Have you ever been injured in the back of the ambulance

[bassnmedic]

StarTraveler, this particular pt had the maybe the largest "tombstone T waves" I think I have seen, hypotensive, altered LOC and starting to brady down....basically decomp cardiogenis shock....so yeah I figured the woowoos and ding dings were needed. But, I do see your point as far as different depts doing different things.

Take Care,

Todd

[StarTarveler649]

Not being there, I know each case is different. Like I said, I was not trying to knock your treatment, was just curious. BTW, did he make it ?

[Just Plain Ruff]

Yeah did he make it. I would have run hot in that instance too.

[uglymedic]

Normal bumps and bruises for me. My biggest injury is usually from hitting my head on the grab rails due to not enough headroom.

Best way to train a new driver is to treat them to a cup of coffee, have them put it between their legs while full, take the cap off and have them drive with it there. Then inform them that's how they should drive with a patient in back.

As far as the b*tch that threw you into the bulkhead and into the well, normally I don't advocate violence against women, but I do encourage revenge. She needs to get a proverbial *ss whoopin'!

Also, if your AMI pt is sick enough to warrant lights and siren, generally they don't care because they're too busy trying, or trying not, to die. Don't forget: Time is muscle.

ug

[bassnmedic]

The patient did make it to ED, however , ended up coding in ICU. Ironically 2 rooms across from mine.

[lgnsttefrst]

Unfortunately sometimes you just cannot avoid getting hurt.

But for those of you who have bad drivers in your rig, I found one thing that usually cured them of their hapless and irresponsible driving.

What I used to do to every new driver I had, I would put them in back on the cot and show them the gentle way of driving and then show them the un-gentle way. I also had them act like they were taking care of a patient in the back and I would drive them.(you have to be careful on this one, dont' want to hurt the new guy you know). They realized that driving a couple miles an hour slower or braking less forceful usually was the wa they wanted to drive.

Thats pretty funny, its how I also learned to not drive like a moron, or at least think about the people in back while im drving.

[Dustdevil]

I've been in twelve ambo wrecks over my career. Never been the driver, always the medic. For the first eleven, I never got anything worse than a sore neck for a few days. The final wreck broke my neck (c6-7), my skull, right arm, right forearm, right wrist, six ribs, and my left knee. Had I not been wearing body armour, I would have been killed. Two others were killed.

This ain't a goddamn game. This is serious business.

[Timmy]

Not so much injured but got zapped by the HF radio in our truck while on duty... HF radios run on like radion i think... Felt it go throught my fingures then up my arm... Got all checked out by doctors and there was nothing wrong!! Other than that I got my fingure stuck in the strecher bring it out of the truck... thats hurts a little... Oh and droped a D cylinder 02 bottle on my big tow!! :oops:

[StarTarveler649]

In 20 years, I have luckily only been in two. One was a fender bender, the other was pretty serious, but no injuries, was a hit and run, never found, dislodged the box from the frame. I was driving for both and was hit on both, luckily neither my fault.

However, over the course of my carreer, I have had 3 good friends die in helicopter crashes, 2 pilots and a medic, and 2 killed in ambulance accidents. Also had a friend put forever in a nursing home from massive injuries received when they hit a train.

2 other friends went head on into a cadillac who pulled out to pass a school bus, they survived, killed the other driver.

Had a buddy in Denver go chest first into the radio box in a head on, cracked the ceramic sternum plate on his body armour. He would not have survived that one without it.

This is serious business. I have had many conversations with new guys who do not know the dangers of driving lights and sirens. It is one of the most dangerous things we do, especially considering we do it in a 4-5 ton truck. In my area, there are way too many calls that go lights and sirens to the hospital. Also way too many calls that the unit is sent as an emergency when it is not. All of these put the medics and public in undo danger. When I was working the streets, I had many, many close calls, many of which we should not have been lit up anyway for the call we were being sent on.

It is an over use of lights and sirens that permeates our industry. And a way of thinking that is hard to change.

[bassnmedic]

It is an over use of lights and sirens that permeates our industry. And a way of thinking that is hard to change.

I agree Star, I believe that somehow we can change the way we respond back to the hospital with our patients. However, the challenge will be how to change dispatch systems and what relevant information is needed and given to the Squads responding. I'm sure most everyone has had the calls that are grossly different when you arrive on scene than what was originally dispatched. But I think getting the governing agencies to allow us to run non-emergency to 911 calls will be difficult but not impossible.

Todd