You know the call is all downhill after you hear/see this...

[Cookie]

You get dispatched for head pain to the local motel and you walk in and the desk clerk tells you she has someone who is trying to commit suicide. No they did not shoot themselves in the head. This person took what she thought was the generic form of xanax and it wasn't. She took over 90 pills of a muscle relaxant.

[EmergencyMedicalTigger]

You get on scene w/FD first response already there and pt's mother says, "You're going to need more people than this." (We had to move same 800lb pt twice this weekend)

[KE5EHI]

I can probably count on one hand (in like 4 years) the times I have had a nondescript pain call (or otherwise, but we'll assume that) that I knew was going to be BS or drug-seeking.

Just a question...

Wow, I can't count on both hands how many of those a month we run on. Still haven't figured out how a 1st degree burn from coffee that happened over 18 hours ago rates a 10 on the 1-10 pain scale.

For the topic, I recall getting a call for 'chest pain'

My partner and I had just finished a cardiac arrest and headed back to the same post we got the arrest from and not 10 minutes later get called for a chest pain not far from where we had the arrest and my partner said "I have a bad feeling about this, it better not be an arrest." As we are walking down the hall of the nursing home, I hear the fire department saying "He's not breathing, get him on the floor." Second cardiac arrest in a row.

[nsmedic393]

When out of nowhere the patient turns white, clammy and turns to you with a look of fear on his face and says "man....I think i'm gonna shit". We know what happens next....

[Toxic]

...when PD meet you at the scene of a non-cardiac call and say 'well yes, he's still breathing...sort of...'

...when your chest pain suddenly turns to you and says 'are you qualified to take final confession?'...

...when dispatch sends you to a pt that has been on the floor for a week...and then adds 'oh, and they're still alive'....

I have done a lot of calls where, after being given your info by dispatch you actually close your eyes and take a deep breath and tell your partner 'please, please just let this not be what I'm thinking...'...

Tox

[rdelisle]

You know it's going down hill when as you approach the scene FD tells you that you won't need any thing, including the stretcher and it's only supposed to be a "Sick Person" call. Also if you respond to an SOB and the patient is coughing up stuff that looks a lot like lung tissue, and everybody is in Hazmat suits.

[Just Plain Ruff]

ok, my 4 most memorable calls on new years eve

1. 8 year old who was playing with alcohol based lighter fluid and it spilled on his private area. he then lit a match in bed which is where he was playing with the lighter fluid to see where the alcohol spilled. It took him about 5 seconds to realize his winky was burning. Dad runs in the room and says what's wrong and the boy yells, "I'm burning" and dad says go to bed cause he can't see the fire. Dad then realizes after he see's the can of fluid that his son was telling the truth. He puts the fire out and we get called. 3rd degree burns on his you know whats. This got him a helicopter ride from his house in a very upscale neighborhood.

2. Call on a pedestrian struck injury accident, on arrival found a 29 year old man nearly cut in two with one leg amputated and the other connected only by some skin and the femoral artery. You could see in his pelvic cavity. That one was cool

3. 12 year old raided daddy's liquor cabinet, went out to the train trestle and proceeded to get drunk with his friend. He fell 35 feet face first on the rocks below. Near Trauma code but he survived. Alcohol, the greatest muscle relaxant of all.

4. 16 year old hit by a train - massive head trauma, local trauma center refused him even though we were 3 minutes away and said to take him to the childrens trauma center. Not withstanding the 16 year old was 230 pounds and alcohol. Called for a helicopter to land at the local trauma center's helipad and an ER nurse came out and told us that since we were on their property he was ours, I said NOPE NOT YOURS as I'm intubating him. Helicopter lands, ER doc of local trauma center is now outside of our ambulance and is PISSED. We put the patient in the helicopter and he goes to the childrens' hospital and survives with many residual problems. COBRA investigation ensues, COBRA sides with little ole ME and the doctor apoligized. He even said Happy New Year after it was all over.

Those are my 4 most memorable calls on new years eve or day.

