Stupid things you've said on calls

[chazmedic]

Time to fess up. What are the stupidest things you've said on calls?

I'll go first: I walked up to a multiple gunshot victim lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the road and in trying to assess his LOC's actually said: "So, tell me what's going on today?" :?

[BrothaKyzer]

well it wasn't realy on a call but in my BTLS class we were running through a senerio that a pt. had his legs amputated by a train... the studnet running the senerio, while taking a sample hist. asked the pt "has this ever happened to you b4?"

[AnthonyM83]

I heard a story of a ride-along who said "have a nice day" to an old lady as they left the scene of a call.... her husband had just passed away on that call.

[hammerpcp]

OMG! Great idea for a post. I could go on and on about this one..........but I will only tell you about what I do most frequently, especially at four o'clock in the morning. I ask the pt (or family, whoever I'm talking to) a question and then I don't listen to their response. So I end up asking the same question over and over again. I hate to admit it but it is usually the Pt's name. :oops: Please don't tell me I'm the only one who does this. :?

[JakeEMTP]

What's your name? Hammer, that's right

I remember going to a MVA one time a frequent call here, since everybody drives as if only given the chance, they could be the next Richard Petty. Anyway, I walked up to the car, looked at the driver and said ( not softly enough apparently) " Damn, this guys messed up big time" :oops:

[paramedicmike]

After having been to a particular residence to pick up/treat/transport an elderly gentleman many times we finally arrive to find that the wife, not the husband (our regular), was our patient.

As my partner and I were packaging her for transport I asked, "Ma'am, will your husband be ok here by himself?" He had his share of problems and I wanted to make sure he'd be ok.

She looked at me and didn't say anything.

I asked again since I knew the wife to be hard of hearing.

She looked at me and blurted out as she started to cry, "He's DEAD! Ok?! He's dead! He's not going to be ok by himself because he's not here because he's DEAD!"

I felt about this --><-- big when she said it.

The cop on scene gave me an evil grin as he said, "Oh! Nice job there slick."

My partner, to this day, will not let me live it down.

-be safe.

[nsmedic393]

OMG! Great idea for a post. I could go on and on about this one..........but I will only tell you about what I do most frequently, especially at four o'clock in the morning. I ask the pt (or family, whoever I'm talking to) a question and then I don't listen to their response. So I end up asking the same question over and over again. I hate to admit it but it is usually the Pt's name. :oops: Please don't tell me I'm the only one who does this. :?

You aren't the only one. I usually end up calling the patient "sir" or "dear" or ma'am or boss.

We had a call one time for an elderly patient. She arrested shortly after we arrived on scene. We worked the arrest with the assistance of FD and were just about to call it. I was already running through what I was going to tell the family in my head. I reached down to check her pulse and realised she in fact had one. So i blurted out the first thing that crossed my mind; "Holy shit, she has a pulse". Admittedly not one of my more professional moments.

[ERDoc]

I was working renal roundup with a relatively new EMT. We loaded the pt up after her treatment and as I jump in the driver's seat, I hear my partner ask the pt, in a very serious voice, "So, do you feel clean now?"

[Michael]

I asked, "Ma'am, will your husband be ok here by himself?" He had his share of problems and I wanted to make sure he'd be ok.

She looked at me and didn't say anything.

I asked again since I knew the wife to be hard of hearing.

She looked at me and blurted out as she started to cry, "He's DEAD! Ok?! He's dead! He's not going to be ok by himself because he's not here because he's DEAD!"

It didn't happen to me and it wasn't on an ems call, and maybe someone will snope it out, but I heard it as true:

In court one day an elderly lady took the witness stand and was asked by the attorney questioning her, "Good morning. Mrs. Phelps. May I ask what you do for a living?"

"I stay at home."

"I see. Well, Mrs. Phelps, may I ask what your husband does?"

"My husband is dead."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that. Please forgive me. Mrs. Phelps, but do you mind if I ask you then, What did your husband do before he died?'

"He went:" [grabs at her chest with both hands, grimaces and screams]

[nwoparamedics]

Not on a call... but the absolutely stupidest thing I've ever said at work has to be when I was just starting out at the bright age of 18 and just meeting the nursing staff for the first time.

After about a week into it... I innocently asked one of the emerg room nurses if she was pregnant....

Duhhh... I was 18..... but quickly covered by saying... "oh sorry... I just heard that one of the nurses over hear is pregnant... and had no idea who it was...."

Yepp... she still hates me