Nitrous Oxide

[Just Plain Ruff]

RUMOR has it that MAST ambulance in KC MO (many years ago) had Nitrous and one of their crews were using it on themselves one evening. The driver crashed into multiple parked cars and a 100+ foot high electrical pole. Totalled everything as well as the pole. Not long after the accident did MAST remove the Nitrous. Again, this was a rumor.

Secondary part of this story is that the EMT driver was in our class but this part is true, and the driver who supposedly was on the NItrous was in my paramedic class for about 2 months until 4 deputy US Marshalls came to "pick him up". No one knew what happened to him. Some say he was put in the Witness protection program, others said he had multiple felony homicide warrants out for him. No one knew but I do know that the night they picked him up he went willingly with them.

I do not know the truthfulness of the wreck story but he did admit that the nitrous played a part in his wreck.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Captain ToHellWithItAll

[HellsBells]

Nitrous does have a place in some systems but not in ours.

I actually quite like this drug, and yes I have access to fentanyl and morphine in my system.

I find it useful to use on pts in pain from msk injuries while I am preparing the IV, particularly in children, and also with pregnant women in labor.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I have had no issues with providing Nitrous to any patient. You have them hold the mask and when they get too somnolent they drop their hand and the nitrous can be replaced by an oxygen mask.

Most patients report moderate to significant relief from pain. I can have them begin to get "buzzed" for lack of a better word, and initial pain relief and then I can provide IV and IV pain relief. It's a nice one two punch.

I for one won't do a dental procedure without Nitrous. Especially when they are going to pull a tooth.

[thrutheashes]

the BLS service I work for uses Entonox. I have found it fairly effective as a drug in quite a few cases, but in my experience you have to watch it with the 'nox as some people do not react well with it (cue vomit) and others I have witnessed the patient be complete unaffected by the gas.

And yes I did shake the cylinder so they were getting the mixed gas, lol.

Thru