[wakkoemt807]

ok, my 4 most memorable calls on new years eve

1. 8 year old who was playing with alcohol based lighter fluid and it spilled on his private area. he then lit a match in bed which is where he was playing with the lighter fluid to see where the alcohol spilled. It took him about 5 seconds to realize his winky was burning. Dad runs in the room and says what's wrong and the boy yells, "I'm burning" and dad says go to bed cause he can't see the fire. Dad then realizes after he see's the can of fluid that his son was telling the truth. He puts the fire out and we get called. 3rd degree burns on his you know whats. This got him a helicopter ride from his house in a very upscale neighborhood.

...goodness gracious great balls of fire!

[whit72]

Ruff wrote:

ok, my 4 most memorable calls on new years eve

1. 8 year old who was playing with alcohol based lighter fluid and it spilled on his private area. he then lit a match in bed which is where he was playing with the lighter fluid to see where the alcohol spilled. It took him about 5 seconds to realize his winky was burning. Dad runs in the room and says what's wrong and the boy yells, "I'm burning" and dad says go to bed cause he can't see the fire. Dad then realizes after he see's the can of fluid that his son was telling the truth. He puts the fire out and we get called. 3rd degree burns on his you know whats. This got him a helicopter ride from his house in a very upscale neighborhood.

2. Call on a pedestrian struck injury accident, on arrival found a 29 year old man nearly cut in two with one leg amputated and the other connected only by some skin and the femoral artery. You could see in his pelvic cavity. That one was cool

3. 12 year old raided daddy's liquor cabinet, went out to the train trestle and proceeded to get drunk with his friend. He fell 35 feet face first on the rocks below. Near Trauma code but he survived. Alcohol, the greatest muscle relaxant of all.

4. 16 year old hit by a train - massive head trauma, local trauma center refused him even though we were 3 minutes away and said to take him to the childrens trauma center. Not withstanding the 16 year old was 230 pounds and alcohol. Called for a helicopter to land at the local trauma center's helipad and an ER nurse came out and told us that since we were on their property he was ours, I said NOPE NOT YOURS as I'm intubating him. Helicopter lands, ER doc of local trauma center is now outside of our ambulance and is PISSED. We put the patient in the helicopter and he goes to the childrens' hospital and survives with many residual problems. COBRA investigation ensues, COBRA sides with little ole ME and the doctor apoligized. He even said Happy New Year after it was all over.

Those are my 4 most memorable calls on new years eve or day.

I hope this was during your career and not all yesterday.

[Niftymedi911]

Your called for a 10-18X non(L&S) transfer, you go up get report load the p/t up who is stable, and he turns to look at you and says I don't feel so good, I'm not gonna make it to the other hospital. Sure enough he codes IN THE ELEVATOR, on the way down to the ER. He coded into V-fib and then after the first shock went asystole, never got him back, he died in that hospital 5 minutes away from his bed.

Another, when you hear "Medic 1 respond Unknown Distress, 123 Easy St. Response Echo" you get the call on your MDC, the dispatch info on your MDC looks like this:

80 Y/O F U U (Unknow Breathing status / Unknown Alert status)

Caller statement: "She stinks". Response: 9E1. Poss Signal 7. LCSO enroute for access.

You go 10-97, and you take one foot out the door into a cloud of decomp smell.

Another, "Medic 18, respond signal 4, Chiquita and Veterans, Response Echo." MDC shows :

Unknown Age Unknown Breathing Status Unknown Alert Status

Transportation Accidents: Unknown Number of Patients, Unknown Injuries, Unknown Hazards, Priority Mechanism A-G (High Mechanism) Caller Statement: "A school bus just flipped over in front of me" Response 29E1.

Update: LCSO / PD enroute.

Update: FD responding 2 engines 1 heavy recue.

Update: Off-duty medic on scene advising over 10 p/t's at this time.

"Medic 2, Medic 22, Medic 14, Medic 24 respond 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th units to signal 4, Chiquita and Veterans, Response Echo, All units be adised Medic 18 is primary unit and is establishing Veterans Command. All units enroute to Veterans Command, untilize County-Wide Tach 2. Controller Alpha Foxtrot breaking for 10-33 (911 traffic) on Tach 2, all LCEMS units utilize EMS-1"

I had that one about this time last year. Over 15 p/t's including 3 Trauma Alerts (Priority 1 Trauma) were transported, 2 by Helicopter, 14 by ground. It was awsome to see the communiction that went on. We arrived on scene and went 98(completed assignment) within 41 mintues of dispatch. LCEMS ALL THE WAY!