Lone Star

I hate to be the cold voice of reality here ladies, but its all computer operator error....the computer can only process the garbage that the operator puts in it. No matter how you want to blame the pc for spelling errors, its the operators fault for faulty input. Call it what you want, blame who or what you want, it all boils down to an ID10-T error on the computer users part. As seen on an auto parts store wall: The wrong information will get you the wrong parts everytime, GUARANTEED!

Just remember this terri, Computers work on the GIGO concept.....Garbage In, Garbage Out.....regardless of what 'operatin system' y'all are usin. Not only that, with the 'spell check' being disabled, it PROVES you can't spell worth a damn! It only corrects what you've already misspelled! So our original statements about investing into 'Hooked On Phonics' still stands. TAKE THAT!!!!!

I couldn't agree more! It is mandated through state and local protocols that we carry these tools ( ie C-Collars, KED, LSB, etc) for a reason! Their use is mandated through the same state and local protocols for the benefit of the pt, therefore with any variation from that mandated practice, you should be held not only liable financially, but criminally negligent in ALL cases. If faced with that 'sight', I would do My best to get all the information I could (without putting the crew in a position of violating HIPAA rules), then turned them in to the County Medical Control Board, as well as the State Licensing Division!

Well, after we dump the facts on the table, we can clearly see that she made an ass of her self by stealing the toilet paper. After her lawyer is done voyeur-ising the facts, I hope that she can just wash her hands of the whole smelly affair, Butt, I somehow doubt it....

From some of the things I've been told about how people actually apply the KED (IF they use it), those same people seem to think that a cervical collar is redundant, because the KED also 'has the 'flaps' to help manage C-spine.' Personally speaking though, if I deem a pt needs spinal precautions in place, they get the whole run of spinal precautions. (ie: c-collar, KED (if applicable) and LSB) I have seen EMT's (I decline to list the work place) that have walked a pt to the cot from the vehicle that they were extricated from with a c-collar in place. If I suspect from the MOI, that a pt MIGHT have a spinal issue, they're in for the whole shooting match of spinal precautions available to me! Some would call this 'overkill', I call it looking out for the pts best interest.

I later found it as a 'repost', so if I'm gonna get a -5 from Dust, well, I guess I'll just have to wear it.

Under Michigan protocols, you would apply the KED in the vehicle, attaching the leg straps on the same side, then move the pt to a LSB, where the leg straps would be unhooked so the pt could be laid supine. Then the LSB is secured to the cot for transport. Although it may be a redundancy in tx, a C-collar is applied before the KED. I agree, the KED IS the most underutilized piece of equipment on the rig. Most crews don't want to be 'bothered' by applying it, especially if the pt is A&O x 4. But in this current mentality of ABC = Ambulate Before Carry, I see the crews just getting lazy in their protocols and treatments. In my opinion, that's just BEGGING for a malpractice or Gross Negligence suit!

Oh, the scourge that roams the fetid sewers of society!

