transports in blizzard conditions

[mailmantech82]

I work for a small rural service in Maine... I've been in the blizzards where you couldn't see the end of the hood and were plowing snow with the rig...

In our service if it's a critical life or limb transport we will go... if it's not, it will still be there when it stops snowing.

If the life is not in jeopardy, why put it there with bad road conditions? Do no harm right?

[ninjaemtff]

If someones life isn't in jeopardy, why put it there? Our job is to help people/make them/keep them safe, not possibly cause further harm to them. Plus like someone else said you come first. If you would take that transport for something that is not life threatening...not only are you risking the pts life, the pts families life, you are risking your own life. The answer is clearly NO.

[dahlio]

As dtricks said, the obvious answer is no. Unfortunately the person making the decision of whether or not to transport is not putting themselves at risk, and probably doesn't care, since he's going to make a pretty dime off of this transport.

It sounds like it's something that your employer needs to have set up ahead of time, for your non-emergency transports. It might take them some convincing, but remember, his ambulances are at risk too, which could be a good arguing point. See what others think at work, and talk to them. If you approach him in a respectful way, and not while a storm is happening (since there is likely to be less chaos), he might even agree to set up some type of protocol when there is severe weather, determined by the state troopers.

It's an issue that needs to be addressed, and I wish ya luck in getting it resolved.

[firedoc5]

Unfortunately I've had to make several runs in very bad blizzard conditions. I look back now and think how stupid some of those were. One very early morning we were called to the airport. There was a Lear Medical jet coming in that was en-route to St.Louis. Lambert Field and Scott Air Force Base were completely shut down. We were the nearest airport that they could land at. They had a new born with some kind of esophageal problem coming from MI. (I think). So we loaded and transported the entire team. For the most part we could only go 35 mph. Enroute the doc had to intubate the baby, and it was amazing to watch, considering the conditions. But we got there. When we got at the hospital a MO State Trooper said that we were lucky that we did have such an urgent case. He said that if it was just an ordinary patient we might have been ticketed for traveling on a closed highway.

But there was other calls we did make, locally, that we really had no business even getting out for.

[tniuqs]

Last week we had a nasty storm, icy roads, blowing snow and visibility of about 100 ft at times. We were supposed to take a priority 3 patient (psych 8y/o) about 150 miles away, and we had a few other out of town transfers, the state police were telling everyone to stay of the roads unless an absolute emergency. The question is: Should we risk crews, patints and family (if riding) to do a Priority 3 transfer from one hospital to another. But still handle prehospital 911's. Any thoughts.....................

Thanks

EMS828

1- rehtorical question

2- better life through pharmocology.

3- havent enough EMS personel lost there lives in the last 2 weeks to even consider this to be a rational thought.

[rat115]

After having done transfers in blizzard conditions where only emergency vehicles were allowed on the roads, I have to agree with everyone else. It would be a no go for a non-emergent transfer. There is no real reason to risk the lives of the patient, patient family and crew and the ambulance for a non-emergent transfer during conditions like that in my opinion.

[brentoli]

What is an emergent transfer in those conditions? Do the criteria change?

If the holding facility can keep them stable but not treat the problem do they stay?

[mailmantech82]

When you get called out to do a psych transfer in a blizzard that's unnecessary. Just because the hospital doesn't want to deal with them for the night.

[akroeze]

Or a patient who has been assessed in ER and treated and just needs to go back to their NH.