safe!

Notice that Dust had "Sarcasm" wrote there. it's OK to joke with each other...... I agree to a point. but remember, ask and you shall receive.

Chicks like me too. Can I get an Amen!!! Where have you been all my life?!?!?!?! :wink:

Not in my protocols either. It is and it shouldn't That doesn't appear to be the point. But while were here, i didn't see where it shouldn't be worked on scene either. (The current version is in front of me now by the way.) A friend of mine just dropped on the floor back in may. No hx whatsoever. I worked him on scene because I got a good tube, line, and had everything I needed right there in my box without having to bounce around in the back of the ambulance for the 20 minute ride to the hospital where they would have given him ---guess what??---- the SAME treatments I was giving him in a steady, controlled environment where his family could choose to watch or stay away. (and gee----they realized that I did everything I could too. Who knew?) I don't know about you but I paid attention in patient assessment AND History taking. This kid probably did too so cut him some slack. If your any kind of medic, you can identify a questionable case that may require care that you cannot give on scene. Please, your killing me. Bingo Of course you can. That's a no brainer. I agree. We put them on at our station whenever there is enough interest. Anyway Guru, i am rural too. my transport times are anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes depending on which end of the service area I'm in. Our ER docs and PMD encourage us to work the codes on scene so long as we can deliver the correct ACLS treatments (proper tube placement, patent line, etc..) This is from our own little pilot study of them trying to do it in the back of a moving ambulance vs. doing it on scene. It also helps that the docs get to know us and how competent we are to make the judgement calls of who needs surgical or other treatments and who will benefit from on-scene ACLS. The days of "scoop-and-run" are long gone, my friend. We are no longer the undertrained "ambulance attendants" of the past (but God bless my mother for being one:)) We are highly trained, and when utilizing that training the way we were taught to do it correctly, we can save lives outside the doors of our rigs. Good luck to you in your rural endeavors.

Hi. I don't know much about ATLS but I did take an AMLS class. I didn't like it very much. It was not so much the course content, but the way it was presented. The instructor was a "exactly by the book" kind of guy who doesn't even run in the field. Course content was OK though. I guess it just depends on who is presenting it and how it is presented. As for taking an ATLS class, I teach First Trauma Care (FTC) which in Michigan is much like BTLS with advanced stuff thrown in. Remember, 80% of trauma care is basic