Racist

[triemal04]

"I was sittin' my ass in da club, peepin on some shorty, when this motha fucka done busted me in the back of my coconut." is NOT a pertinent quote!

No, but it is damn funny. Come on, it may not be the most professional thing to put in a report, but in case you didn't realize it yet, there are parts of this job that you're going to end up laughing about when the average person would gasp in horror. Finding humor in dark situations is a good thing to be able to do.

Regarding the quote that started this...no, it wasn't a good idea to put that in the spot for a chief complaint, but it is still a direct quote from the patient, and if the medic decided to add that in the report, long as it was clear that it was a DIRECT QUOTE FROM THE PATIENT...why the fuss? Abbreviating n@@@er wouldn't be a bad idea to be nice, but still...

Honestly, why is everyone upset over that? Is it because you view it as unprofessional? Ok, I can buy that, and to some extent agree. (still funny though) Or is it because you think it's racist to add into a report? If it's the latter, hate to say it, but you're proving the guy's other point.

[AnthonyM83]

I would think b/c it's un-PC for the company...edgy. It's about the impression it leaves on the medical professionals reading it, both about the EMS agency and EMTs/Medics, so I guess yes professionalism also.

[Asysin2leads]

How about "My babies momma busted me with a smoovie for getting some stank on my hang low?"

(Translation: My significant other struck me with a clothing iron for being adulterous)

[Lone Star]

No, but it is damn funny. Come on, it may not be the most professional thing to put in a report, but in case you didn't realize it yet, there are parts of this job that you're going to end up laughing about when the average person would gasp in horror. Finding humor in dark situations is a good thing to be able to do.

Regarding the quote that started this...no, it wasn't a good idea to put that in the spot for a chief complaint, but it is still a direct quote from the patient, and if the medic decided to add that in the report, long as it was clear that it was a DIRECT QUOTE FROM THE PATIENT...why the fuss? Abbreviating n@@@er wouldn't be a bad idea to be nice, but still...

Honestly, why is everyone upset over that? Is it because you view it as unprofessional? Ok, I can buy that, and to some extent agree. (still funny though) Or is it because you think it's racist to add into a report? If it's the latter, hate to say it, but you're proving the guy's other point.

We're all aware of the 'dark humor' that is alive and well in EMS. It's one of our 'coping mechanisms', so we don't go screaming into the night, but my original point of that post still stands, statements like that have NO bearing on patient care, and should be avoided. It only serves to make you look less than professional, possibly opens the door to litigation, (remember, people will sue for all sorts of reasons, whether real or imagined), it reflects poorly on you, your partner, your agency and the profession as well.

As I also stated in my earlier post, acronyms like FDGB (Fall Down, Go Boom), GOMERS (Get Out of My E/R, [a slur to the geriatric patients]), DFO (Done Fell Out) should be left for your memoirs, not your PCR.

[Dustdevil]

First off, the 'chief complaint' on any PCR should be medically accepted term, acronym, or abbreviation, not a 'direct quote' from the patient. For example when transporting someone for a stomach ache, you should have written as the chief complaint, abdominal pain or abd pain, instead of belly ache; if the patient presents with his intestines escaping from his abdomen, they've been 'eviscerated'...not 'gutted like a fish'! This is a sign of PROFESSIONALISM!

I would have to honestly disagree with that. A complete and professional PCR should contain both. Especially anytime there is a mechanism of injury, and especially if there is a potential for legal action. All of those apply to the case in question. "Head pain" does not paint an accurate picture of this gentleman's problem. The mechanism of injury must be addressed. And if you paraphrase him to make it more palatable, you risk misquoting him and/or distorting his actual meaning, which becomes critical in a court. I don't think I have ever been to an EMT or Paramedic school that did not teach you to use direct quotes from the patient. That is exactly why it is called SUBJECTIVE. It's the professionally (if not politically) correct thing to do. And if it's also funny as hell, well that's just a bonus!

There will also be plenty of patients who really have no concrete complaint. They have a lot to say, but nothing that makes much sense or conveys a specific complaint. Think drunks, psychs, illiterate idiots, and crackheads who be trippin'. You're going to have to paint a picture as to why you transported this person and did or did not render specific care. Utilising the patient's own words is the ideal way to do that. Although management may get hypersensitive and attempt to censor you, you won't find a reputable paramedic educator in the country who would get up on the stand and say you did anything wrong. It is the standard they teach. Deviation from this standard is what may someday get you in trouble.

