Jon_E

check it.

ah yes, i misused the english language once again...i shall burn in hell for eternity. what I meant to say was RECCOMENDATION. :?

Well, if you follow ACLS protocol, CP Pt. should get 4lpm NC. Also I read somewhere that high flow O2 'increases free radicals' in the bloodstream, have been meaning to research that last one there, but havent had time yet. I know free radicals have been linked to cancer. Anyway, they tell ya in basic class to give high flow o2, but I think 4lpm would suffice. Also, remember that your pulse ox really isnt that accurate, takes 3-4 minutes for it to register a drop in O2 sat. ETCO2 is the way to go.

Good job. Probably would have boarded her myself. Taken PHTLS? There are good nurses and evil nurses. Just as there are good medics and evil medics. As well as nurses that suck @ their jobs, and medics who could use some work. Blow her off and keep doin what youre doin.

The two dumbasses in the fire rescue jackets just made us all look bad, on national television no less...thanks guys! Volunteers I bet. They'd better be, cause they aint worth sh#t. Lets wait until she goes unconscious? WTF! The patient is intoxicated, therefore is not allowed to make a decision for herself. Her cousin even told them that. Those two obviously dont know their jobs, they need ALOT of continuing ed. hours. I think they should be taken off the volunteer roster. I know I'm not comfortable having those two retards coming to my house. Anway, again, the patient does not have the right to refuse care. She needed to be given an option. Either come with me, or go with the police officer. 9 out of 10 times they come with you. The one time they dont, LE arrests them, and makes them come with you. Good god. I hope those two idiots are fired.

Ok bud, first of all its Pnuemo, not Phuemo. . .pnuemo as in pneumatic or relating to air and stuff ya follow?? I'm 99.999% sure that the correct answer is D. wheezes, although in theory there could be wheezes present also. . .but that is the least of your worries my friend. So, youre right, a tension pnuemothorax is air trapped in the chest as a result of a punctured lung. but think about it, there is a hole in the lung, so any air that you breathe in, is going to go down the trachea, into the lungs, and out the hole. where does it go then? it goes into the pleural cavity of the chest, or the lining between the outside of your lungs, and the inside of your ribs. ever watch the movie "3 Kings" with Ice cube, george clooney, and mark whatever his name is? very good illustration of a pneumothorax there. anyway the air in the pleural space begins to compress the lung with every breath you take, why you ask?, because everytime you breathe in, the pleural space fills with more air, and there is less room for you lung to inflate. . .thats why as an early treatment, you use an occlusive dressing. . .with a tension pnuemo, pretty much the entire side of the chest, (on the inside) has filled with air, your lung now looks like a limp condom. as a result the other lung is now the only one able to inflate, your trachea deviates to the side of the good lung, the entire mediastinum is pushed over by this pressure build up. .compressing your heart, causing JVD. The Tx for this @ the EMT level with all of those Signs/Sx? Uh i dunno. . .prayer. . .profanity. . .incontinence. . .just jokin, the patient needs a needle de-compression and ultimatley a chest tube. . .so better hope u got a Paramedic or an ER with a MD close by or the patient is toast. Tracheal deviation is a late sign. . .anyway a little long winded, but i'm bored/snowed in @ work with no calls. so let me know if ya have more questions. . .be glad to answer for the next 18 hours if I know the answer. . .Jon. emt-p

Fitz, Welcome to hell. . .just kidding. Well I just read all four pages of "suggestions". . .some interesting info there. Just be professional, in your appearance and interactions with patients and co-workers. The patients arent going to remember you for your practical skills, i.e. how you can palpate a BP, or stabilize a fracture textbook style. They WILL remember how you interacted with them, how the ambulance went airborne @ one point during transport, and your appearance. BEWARE of Paragod syndrome. . .this incurable illness afflicts many in our profession. . .just read 75% of the above comments. The symptoms of this disease are arrogance, intolerance, and forgetfullness. We All started @ the basic level. Some of us may now think we are gods, but we're not. We seem to have forgotten that , yes, we too were once the FNG. (Phucking New Guy). Anyway, some of the medics you will work with will be really laid back, helpful, and all around nice people. Others will just be dics. Remember that you are part of a team, and although the paramedic may be in charge, he/she does need your help. It may be "my" ambulance, "my" scene, "my" cot, "my" everything to quote a fellow medic, but its also "his" power trip, "his" arrogance, and "his" obsessive compulsive disorder or whatever. Oh yeah, dont spend all your waking moments on the internet posting 128,000 of your opinions for others to read so you can feel important. And last but not least, wait until you are sure you actually like EMS before getting ambulance tattoos all over your body. . . .Later.