Story Time!!

[Nate]

Never vomited on a call but I have gagged on a few. I'm super sensitive to smells, namely sh*t. :shock: The second I smell it, I gag. *shudders* I carry Vicks with me, just in case.

Could just bust out with some glade spray.

[Tibby]

The smells gag me sometimes, but nothing ever come out the wrong way.

[hammerpcp]

i had a close call once, everyone who came in the house gagged. the guy had garbage piled and rotting in the front room and a trail of human feces led us to the pt in the back of the house. again it was the smell that was the worst.

[bandaidpatrol]

People used to ask me this all the time, so I have a rythmn to to answers now.

"And in the beginning, someone invented Artificial Respiration, and the asshole was too dumb to think of methods of mechanical respiration, so he put his mouth upon the dead, and bloweth away."

While I only began on the ambulance about one year before the Ambu Bag was invented, we didn't have one until the 60's. They cost $235.00. But we did have the big resuscitators. Only problem was, the mask only came in two sizes child (teenager), and adult (much bigger). With only positive pressure resuscitators available for under $500.00, it was useless if it did not seal. So Mouth to Mouth was the key to what we had to do. We taped a rubber hose the the patients face ( used the same one for 10 years), set the oxygen to "One Quarter Key" or about 6LPM. and did M2M. About the same as using a face mask w/ an oxygen port, only there was no mask. This was beyond the books technology back then, Oxygenation wasn't necessary in resuscitation prehospital. Only because Prehospital care was virtually non existant, or at least under educated until after the Korean conflict.

We had three large enamel basins, much like dish washing bowls. One for the patients vomit when the suction bottle was full (They were about as big a as jar of Gerber baby food). One for the second patient, and one for the attendant. When the patient vomitted, it was usually before you could get your mouth away from theirs. Most of the time, it was a very horrible expirence, doing M2M that is. That is something I never miss. I probably vomitted at least a dozen or more times before we stopped doing M2M. The Vietnam Conflict taught us of diseases, so we began to wise up after that, most ambulances began to carry gloves at that point.

[Sassafras]

Could just bust out with some glade spray.

I think Glade spray would irritate my skin. OUCH! :shock:

[Nate]

I think Glade spray would irritate my skin. OUCH! :shock:

Um, spray it on them, not on your lip. :roll:

[bandaidpatrol]

I think Glade spray would irritate my skin. OUCH! :shock:

I doubt that would be sprayed into the nares.

http://www.shomer-tec.com

"Odor Screen" for your nose.. and "Mirazyme" for your clothes and equipment. Best products on the market to kill odors, burns less than vapor rub. If you do use Vapo-rub, make sure it is the old stuff, not this new odorless and greaseless stuff. I used to get Odor Screen special ordered at Rexall Drugs, but of course they've been out of business for years. :roll:

[Sassafras]

Um, spray it on them, not on your lip. :roll:

I think some patients may take offense to my spraying deodorizer on them. It's probably best to stick with vapo rub during the call, then spray everything down afterwards. :wink:

[EMS-Cat]

Yes, once. My very first cardiac arrest as a student RT in a small hospital [1970]. The gentleman had just come back from an upper GI series and I was setting him up to start IPPB [back in the early 70's here folks - we still used it]. He asked for a glass of water [he wasn't NPO], I gave it to him and he got about one swallow down before his eyes rolled back and he went totally out on me [pulseless and apnic]. I yanked the 'Oh Shit!' cord in the room, stuck my head out the door and yelled 'Code Blue' and started into mouth-to-mouth on him [remember 1970, folks, we did mouth-to-mouth back then. No individual masks in the rooms, usually no suction units unless specifically ordered, etc].

I was doing fine: good airway and chest movement, but no one had warned me about that characteristic gurgle that tells you to get out of the way. He threw up second hand barium, I got a mouth full [strawberry, I believe], I rolled him over so he could puke off the bed, I leaned over and puked on the floor, rolled him back, cleared his airway and started in with the mouth-to-mouth again.

After a 2+ hour code where we kept getting him back and then losing him, he was pronounced. Later labs showed a pretty high K+ [don't remember exact numbers - it was too long ago, but I do remember that I was impressed it was that high]. I decided later if I survived that, I could probably survive just about anything the field could throw at me.

[Guest]

Only problem was, the mask only came in two sizes child (teenager), and adult (much bigger). With only positive pressure resuscitators available for under $500.00, it was useless if it did not seal. conflict.

bandaidpatrol;

Now I believe I just had a flashback....was the resuscitator called a Flynn, in a later model the mark 3 had an oxygen powered suction thing that ate O2 like the Borg, was that the type you used?

Back to the topic, I have been blessed with an Iron stomach and Nose, in fact totally grossed out a partner once, a young girl about 4y/o hurled suddenly, I cupped my hands so it would not get on her cute new sweater, well it seamed a good idea at the time? my partner hurled but i think he was suffering from a hangover.

Well I was doing well until reading EMScats story far toooo colorful Cat (recycled strawberry flavored barium) eeewwww.

About the only time I can remember gagging was with an CVA patient, + I just could not open her airway open, teeth were clenched tight....Chinese food.....bean sprouts funny how you remember that stuff.

A good trick with the real nastys (DB recovery) is you a regular mask with some shaving cream....Menthol is nice.

Osta Lasonya don't get any onya!