I once ran on the ubiquitous "unknown medical emergency," and pulled up to find the "victim" -- a crackhead -- standing on the curb with a huge jar full of steaming hot water in one hand, and a half gallon of ice cold milk in the other, alternating gulps from each as he talked ninety-miles per hour. As soon as we came to a stop -- before we could even get out of the cab -- he was already trying to open the side door and get in the back. We're like, "Whoa, whoa! What's going on, dude?" And he's all, "Let's go! I'm ready to go! I gots to go!" And I'm like, "Go where?" And he's all, "To the hospital!" And I'm like, "What for? What's the problem?" And he's all, "What's the problem? Look at me!" And I'm like, "But what's bothering you? What is the problem?" And he's all, "Can't you see the problem?" And I'm like, "No, Bro. I can't see it. What is it?" And he's all (in between gulps of the milk and water), "It's my dick!" And I'm like, "Ooooookay... what about it?" So he pulls down his pants (the only thing he was wearing to begin with, and it is FREEZING outside), and he's all, "My dick be all drawin' up and shit! And it's turnin' white too! Let's go! I gots to go!"

First line of the subjective of my SOAP: "Pt states, "My dick be all drawin' up and shit. And it's turnin' white too!"

FTO (they did all the prelim SOAP reviews in that system) got all upset about it and sent it to the Clinical Director. Clinical Director pitched a fit and sent it to the Medical Director. Medical Director sent it back with two words on the review form: Great job!

As for the patient, I tried to console him on the way to the hospital. I told him, "I feel ya, Bro. I been living with the same problem for thirty years. But it's really not that bad, once you get used to it." It didn't seem to make him feel any better though. :roll:

[Just Plain Ruff]

Actually quotes do indeed belong in a patient care report.

Case in point, I had a patient who was lucid after a assault. The patient told me that Joe Blow(name changed to protect the guilty) stabbed them with a 4 inch buck knife.

The patient proceeded to code and he died.

If you eliminate quotes or statements from the victim or patient you may preclude valuable evidence in a criminal case. You sometimes are the only one with the patient and what they say may help their attacker, their rapist, their murderer get what's coming to them or your apathy and refusal to document something the patient said may result in a no-prosecution of the above scum bag.

It may also help put a child beater or molester away because a child who tells you something about what happened to him might just might get the molester or predator off the street.

Quotes belong on the report no matter who of what race, creed or sexual orientation it makes mad. If the patient said it to you then you better document it. NO paraphrasing or what not, the quote itself.

I put what he told me in my report as quotes.

There were no other witnesses to this assault. The patient also told the police this information.

I included it in my patient care report and they used my report and the report of the officer to convict the guy of 2nd degree murder.

So yes, quotes of what a patient tells you do indeed belong in a report.

[spenac]

First off, the 'chief complaint' on any PCR should be medically accepted term, acronym, or abbreviation, not a 'direct quote' from the patient.

Actually chief complaint is what they tell you, no matter how stupid it sounds. Then in your findings you use the big medical words. Chief complaint could be written as patient states "a..hole is on fire from hot food", "tummy aches", "my man tool has been swollen all night", those are the chief complaint, the reason they called you.

[Scaramedic]

Or...

It hurts under my left titty.

My Balls are swollen.

I done fell out.

He's been jerking off for 36 hrs and now his joint is bleeding. (From a NH)

He spilled his coffee on his lap and now his ball skin his hanging. (Adult foster care)

I was having sex with this guy (points at guy) and he done ripped something now my cooze is bleeding.

I've got the farts so bad I thought I was going to blow the toilet apart. This patient actually made step out for a minute to laugh, the whole time she was saying this she had a sleep apnea mask on, she sounded like daffy duck.

And my personal favorite from an Assisted living. Per the patient.

"These nigger aliens keep landing their spaceship out there, come in here and f*ck me in the ass. Now my ass is pregnant"

There is a professional way to chart these complaints without using exact quotes and obscene language.

[Dustdevil]

There is a professional way to chart these complaints without using exact quotes and obscene language.

True, but I'm afraid that this is one of those very rare occasions in EMS where I am going to have to advocate doing something simply because 'we can'.

[Eydawn]

Quoting directly that "John Doe stabbed me with a knife" and putting down the patient's description of something in a vulgar fashion are two different things.

If you're going to put the description from the patient, preface it with the actual complaint first. That way there's the objective description of the incident and the patient's statement about the incident.

Case in point: "Per facility nurse, EMS called for visible injury to pt.'s genitals secondary to prolonged masturbatory episode, described by nurse as 'he jerked off for 36 hours and now his joint is bleeding.' "

"Patient is complaining of lower gastric distress with gaseous emission, described by patient as ' I've got the farts so bad I thought I was going to blow the toilet apart ' "

That way you retain YOUR professionalism, while retaining the actual patient's description of their chief complaint.

Wendy

CO EMT-B