Woman dies in ER lobby as 911 refuses to help Tapes show operators ignored pleas to send ambulance to L.A. hospital Updated: 10:43 a.m. ET June 13, 2007 LOS ANGELES - A woman who lay bleeding on the emergency room floor of a troubled inner-city hospital died after 911 dispatchers refused to contact paramedics or an ambulance to take her to another facility, newly released tapes of the emergency calls reveal. Edith Isabel Rodriguez, 43, died of a perforated bowel on May 9 at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. Her death was ruled accidental by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Relatives said Rodriguez was bleeding from the mouth and writhing in pain for 45 minutes while she was at a hospital waiting area. Experts have said she could have survived had she been treated early enough. County and state authorities are now investigating Rodriguez’s death. Relatives reported she died as police were wheeling her out of the hospital after the officers they had asked to help Rodriguez arrested her instead on a parole violation. Sheriff’s Department spokesman Duane Allen said Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing. In the recordings of two 911 calls that day, first obtained by the Los Angeles Times under a California Public Records Act request, callers pleaded for help for Rodriguez but were referred to hospital staff instead. “I’m in the emergency room. My wife is dying and the nurses don’t want to help her out,” Rodriguez’s boyfriend, Jose Prado, is heard saying in Spanish through an interpreter on the tapes. “What’s wrong with her?” a female dispatcher asked. “She’s vomiting blood,” Prado said. “OK, and why aren’t they helping her?” the dispatcher asked. "They're just watching her" “They’re watching her there and they’re not doing anything. They’re just watching her,” Prado said. The dispatcher told Prado to contact a doctor and then said paramedics wouldn’t pick her up because she was already in a hospital. She later told him to contact county police officers at a security desk. A second 911 call was placed eight minutes later by a bystander who requested that an ambulance be sent to take Rodriguez to another hospital for care. “She’s definitely sick and there’s a guy that’s ignoring her,” the woman told a male dispatcher. During the call, the dispatcher argued with the woman over whether there really was an emergency. “I cannot do anything for you for the quality of the hospital. ... It is not an emergency. It is not an emergency ma’am,” he said. “You’re not here to see how they’re treating her,” the woman replied. The dispatcher refused to call paramedics and told the woman that she should contact hospital supervisors “and let them know” if she is unhappy. ‘May God strike you too’ “May God strike you too for acting the way you just acted,” the woman said finally. “No, negative ma’am, you’re the one,” he said. The incident was the latest high-profile lapse at King-Harbor, formerly known as King/Drew. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is investigating claims of recent patient care breakdowns, including Rodriguez’s case. Federal inspectors last week said emergency room patients were in “immediate jeopardy” of harm or death, and King-Harbor was given 23 days to shape up or risk losing federal funding. ‘Fundamentally a failure of caring’ Dr. Bruce Chernof, director of the county Department of Health Services, which oversees the facility, has called Rodriguez’s death “inexcusable” and said it was “important to understand that this was fundamentally a failure of caring.” He has said conditions are improving, though. A call Wednesday seeking comment about the 911 tapes from the department’s communications office, which handles information about the hospital, was not immediately returned. Dr. Roger Peeks, the chief medical officer at the hospital, was placed on “ordered absence” Monday, the Times reported. Health officials declined to elaborate, saying it was a personnel matter. Dr. Robert Splawn, chief medical officer for the health department, was named interim chief medical officer, the newspaper said.

Option #1 was to take a pissy stand about things and let it go to a jury trial, Option #2 was to take the shitty deal that the DA offered.... Butt, in the 'end', it looks like she's gonna get some serious time in the 'can' for this! The only way I can see that she can rectum-fy I mean, 'rectal'fy the shit...I mean, SITuation, is admit to all the stinky details and hope that its enough to get her ass out of the PILE she's in now. ASSume the 'fecal position' and it too, shall come to pass! BO,HICA! (Oh the stench, of toilet humor!) :pottytrain5:

Oh, thanks alot for that horrifying mental picture! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to gouge my mind's eye out! :puke: brushteeth

Here's another 'big hunter'... I found this in the local news paper, and grabbed the camera to show proof. http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g185/LON...8/HogHunter.jpg

I'd hate to think that Genesee County Medical Control was 'wrong' about anything!

How come I never get any of the 'cool' prizes? :sad11:

Per my state and local protocols, I have no choice but to work the code. As an EMT-B in Michigan, I cannot honor a DNR order, whether valid or invalid. Since the DNR order was not valid (missing the physician's signature), legally, one would think that it's as good as not having one at all. Would I have felt bad for Grandpa? Of course! But at the end of the day, I either follow protocols or lose my license. I'm sorry, but its no contest. Granpa gets worked.

