really difficult patient

[Happiness]

Why didnt you do an emergency c-section ruff ? MOOOOO I have always believed in there is no such thing as a stupid question until today.To the OP, your memory is a good sign that you care, when stuff like that does not bother you anymore it is time to get out of the job. The fact that someone has become accustom to something dosnt mean they have stopped careing, Kind of reminds me of a famous Alan Alda quote from MASH:Rule #1 in war: Young men die. Rule #2 in war: Doctors can not change rule # 1.Remember that you did not cause her to die, you did your best to reverse a bad situation, and many times you can't. Well really cant disagree with that statement now can I

To the OP You should go and find someone that you can talk to. Not just the fact that it was a horrible call but because you might start having the deer in head lights syndrom when you are confronted with your next maternity call. Good luck and I hope you sleep well soon.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Why didnt you do an emergency c-section ruff ? .

I guess you didn't read what I wrote!!!! Here it is for you. We had a faint ECG heartbeat that we thought might be the babies. We coded her, transported her to the ER and requested Surgeons and OB nurses in the ER when we arrived. They were all there on our arrival.

[Asysin2leads]

Is it possible IHLPP is a troll? Or just evidence my great-great-uncle Sherman didn't go far enough?

[Just Plain Ruff]

Is it possible IHLPP is a troll? Or just evidence my great-great-uncle Sherman didn't go far enough?

Of course she's a troll. I'll bet she is really a 42 year old fat guy who still lives in his mothers basement playing solo D&D all the while eating Cheese curls and drinking Tab soda.

[Kaisu]

Is it possible IHLPP is a troll? Or just evidence my great-great-uncle Sherman didn't go far enough?

Evidence both ways... AK refers to her as a sock puppet... the same day he says Ventmedic sock puppet is never far

So.. possible troll

... however, trolling is a fine art and it is really hard to be fake stupid as opposed to real stupid.. I am of the opinion that this is real stupid..

So.. not a troll

Almost painful need for admiration and attention unable to obtain legitimately - check

So.. possible troll

Unwilling and unable to bear self scrutiny and make an honest effort to gain competence - check

Inconclusive... Peter Principal at work

Enough information in posts that it is believable that this individual is in fact employed in pre-hospital emergency medicine (although questionable as to level of leadership claimed) - check

so.. probably not troll (in that there is waaaaay to much to do in this field to engage in deliberate trolling)

I would conclude not intentionally a troll.. but functioning in may ways as such

[Just Plain Ruff]

I also have not seen her in Chat so maybe not a complete troll. Add the chat room to her repertoire and title "Troll dujour" is claimed.

[romneyfor2012]

I think you guys may be seeing something different than me, I took HLPPs statement to be "IF you are so callous that you do not have empathy (or have no feeling when bad things happen) that you should get out of the business."  Maybe I am wrong.  

If that is what she meant, I would agree with it, as anyone who could watch a child die and not be moved at all (like you were watching a fake movie), would raise concerns about your mental health to me.  I do not expect you to fall apart or attempt suicide, I expect you to be a professional, but I have been on several calls where everyone at the scene had a tear in their eye.

Edited November 29, 2011 by romneyfor2012

[emtcutie]

thanks guys. I have thought about talking to the family, but that isn't really something I want anyone to have to think about. Honestly I think it bothers me so much because this was right around the time my friend was preganent with my godson. It's hard to see how quickly this patient declined. She had bled out from a lacerated liver. But i think the hardest was the newborn, watching the little girl die before she even could live. I'll find some to at least talk to. I don't think I need to "overcome" anything, just share it; if that makes any sense. thanks guys

Edited November 29, 2011 by emtcutie

[Eydawn]

Definitely sounds like you need to work through and process this one. They tell us over and over again in nursing school, there's going to be patients that push your buttons, and that this is TOTALLY OK AND HUMAN. It seems like EMS has this mentality of "can't nothing getcha unless you let it and if you do you're a pussy. " This is erroneous, and shows poor understanding of psychology.

I would definitely speak with someone... if this is interrupting your sleep, or making it hard to concentrate, you need to help it work its way through your brain to a nice storage space where it won't hurt you anymore. It's not that you need to "overcome" some disadvantage; you just need to let your psyche heal from something that was painful to watch, and that affected you emotionally.

Rom2012- I agree with your interpretation of HLPP's post, FYI. If this doesn't affect you on some level, even the cognitive level where you can go "wow, this call would mess with someone... it's really sad... I'm OK but damn... shitty call..." then you need to rethink your approach, as empathy is so important to medical care.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Richard B the EMT]

Someone mentioned a fieldside C-Section? Is this one we discussed about 2 years ago, where the Paramedics did the job supervised by their OLMC over either radio or landline? There was heavy discussion on if the Paramedics operated (perhaps a bad word choice?) outside their standards and level of training, but under the authority of that OLMC Doctor? What I do recall is, the Paramedics were attempting removal, by the C-Section, of a possibly viable fetus from a woman already DOA from Traumatic Arrest secondary to a car crash.