Things you have had to do on a call that were out of the Norm

[Just Plain Ruff]

Dwayne, you aren't the only one who started an IO on a diabetic coma. Been there did that, last resort too. (big history behind this patient)

relocated a dislocated knee with 0 peripheral perfusion and no pedal pulses. We were out in the woods with a 25 minute walk/carry to the ambulance

inadvertantly relocated a dislocated pinkie finger when I checked cap refill.

Did many long distance transfers where the person would not have eaten for 2 hours prior to transfer and then the 6 hour drive. I fed them many times. AK you are a man among men.

Was on a call where they did a field amputation, I was working the other patietn in the other car.

nitro'd a vicious dog who kept snapping at us as we worked his owner.

[firemedic37]

This one is not one of great valor but it was a good call since it made the pt happy.

We were called for a child fallen, I responded with the Fire Department on the Rescue Truck. We got on scene and found a 5 y/o boy that was complaining of his cat stuck in the tree and when he tried to climb the tree he fell. Pt had no complaints and was checked out and his only complaint was to that "Thomas" was stuck in the tree. We had our engine respond and use the ladder to get "Thomas" down without any further injuries or falls. That truly did make the pt happy, it even made the newspaper. The pt's family was speechless that we actually did get the cat down. Only if dispatch knew what was going on in the first place.

[Vorenus]

nitro'd a vicious dog who kept snapping at us as we worked his owner.

What were the results of the Nitro on the dog? Unconsciousness? Did the doggie survive?!

EDIT:

Not my own story, but saw the picture and read about it in a local EMS paper.

I think it was in Bavaria, but not sure about it. They were called to a car accident with multiple patients. So there were quite enough crews, but it turned out to be not to bad and there were just few minor injuries. In one of the cars was a dog, which was hurt (don`t remember what he exactly got, I think fracture). Since there were enough teams there and this crew had nothing to do, they treated the dog - with the help of an veterinarian that was also there as a participant of the accident.

The picture showed the crew kneeing on the street beside the hurt dog, while the vet doctor was starting a line on him. In the background you could see the crashed car.

Edited July 29, 2011 by Vorenus

[mobey]

I had a pulm edema pt once that I was sure was going to code enroute. I had the family call his hometown doc and have his DNR faxed to my Med Control. I then called my med control and told him what he should expect via fax. He called me back 5min later and instructed me not to work the pt if he does code as the DNR had arrived. Pretty outta the box if you ask me.

Not my own story, but saw the picture and read about it in a local EMS paper.

I think it was in Bavaria, but not sure about it. They were called to a car accident with multiple patients. So there were quite enough crews, but it turned out to be not to bad and there were just few minor injuries. In one of the cars was a dog, which was hurt (don`t remember what he exactly got, I think fracture). Since there were enough teams there and this crew had nothing to do, they treated the dog - with the help of an veterinarian that was also there as a participant of the accident.

The picture showed the crew kneeing on the street beside the hurt dog, while the vet doctor was starting a line on him. In the background you could see the crashed car.

This happened in Calgary too.

A Police dog was administered Morphine. Awesome story, and the Medics had no reprecussions.

[Richard B the EMT]

Given enough time, every 9-1-1 EMS providing company ends up taking care of a pet, a service animal, a LEO dog, and reportedly, and unconfirmed, at least one police horse, who "signed" the "Refused Medical Assistance" portion of the call report by stamping on it with it's horseshoe clad hoof.

No, the police horse wasn't my assignment.

Edited July 30, 2011 by Richard B the EMT

[Richard B the EMT]

Six of us, two female EMT’s and four males, were sleeping at the station at 3:45 am. One of the males was an EMT student.

I will never forget this call, first because it was so weird, crazy and intense, second because he was the first patient I lost in the ambulance.

Were you the student? Just asking, as we all were at some point, and all have had to endure their first DOA.

[Just Plain Ruff]

What were the results of the Nitro on the dog? Unconsciousness? Did the doggie survive?!

Two quick sprays of Nitro dropped the dog in about 5 seconds. I did hear from the cops that the dog did come around, not sure of long term issues but it was truly a matter of time on that call before the dog attacked. The cops said that animal control had several instances of getting called out to this house regarding a vicious dog. LIttle did we know of that fact during our call.

But I don't recommend doing this on any dog smaller than 50 or so pounds, not sure of the survivability of that size dog. But I'd rather use nitro on a dog than try to corral it into a room that he didn't want to go into.

At the time it was the only thing I could think of to keep safe. I'm sure glad it worked out for us though. I've been bitten by dogs on scene before and it sucks.

Newspapers sometimes report on crews, on self initiation, taking end stage patients of fatal disaeases to see grandkids at sporting events, usually on their own time, in a spare company vehicle.

That just happened in florida the other day. End stage cancer victim, was at one time the coach of the team and his son was on the team. The crew asked what they could do for him and he said "take me to a ballgame to see my son"

The ems crew did (from AMR) and they surprised the son.

The son even hit a home run.

The son and father say it was the best day they ever had.

Those stories always get me choked up.

[Vorenus]

But I don't recommend doing this on any dog smaller than 50 or so pounds, not sure of the survivability of that size dog. But I'd rather use nitro on a dog than try to corral it into a room that he didn't want to go into.

At the time it was the only thing I could think of to keep safe. I'm sure glad it worked out for us though. I've been bitten by dogs on scene before and it sucks.

Hm, you could propably use one of those nasal application devices to spray the dog in question with ketamine...

Sorry, I just got carried away with my thoughts.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Hm, you could propably use one of those nasal application devices to spray the dog in question with ketamine...

Sorry, I just got carried away with my thoughts.

I'm not sure I want to get that up close and personal with that dog.

The 2 nitro sprays right in front of him (10 inches away) dropped him like a stone.

[Vorenus]

I'm not sure I want to get that up close and personal with that dog.

The 2 nitro sprays right in front of him (10 inches away) dropped him like a stone.

You`re propably right with that.

Personally, I`ve had no bad experience with dogs so far, but animals generally like me.

Though there was one particular norvegian wildcat (those are the big kittys) in a patients flat that was kind of vicious (or only generally frustrated, this kind of animal is nothing for a 50 square-meter flat), not to forget one scary first moment with a rather unnerved looking buffallo (though he was rather friendly in the end).