njmedic1485

I know it's gonna be a bad call when you sit the patient up and the skin color improves to cyanotic

Eh, ACPD did get fairly good towards the end of my run with ACEMS.

The Medic I was referring to, referred me to you! 8)

Are you referring to me perhaps?

As others have said the story will direct the treatment, but don't forget that New LBBB in an indication for PCI.

So what's the story behind the 12 lead?

(3) Bretylium Tosylate 10 ml ampules (500 mg)l

You guys still carry Bretylium? I thought that wasn't being made anymore.

Not really a line, more of a sillouqy. Col Kilgore 1/7 Air Cav in Apocalypse Now

I love the smell of napalm in the morning! There's nothing else like it. One time, up north, we were doing a hill bomb. For 12 hours we pounded the whole damn hill. When it was all over, we didn't find one, not one stinking dink body. But that smell, that gasoline smell, it smelled like... victory. Some day this wars gonna end <shakes head sadly>

I used cards of my own design, tried using Scrat's template when we were partners but went back to my own. Now I just use the template the department uses, it's just easier. I generally give one to a family member asking them to drop me a line to let me know how their loved one made out, or if I'm taking the big bag o' meds to the hospital. Those letters are worth their weight in gold since it takes two "attaboys" to wipe out one "ahshit"

medical malpractice insurance, failing that a good prenuptuial agreement

Hey so I was reading this article in JEMS and it says that about 40% or so services reported being able to deny transport to patients. Now I know this doesnt fly anywere ive ever worked... so I was wondering can anyone here deny a pateint transport to the hosptial? and if so under what cirrumstances can you deny to take a patient?

Here in the peoples Republic of new Jersey, where litigation is a spectator sport. I can't imagine that would fly for a second

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I'm also tired of going through three compartments in our department issued jump bags to start an IV. I've been looking at the IV rolls offered by Statpacks and CSM Gear. Does anyone have experience with these?

I'll probably just tie the IV supplies to the bag with a tourniquet but I'd still like to hear what y'all have to say.

We make up party packs consisting of a prefilled saline syringe, a 7inch extension set, a veni guard, 4x4, couple of alcohol preps, some IV catheters, a sharp shuttle and a TQ and put them in zip lock bags. It's all stuff thats readily available and fills the bill quite nicely for those "Lock of life" calls.

Jenn,

First off, I am truly sorry about the situation you're facing. The picture you paint is indeed grim, I don't think Renal Failure should be real high on your list of concerns. If your father is refusing treatment, as is his right, you need to accept that decision. You don't have to like it or agree with it, but you have to abide by it. You should begin by having a frank discussion with your father, Aunt and Sister about what is going to happen and how. This is where Hospice is a godsend, their whole gig is supporting the patient and the family through a very difficult period of time. Having lost my father at a young age and taken care of both in laws thru chronic illness I can tell you it's easy to get overwhelmed, but try and do as much as you can now (e.g. establishing a DPA or health care proxy, filing a DNR and having copies available to all comers, having an attorney review your fathers will making funeral plans.) when you father dies it will make it easier having a preplan in place.

I want to say this again and will capitalize for emphasis SET UP HOSPICE CARE TODAY DO NOT WAIT I apologize for cyber shouting, but it really does make a difference. Finally, realize that as hard as this is for you it's equally as hard on the rest of your family, so when nerves get twanged and the tempers start to flare remember you're all in this together .

good luck,

bob

I think that your idea has lots of merit and should be discussed with your training officer if for no other reason then to help new hires acclimate to your service regardless of experience. In "Jesters Perfect World" new hires would need various amounts of training, education and coaching/motivation, and an on the ball mentor would be able to adjust on the fly. I do like the idea of a mentor versus FTO, it seems less, I don't know, judgemental somehow and could be extended past a traditional probationary period.

You should run with it, the worst they can do is say no.

bob

As inferred on other strings, a "rig" is one of many nicknames for the ambulance vehicle. I live in an area where they seem to always be called a "Bus", but I don't remember why the people do this.

What I heard was, the original NYC EMS ambulances were licensed with Limo or Omnibus tags.

Might not be true but it's the story I'm sticking with

What's a rig?

You can take the boy outta Jersey, ya know?

Sonny is still using Jersey slang, where he used to work a surface transport vehicle used by EMS is sometimes referred to as a "rig" feel free to substitute your local slang.

Outside of the various failures of personal responsibility, out main PITA call is for Seizures, All Gods children gots seizures, or so it seems.

In AC we get a lot of casino related maladies, LoL doesn't want to use the scuzzy bus bathroom so she'll forgo her lasix and wind up in failure after a few hours. The fact that alcoholic beverages on the casino floor are free for the asking is a great source of job security, but our biggie is Casino Syncope. The usual suspect will be elderly, equal split between male and female, wearing multiple layers of clothing in an already hot casino sitting with their little legs dependant for 6 or so hours (the average casino bus trip is between 8 and 12 hours), when they realize they haven't been to the buffet yet and they "have a coupon". So up they jump and begin to toddle away when the effect of all that blood pooled in the legs hits and down they drop, since most of them are on beta blockers they remain hypotensive till we get there. It ain't dramatic but it pays the bills.

With apologies to Col. Kilgore, I love the smell of bunker in the morning !

I am a striper fishermen, rockfish to some of you. For me there is no greater thrill then being in the middle of a full on bass blitz, watching those stripped bastages busting the water chasing bait and having a 30 or 40 lb cow crash your lure after a perfectly placed cast.

It is my addiction and I only work to support my habit

Congratulations Jenn, welcome to the show that never ends.

Do exactly what Scrat said, be on time, be enthusiastic and don't try to bull shit a bull shitter. Best advice I ever got or gave was keep your head down and your ears open, learn the lay of the land and the playas from the posers.

Your FTO should realize, and so should you, that everybody has a first time and now is the time for you to make rookie mistakes.

Also please realize that while it is polite to make the newbie feel at home, you are the one entering an already defined ecosystem and some bending on your part will also be necessary. What I have found helpful, whether precepting students or mentoring a new hire, ground rules help and the sooner they are established the better. Like over rig check the first day, which by the way, your FTO should NOT have to tell you needs to be done (maybe it's just me, but that is the surest way to make me put on the A.H. hat).

Have fun, enjoy the ride. The job will make you laugh, might make you cry, but you'll never regret for a minute doing it.

I have found that when the little old lady is naked from the waist up andnot complaining it's going to be a bad call

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. If a cop blows a light on the way to a call, it's his fault. Usually the person he hits happens to be some smuck who doesn't have insurance or something so they get into trouble rather than the cop. Go figure.