Leaderboard

Hi All. I hope you are all well, Down here in Christchurch, New Zealand, we experienced a 7.1 earthquake on 4 September at 0435hrs! Within 30 minutes I was on my way to work, leaving a home with no power or water and unknown damage! It was pitch black and could see only what my flashlight allowed. The extent of the damage to our city became obvious as the once flat roads became more and more undulating closer to town, and the damage to buildings was obvious when trying to drive around the debris. And what did I think to grab from home....... A toothbrush and toothpaste, along with a bag of oranges! SO, I strongly suggest that you all get prepared with three days food and water. Make sure the BBQ gas bottle has gas in it, and know who your neighbours are, especially the old ones who may need your help. I now have my food and water supplies organised, along with supplies for the pets, and have also prepared a small pack with food for 1 day, change of clothes, and light sticks so no need to worry about batteries. Don't forget the battery radio.

The unpublished study is the one that states it was approximately 1 in 10 calls that we used it on. That is the current study going on at Keller. The 1 in 6 is from a study in the European Journal of Emergency Medicine by Hans Xavier. It is published. Hans Xaver Hoyera, Et. Al. "Prehospital Ultrasound in Emergency Medicine: Incidence, Feasibility, Indications and Diagnoses." European Journal of Emergency Medicine 00.00 (2010). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Total Access Collection. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. Here is the conclusion. "Conclusion: Ultrasound is the only imaging modality and a useful diagnostic tool in prehospital emergency medicine. Helpful information can be provided in at least one of six cases (or even more) in a trauma-dominated collective. Examination time is short; it will not significantly delay medical care. Ultrasound examination could improve triage in cases of more than one patient in disaster medicine, but further studies are necessary. European Journal of Emergency Medicine 17:254–259 c 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins." I know one in six may sound like a lot. And for some services it probably is a lot. We only found it useful in about one in ten calls, and that's with doing more types of exams than Dr. Xavier did. Take it as you wish. Most paramedics think ultrasound is a waste of time. I admit I was highly skeptical of it at first and only got into it because of a school project. But once you start using it you will see how incredibly useful it is. You think 12 leads are important? Ultrasound can do 20x as much and in the same time period. If you are ever in Texas I welcome you to come by Keller and check it out for yourself. To those that think JEMS, or I for that matter got paid by an ultrasound company. Two words, "I wish". ;-) For anyone wanting more information or what not, here is my email bowmanjp@livemail.uthscsa.edu Have a great day everybody and be safe out there. Jason Bowman

I think one problem may be that too many of today's instructors never took the CBT, since it is a relatively new thing. It sounds like things really haven't changed much though, from the written exam days. Having already been a paramedic for thirty years, I took the NREMT-B written in 2005 and walked away honestly wondering if I had passed or not. The questions were that confusing. Although, I have to say that basic questions are a lot more confusing for an ALS practitioner than for someone straight out of EMT school. As for your friend, I have to honestly say that this simply may not be her bag. No matter how interested she seems, or how intelligent she is, some people simply don't have the aptitude for certain subjects. I'm a good medic, but I can't boil water, much less cook. Whether or not I can sing is a matter of heated public debate, but I digress. If she is bound and determined to do this for whatever reason, then I have but one piece of advice for her; She needs to LEARN THE MATERIAL, and not learn the test. Flash cards and review question books are shyte. They are marginally useful as adjuncts to gauge your knowledge. However, they are absolutely useless as test prep material, especially if you have already failed once or more. In fact, they are probably hurting her. She needs to read, read, read, and re-read the book until it is not just memorised, but UNDERSTOOD. She should be immediately reciting the answers to questions, not because she has them memorised, but because she UNDERSTANDS the answers. When a student doesn't actually understand the concepts concretely within their brain, either their instruction sucks (entirely possible, but this is her second school), or else she simply does not have the aptitude for this particular field. There comes a point where one must be honest with themselves about their limitations.