Minus 10 to Dust, DIB is a commonly approved abbreviation for 'Difficulty In Breathing'. In my 11 years, I've watched the acronym "SOB" (shortness of breath) fade as "DIB" took its place

Salesman of the Year A young guy from Wisconsin moves to Seattle and goes to a big "everything under one roof" department store looking for a job. The Manager says, "Do you have any sales experience?" The kid says "Yeah. I was a salesman back in Wisconsin." Well, the boss liked the kid and gave him the job. "You start tomorrow. I'll come down after we close and see how you did." His first day on the job was rough, but he got through it. After the store was locked up, the boss came down. "How many customers bought something from you today?" The kid says "One." The boss says "Just one? Our sales people average 20 to 30 customers a day. How much was the sale for?" The kid says, "$101,237.65". The boss says "$101,237.65?? What the heck did you sell??" The kid says, "First, I sold him a small fish hook. Then I sold him a medium fishhook. Then I sold him a larger fishhook. Then I sold him a new fishing rod. Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast, so I told him he was going to need a boat, so we went down to the boat department and I sold him a twin engine Chris Craft. Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to the automotive department and sold him that 4x4 Expedition." The boss said "A guy came in here to buy a fish hook and you sold him a BOAT and a TRUCK?" The kid said, "No, the guy came in here to buy Tampons for his wife, and I said, 'Dude, your weekend's shot, you should go fishing'.''

http://www.billthechief.com/crackedvideos/1/player.html 'Nuff said!

Since I figured that would be the typical response, I was sure to include the source at the bottom. I'm sorry, but there's something called 'truth in journalism'. Since this DIDN'T come from some email forwarded or found in the juk mail section, but on MSNBC, I would have to believe theres some truth in it.

[align=center:248c1a4732]iPods Can Make Pacemakers Malfunction[/align:248c1a4732] High school senior works with heart specialists to research risks By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Listening to tunes on an iPod may be great for putting a skip in your step, but it can also play havoc with a heart pacemaker, a new study found. The portable music players caused pacemakers to malfunction in 50 percent of patients, according to the study by a Michigan high school senior that was expected to be presented Thursday at the Heart Rhythm Society's annual meeting, in Denver. The biggest concern is that pacemakers store the history of a heart's rhythms, said Jay Thaker, the Okemos High School student, who worked with several doctors on the research. "If a physician was to go back and look at that (history), the physician might think that the patient was having abnormal heart rhythms," he added. One danger is that heart patients might be treated for conditions that aren't really present, Thaker said. "In addition, if an iPod stopped a pacemaker from working in a patient who was totally dependent on their pacemaker, it could cause the heart to stop," he said. Many electric devices -- such as cell phones, appliances, microwave ovens and high tension wires -- can produce the same effect. That's why doctors tell their patients not to put any electric device over their pacemaker. For the study, Thaker and his research team -- which included doctors from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan -- held an iPod two inches from the chests of 83 patients for five to 10 seconds. The result: So-called "telemetry interference" occurred in 29 percent of the patients, and "over sensing" (a pacemaker misreading the heart's function) occurred in 20 percent of patients. In one patient, the pacemaker stopped working. In some cases, interference was detected even when the iPods were held as far as 18 inches from the chest, the study found. Thaker acknowledged that pacemaker patients aren't the typical iPod user. But because the music players are so common, people with pacemakers need to be aware of the risk, he said. "People commonly strap their iPod to the arm right next to their pacemaker or put it in a shirt pocket. There are quite a few situations where they come in proximity to the pacemaker -- closer than we would like them to," said Thaker, whose father is an electrophysiologist and whose mother is a doctor, and who hopes to attend medical school. Dr. Edwin Kevin Heist, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, agrees that iPods can be a danger to patients with pacemakers. "It's clear that iPods can affect pacing function," said Heist. "There is a possibility for a severe reaction, such as loss of consciousness." Heist said he tells his patients that they can use any household device, including cell phones and iPods, but not to put them over their pacemaker. "Patients with a pacemaker could safely use an iPod, just don't put it over the device," he said. iPods could also pose a problem for patients with implanted pacemaker defibrillators, Heist said. "The possibility would be there for inappropriate shock," he said. "The shocks are quite painful and traumatic for patients." More information For more information on pacemakers, visit the American Heart Association. http://health.msn.com/centers/cardio/artic...7&GT1=10000

Let me know when and where you move...I'll scope out the neighboring caves until I find one that fits my needs, and we'll start our own community!

