scubanurse

Just saying

Everywhere is going to be different but it's all still driving. Same rules still apply, just a bigger vehicle. I had to parallel park and the "landmarks" we're still the same. Still let the yellow line disappear under your front left bumper, steering is the same just probably tighter depending on the rig. Good luck!!

I would look on the manufacturer's website... if they don't say no, then shit hits the fan, you can say well according to the manufacturer's instructions, flipping it upside down is irrelevant and put the liability onto them. I understand the need for an organized patient, especially in CCT in ICU's...but if it's just for a short trip down the road, it shouldn't be as big of a deal. I have seen ICU nurses flip out on people for moving a line out of place but that is a critical environment where that nurse needs to know exactly where everything is. **EDIT TO ADD** I have seen this done in the OR before so the wires are leading out of the surgical field.

Having just undergone another major surgery and had a dilauded PCA... once they took the nerve block catheter out... dilauded did nothing for me. I do have quite a tolerance to opiates, ultimately the only thing that helped bring it to where I wasn't blacking out from pain was neurontin. I had maxed out all other pain killers so the anesthesiologist tried that and it helped get me through the night. They couldn't re-block me because the catheter had already been in for 3 days and the risks apparently went way up past that, but holy cow it was painful. Pain management for those with chronic pain probably has to be one of the most challenging issues. Doctors and EMS also need to realize that not everyone is drug seeking, and just because you can't SEE anything wrong doesn't mean the patient isn't in a lot of pain.

http://www.myfoxdc.com//dpp/news/virginia/alexandria-fire-department-paramedic-dies-after-fall-from-i-395-overpass-020912 Rest easy brother.

I sincerely hope you find the comfort you are looking for and please don't be a stranger here, I've always enjoyed reading your posts and I am so sorry you are going through all of this. Hang tough. K

+1 for a post with links to pertinent info... kudos and welcome to the city! As for your posted question, my suggestion is try to think as far out of the box as necessary. Splint boards are great...but aren't that easy to conform to an angulated forearm fracture. Use your environment and the patient's belongings if necessary to aid in splinting. Also, practice practice practice and more practice. You can not possibly go through splinting scenarios enough in my opinion. No two fractures or dislocations will ever look the same so try and practice different possibilities. As with much in EMS, challenge yourself to be more creative and find a better way to do something. Again, welcome

Best of luck to you Scotty!!! Thinking about you guys today!

I agree wholeheartedly! I recently had to call our local 911 service in a blizzard because my shoulder dislocated and I had no one to take me to the ER. With obvious deformity and an incredible amount of pain, all they did for me was blow 2 IV sites, try IN Fentanyl which didn't do jack because it all came pouring out my nose anyways, and put a loose sling on my arm, no swath to help stabilize for the bumpy snowy ride in... I don't see why EMS can't spend a good bit more focus on various ortho injuries out there... EMS is more than respiratory and cardiac. Practicing and learning to splint better should be a high priority. So sorry about your arm!!

I agree with most... I use the back of my wrist. I think Dwayne's point could be valid but I think of it this way--Yes my fingers have years and years of experience touching hot and cold things and determining temperature, but because of that I feel like they are desensitized to the variations. Especially here in CO my fingers and hands are always cold but my wrists stay warmer...

How can you be in a field which requires you to constantly adapt to a situation and deal in such absolutes.... are you really just that textbook and set in your "ways" that you can not adapt to a situation??? You rarely provide anything of substance to a conversation except your statement of "fact" and expect everyone else to just take that as being right? NFW in my book. You can safely secure a weapon in an ambulance. It has been done quite often, there are many of us here who are well versed in numerous types of weapons and weapon systems. You would be hard pressed to present me with a gun that is available to civilians that I could not disarm safely... We're not all blithering idiots

Keep in place if safe... allow hospital security to take the gun and secure it. Every ER has a place with gun safes... at least where I work, we are trained on clearing firearms and safely securing them for the patients duration of stay. If you have to remove it...I agree with Wendy... remove the entire holster with the gun inside.... the gun is safest in the holster and then I would secure it in a lockable area of the ambulance with padding to secure it in the event of a collision. We don't need any crazy old gun going off... We come across this a lot in Colorado, hence why I initiated the aforementioned thread .

I was in Australia at Christmas time last year.... it was very crowded with tourists and people.... and humid

Makes sense... It's been a while since being in the field and now that I've thought it through more makes sense. Where I came from, transports were usually <10min on a bad day so I guess to me the thought of running fluids WIDE open on anyone was rarely done unless hypovolemic and/or hypotensive... I'd rather let the hospital in a more controlled setting with more education around handle the fluids on this patient. Doesn't mean they wouldn't be started but like kiwi said...start TKO then open up slowly...?

Question... would we be running fluids wide open and pushing 1000cc of NS or LR into a patient with potentially undiagnosed and certainly uncontrolled diabetes? Wouldn't there be a concern about kidney function, as in if they aren't functioning fluid overloading the heart and leading to lots more issues? I'm all for giving fluids and they way it was explained to me was you want to almost dilute the sugar in the blood... but I am hesitant to push through a lot of fluids on the way to the hospital, unless it's over a long period and you can closely monitor ECG and lung sounds.... Am I way off base?

ya Kiwi can be kinda wussy As far as chat goes street...don't listen to anyone about stuff like that unless it comes straight from a moderators hands....

most drama does stem from the chat room

Amen.

Missed the 10 year part...my OOPS:)

Just that every program will have their history and in my opinion it is better to know what you're committing to.

Mistakes happen... as long as the agencies involved follow proper follow-up procedure, I don't see a huge issue. The food industry is now combating the Listeria problems... every industry has it's OOPS! moments, it is how it is handled after the fact that is the issue at question. As long as it is quickly and effectively managed... it is what it is.

Be sure to research any program you are interested in... and check into any investigations that their administrators or the program might have had in the past. As a matter of public knowledge you should be able to ask if they have had internal or external investigations into their practices. Best of luck to you and go you for wanting to further your knowledge in EMS!!!!