Would you wear a helmet during transports?

[Dustdevil]

Sorry, I think comparing the two is totally different and irrelevant. I personally will send a medic home if they become in contact with a patient without gloves. There is medical reasons for such.. medics can never determine which disease states the patients may have. Just because grandma looks sweet and nice, or that small child appears innocent can be very misleading. In fact most of the exposures that I have sen resulted from these patients.

Wow, you just totally made my case for me, Rid! In fact, you made a case against your opening statement with the rest of the paragraph. You wear a helmet for the exact same reason that you wear gloves: because you just don't know. The analogy is wholly valid and relevant.

Sorry, I have friends that was contaminated by patients, then afterward had to receive treatment. Playing Russian roulette, is foolish. As well, employers may pursue if you were not wearing the protection they provided you , they may not cover or be responsible to cover you for medical costs, etc...

Same applies to helmets.

Sorry, I am not phobic, but I sure have seen people lives change in horrible situations from not wearing protection and those not wearing protection at the time. Receiving chemo-toxic agents for a year because you received Hep. C, because you did not take the time to wear protective gear is very regrettable. When you are unable to work for a year or a greater, loose your hair, weight etc. from the treatments or worse become ill or even die. Responsibility, not just to yourself but to your loved ones as well....

Same applies to helmets.

As well, you can honestly tell me that your hands are free from viruses or bacteria from touching materials (steering wheel, door handles, stretchers etc..) when you touch that patient?.... How many patients have immune suppressed diseases and syndromes.. Our patients deserve better... Be responsible to glove up.. if not for your self at least for your patients !

Same applies to helmets.

Far as wearing a helmet.. sorry I have worked the past 29 years in the back of a EMS unit.. & I am 6'4'' and have as of yet luckily..been severe injured. If it is safer to wear a helmet .. so be it. Yet again, let us not skip a process. Let us examine WHY these injuries occur, HOW these injuries occur, WHERE these injuries occur. As well wearing seat belts while try performing care is a nice idea but realistically not feasible.

Far as wearing gloves.. sorry, I have worked 29 years in ambulances and hospitals and have as of yet, luckily, been infected by any serious infectious disease. And in all that time I have never known a single healthcare provider who contracted a serious infectious disease that could have been prevented by gloves. And the only healthcare provider I personally know who ever contracted a serious infectious disease did so through a needlestick. And I know of no disposable glove that will prevent a needlestick. And I have known plenty of medics who suffered head injuries which clearly could have been prevented by a helmet. And so have you.

Proper emergency vehicle operators instruction and continuous education of such. Monitoring of driving skills, and performance, placement of equipment as well as design of unit definitely need to be explored.

These are some of the major issues that needs to be researched and worked upon.

It's not an either/or proposition. All avenues of improvement should be pursued, not just the one that doesn't cause you any personal inconvenience.

[Ridryder 911]

Actually, Dust I am sure there are plenty out there, but I have yet personally seen any head injuries to medics.. yes, thrown around, bruised and battered.. Far as exposure, I have seen plenty of medics, nurses, even physicians (whom are the worst of not wearing protective BSI). I had to administer chemo tx to a fellow medic because she did get exposed to Hep C due to not wearing gloves.. ( although it was a rapid situation) and fortunate for her it was followed out as the source. The chemo treatments alone was over a $800 an injection and with 1 to 2 a month would had bankrupted most in a few months. the same as for an emergency physician .. he was able to go overseas to obtain advance treatment. He definitely has a new outlook in BSI... Both of these were exposures not needle sticks. The same is true of an ER nurse that was splashed with blood into her eyes..(she was wearing eye glasses but not safety wear. Unfortunately she has tested + for HIV, but as yet, not have AIDS. Still scary.

Other areas we need to really explore as well where deaths are high is in staging and personal safety at night time. Each month we read were more and more medics are getting struck, ran over etc.. due to the scene being unsafe. I myself has seen more & more unsafe, staging of vehicles and attitudes of LEO changing into apathy.

I agree, we need to evaluate all safety... if we don't no one else will.

Be safe,

R/ R 911

[Jeep_911]

strange...maybe I should start wearing a helmet in my car too when I drive then... :roll:

[SSG G-man]

I had been up in the air on this and had not posted. I was in my POV on Thursday and got rear-ended. I now say yes! I would wear a helmet. There are many times when I am not secured and should something occur could easily be tossed around.

My accident was no fault of mine, I was waiting to make a turn and got hit. I realized, no matter how good my driver is, it is the other idiots we need to worry about. I always wear gloves, I wear eye protection when necessary, and I will always wear what ever protective equipment is available!

[bandaidpatrol]

No - F_cking - Way.

[spenac]

Interesting the way some things never seem to change. This reminds me of the tear away safety vest that is required by law on highway wreck scenes yet many still do not put them on. I guess looking cool for the possible cameras is more important than safety.

[tcripp]

I know that our safety is paramount...but a helment in the back of the box? Not sure how that would work. I've been in the back of the box with 4 people working a code...and the thought of adding in helmets would be comical, something akin to a Three Stooges act.

Auscultating lung sounds, bowel sounds, heart tones and taking blood pressures...how would that work?

I'd have to say that I wouldn't wear it unless required.

[akflightmedic]

No - F_cking - Way.

Wow...he said it best. I miss this guy!

As for the vests, I wear one most times I exit the vehicle on any call where there is traffic. It is in the pocket of the door and it is habit to grab and throw on. I simply can not fathom strapping on a helmet every time I climb in back to take a ride.

I think most of us have progressed past the 70 mph crash which caused one member's incident. As we get away from the load and go mentality, the bolus of diesel effect, we will see that wearing a helmet is ludicrous. Better medicine and safer driving is more important and obtainable than getting a helmet for everyone and having them use it.

As I said in another thread, if you are going to require helmets for one, require for all..and then we have to ask ourselves, how far is too far?

[JakeEMTP]

I think most of us have progressed past the 70 mph crash which caused one member's incident. As we get away from the load and go mentality, the bolus of diesel effect, we will see that wearing a helmet is ludicrous. Better medicine and safer driving is more important and obtainable than getting a helmet for everyone and having them use it.

My partner and I were just discussing this very thing on the way back to the station from our latest call. I can only think of a few occasions where L & S would be required whilst enroute to the hospital. Every time we leave the station there is a chance we could be in a collision. The same thing could be said for when I leave for home. Do I need a helmet for my POV? Where do we draw the line? I realise that while providing pt. care your eyes are someplace other than on the road and you are more likely to be taken by surprise. Communication from the driver would be nice as to the upcoming impact.

I too wear my vest whenever I feel exposed to traffic or darkness and there is some form of danger, ie: trying to reach someone who fell from a tree stand. A vest is an important piece of your equipment. A helmet in the back of an ambulance, not so much.

Holy crap! A 4 year old thread. Although relevant do to the recent discussion in a similar thread. Good find spenac!

[Dustdevil]

Auscultating lung sounds, bowel sounds, heart tones and taking blood pressures...how would that work?

Failure to read thread.

AK, you don't have to be running hot, fast, or even with a critical patient to wipe out. I've been in some serious accidents while just cruising at low speed, so that's not really a factor. Again, regardless of the numbers, the risk is unacceptable when the prevention is so easy.

RIP Bandaidpatrol.