After having read every post in this thread, I feel compelled to say this: First off, the poll question is worded in such a way to polarize the discussion. I don't care who's gay/lesbian/bisexual/etc, any more than I care who is Goth/Emo/punk/etc. It is not for me to judge anyone, as I have enough of my own problems to answer for! My religious beliefs are just that....MINE, and I will not try to grind someone else's face in them, until they agree with me. What I don't care for is this: In today's society, its the 'trend' to accept everything (whether you believe in it or not)....so be it. BUT.... In a society that seems to think that the further you are away from what society in general accepts as 'normal behavior', the better it is. We have a definate movement that the 'more ______________ (insert your 'alternative' here) you are, the better. Enough is enough. The Gay Coalition, the Rainbow Push Coalition and any other G/L/B 'orgainization' can hold all the parades and such that they want, but lets show, at least, a modicum of 'class' here! Mardi Gras was mentioned (Primarily, because of all the sexual displays associated with it), but let's be honest...how many people have you seen juggling sex toys in the Rose Bowl Parade, or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade?? I don't care what people do behind closed doors! I don't like being assaulted with it everytime I turn on the television, open a website, or the newspaper! If we continue to 'blindly accept' anything and everything without constraint, then we'll be innundated with things like NAMBLA parades, parades for those that practice beastiality, Sado/Masochism, etc. I don't care 'how gay you are'....show some restraint!! Why should the MAJORITY be forced to acknoledge and accept the views/beliefs/policies of the MINORITIES to the exclusion of the rights/beliefs/views/policies of their own? I try to keep to my own little corner of the world, but it seems that even there, I cannot follow my religious beliefs, state my political views, and observe my own rites without 'offending' someone else! Since the minorities are being so well 'cared for' in what offends them.....who will 'care' about what I'M offended by? Better yet, does it even matter to society in general what I find offensive?

Last time I checked, any department that would 'require' lights and sirens (and yes, if you have one, you have them both), would have a comprehensive WRITTEN policy in place governing their use. This policy would also require certain guidelines on the lights and sirens required. For example, the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code (that's where I live) requires at least one flashing, rotating, or oscilating light that can be seen 360° at 500' under normal atmospheric conditions. The siren must be a certain decibel level at 500' (again the 360° thing applies). Even with all the requirements met, you can only exceed the prima facie speed limit by a whopping 10 MPH. And, God forbid if you're in an accident while 'lit up', you're automatically at fault! From what you're wanting to deck your POV with, wouldn't meet those requirements. Check your States Motor Vehicle Code, and see if you're even allowed to have them legally. Just because you deck your vehicle out with lights and sirens, those pretty flashy lights do not guarantee the right of way, but is mearely a request that can and WILL be denied by other drivers.

If there is no danger of fire, explosion, electrocution, etc, etc, etc,...there should be no reason for the first responder to extricate the pt from the vehicle unless CPR is called for. The responder obviously had no equipment with them, and by attempting to extricate the pt, they could have caused more injury to the pt. mgarner123... kudos to you for even stopping! In today's society, with the prevalent 'me first, screw you' mentality, its nice to see there is still some hope for people in general. Kudos also for knowing that you were limited in your abilities to treat, and starting the 9-1-1 system in motion. While retrospect and critiquing your treatments and actions after the call are a good thing in my book, don't beat yourself up for your feelings of 'I should have been able to do more'. Even the higher trained professionals do that, and still get that feeling of "What else could I have done to effect a better outcome?" My suggestion is this. If you like the field of EMS, then by all means, when you turn 18, advance up the chain of licensure by enrolling into the EMT-B course, get some road time in (at least 6 months to a year) then go back to school and go for the next higher licensure. By taking time between your licensure advances to work the road, it's my opinion that it gives you time to hone and use the skills you've learned, and therefore they become second nature on a call.

BRAVO!!!! Nicely put!