The Emo Patient and You

[tskstorm]

And while BLS is busy treating the patient, tsk is putting the socks in a 'safe place' so he can take them home at the end of the shift. He'll never have to worry about mice in his house again!

Who treats patients? I'm all about stealing the socks!

[DwayneEMTP]

Yeah 4c6, I took it that you were being an asshole to this kid too, and was surprised by it. I'm guessing when you reread your topic, description and post that you can easily see where people got that idea.

I do believe your posts show you not to be that asshole though...just sayin'.

What I do have issue with is those that have stated, "If it compromises pt care, I'm cutting it off." as if cutting or not are the only options available. In my experience people often cut off clothes for the same reason they can't wait to get to c-spinin', because it makes them feel very heroic. All of my trauma pts get near naked before going on a board, but rarely do I cut more than tshirts.

You know who I love to cut the clothes off of? Those people that explain to me how bad they are going to kick my ass if I do. You know who I really, really, hate to cut the clothes off of? Homeless people.

My basic partner, who teaches me something new just about every day, and I had a homeless man that had been attacked and stomped to whale shit. He was wearing a nice warm leather winter jacket and I friggin' hated the thought of cutting it off, though there was no question that in needed to come off. I finally made up my mind to do so, shears in hand, when my partner simply reached over his head, grabbed the back of his coat and the collar and pulled it over his head without moving him an inch. He got a thorough assessment and got to keep his much needed coat.

Things rarely, if ever, are black and white. Protecting peoples lives is important, but so is protecting their property, and the trust that showing that respect exemplifies.

Let's try and think outside of the box when we can...

Dwayne

[celticcare]

I am pleased that I read this all the way to the end before posting and admit I was surprised to think that Chris would be writing from an asshole point of view, as I know that is not Chris's personality.

There are plenty of gung ho nurses and EMT's out there that will chop and hack clothes off for the sake of it. I hate to do it too, I had a patient in the hospital who'se clothes I had to cut off to get the ecg electrodes on post seizure. I wanted to cut up the seams on the side but the Docs yelled to cut up the middle, so did that. I've always been taught that treat everything as if it was your own and you didn't have insurance to replace it.

One I've come across is medics cutting the gang patches on peoples vests. Whilst not advocating some of the activities the gang members get up to, I still will never cut through the patch unless it is necessary. Its not for fear of repercussion, but more for the fact, that for those individuals, that is their one thing that they have earnt in their life, whilst not being a great thing to earn in many people's eyes, it is still their own thing *granted that the gangs here in New Zealand arent to the same extent as the USA etc* I'll slip off the vest or cut the seams up the side if need be. There are alot of people out there with the shears that treat them like they are their own lightsabres and gods gift to EMS.

If it is comprimising, remove it, and I emphasis remove it, but cutting isn't always the need to be way.

Scotty