scott33

You will get a lot more results if you Google "Nurses / Doctors / surgeons / anesthesiologist blamed in patient's death". Simply offloading the patient doesn't solve the problem, or even begin to look at the big picture. Bottom line is, that many of the people we transport to the ED, do not need to be transported to the ED. As someone who is employed in both EMS and Emergency nursing, I know that sometimes the "home remedy" is what is really best for the patient. Doesn't generate much $$$$ though does it? :roll:

If you are referring to the comments made by "Hetzvanrental", you may wish to do a bit of research on "treat and release / treat and refer" pathways which are currently the norm in the UK (which is where he practices) and you will realise just how ironic your comments are. The reason people transport everyone in the US, as already mentioned, is that it generates more money, and covers the arse of the provider legally. Give the provider as much scope, and tools at their disposal as the in-hospital staff (to a degree) for the types of calls mentioned, and many of these conditions can be treated at home. Paranoia over the "what-ifs" does not stop at the hospital doors. Again, nothing whatsoever to do with "HVR's" comments as "billing" does not exist where he practices.

Oh my God, it's not that "Slider" that I designed to stop the cables of the monitor from getting entangled. A simple design, based upon the Sliders used on ram air parachutes to stop line entanglement during deployment, it is cheap and simple to use. The slider is pulled down for stowage (which stops the knotting of the cables) then slid up for use. No more embarrassing untying of knots when time matters. I even named it the Scott Slider ...and no, I have no idea how to go about patenting or marketing anything.

Ouch... I don't want to rain on your parade but that is a little bold. I hope you are right, but I have heard more than a couple of friends and relatives say the same thing in the past. They are normally the same people who end up having the mother of all legal battles when, guess what, they file for divorce. Saying you will never divorce, is like saying you will never get cancer - in spite of the best of intentions, there are no guarantees. Branding that about also opens the door for ones "significant other" (not saying yours) to behave however they please. I don't see why there is still a social taboo with divorce, although I agree it isn't something to be taken lightly, nor rushed into at the first bump in the marriage. Ultimately though, the failing isn't in the actual separation and divorce, but the marriage to the person in the first place.

Damn, all three would definitely be in my top 10 Can't narrow it down to 3 here though, as my choice would continually change depending on my mood, but I will throw a few out. Queen: A night at the Opera, Oasis: What's The Story, Genesis: And Then There Were Three, Dire Straits: Love Over Gold, Alanis Morisette: Jagged Little Pill, The Beatles:The White Album Eminem: The Marshall mathers LP... The list is endless.

Central chest pain

Look at the difference in size of the QRS (depolarization of the ventricles) compared to the T-wave (repolarization of the ventricles) in the normal EKG. Now apply that same priciple to the atria. The depolarization of the atria show a small insignificant looking P-wave, so following the same logic, the waveform from the repolarization of the atria, would be something you may not even see on the EKG. I take the "buried behind the QRS" just to mean the event of repolarization. I have absolutely nothing to back my argument up. :-({|=

Maybe in your Day Grandad

Funny you should mention that. I was tearing my hair out at this: http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=10646

Mike, you are correct. The electrodes stay in place, but the leads (views) are switched. V1 becomes V2R, and V2 becomes V1R. Confusing I know, but as you say, V1 and V2 are not "physically" moved - unlike the other V-leads.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2002/04/...girl/index-text

Grade A wanker.

If you are going to do the "full" right-sided leads (as opposed to just flipping V4) remember to switch leads V1 and V2. Another JEMS piece here

Typo???

Not really a reference, but an interesting article all the same http://www.jems.com/news_and_articles/colu...ight_Signs.html And no doubt Bob Page's website has something on right-sided 12-leads.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Medi...Dispatch_System AMPDS - the system used for prioritizing calls based upon caller information. It has widespread use in both the US and the UK, the main difference being the letters are flipped between countries (someone always has to change something around :roll:) with category A calls being the most life threatening in the UK, vs Delta or Echo calls being the most serious in the US. Not a fool-proof system, as the public know too well.

Yup. Nothing comes close to it.

I wear the navy-colored Aviator scrubs at work in the ED. Without doubt, the most comfortable, durable, and smart-looking scrubs I have ever worn (although I am not loving the two-tone thing they have on their website). Well worth paying that little bit extra for.

Completely agree with you. The young-uns are famous for it. "Tuck them in young-uns", and "pull your pants up fatties". Now we are getting somewhere...

Not even close, as used in the UK... http://www.spservices.co.uk/product_info.p...products_id/445 350GBP which is $507 US, or $613 Canadian

Definitely the Vacmat! More secure than a backboard, covers the entire body, conforms to the voids, able to tilt the patient on their side it they need to puke - without them sliding about all over the place, and doesn't lead to a stage II on the sacrum. http://www.neann.com/vacmat6.htm Backboards were never designed for transporting purposes. Unfortunately, something, somewhere has gone very wrong and most providers in the US can't see beyond these horrible devices.

Perhaps the reason I feel a lot more "professional" in my nursing scrubs, than I do in my paramedic BDUs (and nice white shirt with the patches to match) is more to do with licensing and remuneration, than how good I am with an iron. EMS has more things to worry about if it wants the professional recognition it deserves. I have seen many a 350lb provider make the smartest of uniform look like dross, and boy can they make those nylon shirts reek!

Would you call scrubs a professional uniform?

Yes, painful reading. I post there occasionally and I do find their opinion of "ambulance drivers" somewhat amusing. However, they do lack the wannabee (or Walt) contingent which is unfortunately prevalent in many EMS forums.

Is that just for Dwarf, or do I have to apply it to midget too? What about pixie? Goblin? Elf? Leprechaun? Political correctness can be so confusing at times. :?