EMT suspended for helping choking 7yr old girl

[emt2359]

This is disgusting.  The ambulance company that suspended him should be made public.

http://abc7.com/1053762/ 

[Arctickat]

www.assistambulance.com

Graphics package look familiar?

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2015 by Arctickat

[MedicNorth]

This is pretty sad. My heart goes out to him, the little girl, and her family

[ERDoc]

www.assistambulance.com

Graphics package look familiar?

 

 

 

LOL.  Those photoshopped patches on their uniforms are horrible.  This is a horrible story for both the girl and the medic.  I'm curious why they would suspend him.  You would think they could spin it and use it for some great PR.  I've read in some places that he helped the 911 crew transport the girl.  I wonder what was going through his partner's head, just sitting there with the original pt waiting for him to get back from the hospital.

Edited October 28, 2015 by ERDoc
Wanted to complete a thought.

[Arctickat]

I made a comment on the news link and got lambasted by someone who claimed he was suspended for incompetence because  he did an improper initial assessment. Not too sure what that was supposed to mean tho. though, first step in the assessment is Airway and he was dealing with that adequately. Maybe there is more to this story.

[Just Plain Ruff]

There is always more to the story but we only have the "media" to tell it.  

I also heard, just as Doc posted, that he rode in with the crew and left the original patient there with the sole provider which if true, he SHOULD have been suspended if not fired for.  That would be a fireable offense for any service that I have ever worked for.  

But there have been many many on this forum who have all said to the effect that if they drove up on a scene, while transporting a patient (car accident scene for example) that they would not stop and they would continue transporting their patient but they would make sure that they called 911 to get ems rolling to that accident.  Why is this any different?  Is it?  

I would have stopped, made sure the patient in the back was still stable and then I would have gotten out to help.  Even if the patient was unstable I think I would have stopped.  

 

I have two incidents where I have done just that. 

1.  transporting a stable chest wall patient, two medics in the back, me in the drivers seat.  choking unresponsive baby call came in that we were 2 blocks from, closest als unit was 5 miles away.  We ascertained that the patient was stable and then we stopped.  We were able to clear this childs airway (baby was blue and not breathing on our arrival) and basically prevent the need for cpr on a 4 month old.  Waited for the ALS unit to arrive and then we continued transport.  Got a commendation out of that one. 

2.  Had a 89 year old lady at the nursing home we were transporting for a fractured hip, had a call come in for a unresponsive 9 year old post fall from the roof.  We were the only ambulance in the county.  The next ambulance that could get there was approx 35 minutes away.  First responders were on scene ventillating the boy and had him packaged,  we were a couple blocks away,  We responded over, picked him up, transported him to the ER and ended up flying him out shortly after his arrival at the ER.  His recovery was not as good as the child in number 1 but it would have been much worse had we had waited for the 2nd ambulance.  

Judgement calls on both, yes, but correct judgement calls in my opinion.  Did I get suspended for either call?  no I didn't because they were done for the good of the patient rather than the good of the service.  But I can see how it could have gone the other way for both as well.  And had it have gone the other way I would have taken the suspension, not happily but I would have knowing that I did the right thing at the time.

[Arctickat]

Granted, I don't see much point in him transporting with the responding 911 crew. Maybe they needed extra hands and such, or the medic asked him to, but once he could transfer care to the other service, I would have returned to complete my assigned duties.

I've done the same too Ruff, if I ever see someone in distress while I have a patient in my ambulance, regardless of the severity, I'll stop to check on them. My patient's condition though will dictate if I stay on scene until other help arrives, leave them until help arrives, or transport them with us until help arrives.

 

Judgement call, as you say.

[scubanurse]

If he indeed did go with the transporting crew, I would suspend him pending investigation.  That is abandonment and not acceptable.  Stopping and rendering aid, waiting for another unit, then resuming your initial patient care would be the acceptable decision.

[ERDoc]

I have to disagree that this is abandonment.  It sounds like this medic was driving a pt back to a nursing home.  I would assume their pt was stable if they were being sent to a NH.  I believe he left his partner in the ambulance with the pt.  I think we could come up with a scenario where the medic would have to transport with the 911 crew also.  What if the 911 unit that responded was BLS only and the next available ALS is over 5 minutes away?  Should he stay and play or grab his equipment from his ambulance and transport in the 911 unit?  I think there is a lot of missing information here.

[MedicNorth]

Way too much info missing. If I was transporting a green transfer, I would definitely stop and render aid if I came upon an MVC, or was flagged down by someone. If it was serious enough to require care I would at least stay there working until a crew of equivalent or higher level showed up. If I was the highest level, I would have to stay with the patient with greatest need, but would never leave my partner and his/her patient behind without assistance. I would love to know all the details