fireflymedic

I'll take Spenac's version as it fits many I've worked with over the years better lol.

Wish I looked that good in a flight suit

Here's a great idea - don't ask on here, pick up the phone, call your state ems office, ask for the legal dept and find out what the state allows, then ensure that flies with the dept you are with. But as others have said, FR are on their way out quickly, most places I know will only hire them as drivers as they can't legally work the back here. Though that is just this area. But if you are serious about this as your profession, get your paramedic.

SO you are saying that experiencing my former partner choosing to murder his child should have had no effect on me? Along with going on multiple injuries from child abuse and other things. All of these experiences have taken a little piece of my heart and made me the caring provider I am. There are times I do get angery, but I've seen both sides of the fence, parents desperately trying to do the best they can, struggling hard and unfortunately it just isn't enough for no fault of their own. THey're working, but make just over public assistance poverty level. It's sad. Those make me change my mind. THink before you act, and don't judge - you don't know where that person has been or would you would do in those shoes. We can say what we like, but we haven't been there. Be professional, documment everything, and let the others handle it and do their job. Past that, it's no longer our responsibility, but to give the child the best of treatment we can in the limited time that we have them.

I try to maintain professionalism as best I can, but there are times that I am left going what snapped in your head? At a prior job I worked at (at this is public knowledge so I can safely post it) the partner I worked with one evening seemed a little off, but then again he was one of those people who always seemed a bit "off". I was scheduled to work with him the following evening, and while I was working two jobs, went on to a shift in another county considerably farther away. THat night when I came in, I was pissed because my partner was missing and assumed he walked off the job (a frequent occurance there unfortunately due to poor management and miserable pay). I started asking around and discovered he had killed his child the night before shortly after getting off work by strangling him with a thick rope chain (no not a ghetto chain - like a solid necklace) and killing the kid because he was "tired" of him. I couldn't process it then, and I certainly can't even now almost 10 years later. It's something I'll never forget. Sometimes you can't always read what people will do and there wasn't an individual thing that made him snap like most people say "the kid wouldn't stop crying" he simply said - I was tired of him...scary thought. THat is definitely someone that should not be allowed to further have children. We allow people with charges of animal cruelty to never have children again, but few have laws preventing those with child abuse to prevent them from having children. We have a problem, that we must address. THis can't keep happening, it's not fair to the children.

I know there are people that I would not trust independent functioning. Until the education changes here, unfortunately, there is a need for EMS personel in the US to be babysat. Sadly there are good medics that could function independent just fine, but there are the stupid ones that do idiotic things that ruin it for the rest of us. Change the education and maybe we'll see some progress.

I have used it on one patient and that's it. It was a unique situation, and the patient wasn't really a candidate to be cric due to some other issues. It worked, but I prefer to keep my fingers, and wouldn't do so without 'lytics on board so I know that I'm not going to have them bite down on me. Be safe and smart about it there is a time and place for it, but mostly it's fallen out of favor.

Hey there, Being a female, my opinion doesn't count as much as I'm not a guy and weirded out by that however, in the female population you have the issue with working with lesbians. I am not homophobe by any means, but I did make it clear that was not my interest, nor was it going to be my interest and I've had a great time working with some of them, a few I even consider to be close friends. Some I didn't but it was because of skill or personality issues, not because they were lesbians. All that being said, the discussion was made once at work when we had two lesbians, two gay guys, and the rest of us heterosexual that it was either everyone could discuss their partnerships in a tactful manner (no discussion of sexual exploits but that they were going out that night, whatever) or no one could. I think this was a fair and reasonable compromise towards tolerance in the workplace. Ironically the two lesbians were partners for a bit (professionally) and couldn't stand to be around each other working, just like if I had a male partner I didn't care for. One of the guys was fired eventually after being talked to repeatedly about sexual harrassment issues and inappropriate discussions as stated above at work (note two other guys were fired for the same for equal reasons against females). While with patients he was completely professional, but when alone with his partner, or if at the hospital he was known for repeatedly hitting on other guys which was unacceptable. Eventually they just had enough. He and the other two guys mentioned were fired. At last check, the other gay guy was still happily employed there and doing outstanding work - they were quite pleased with him. One of the females is still employed, and the other has gone on to work at a private service with excellent references. As long as it is understood between me and them (or even a male partner for that matter) that I'm not interested, I have yet to have a problem with the orientation of my partner. What they do on their time is their business so long as it doesn't affect me or bring detriment to the service. People are just going to have to understand that EMS workers come from all walks of life and so long as they treat patients and their coworkers with utmost respect I could care less.

Would like very much to read it as this is definitely an area of interest for me. The doc that was discussing this at conference, will be there again this year with a follow up and so I'm interested to see how things stack up and would like to be educated prior. PM me and I will forward my personal e-mail to send it to. THanks !

At home - speedy gonzales cable - it rocks ! At work - usually DSL , but one still has dial up which is pitifully slow - it's ridiculous. I think it's carved out of the stone age,and when the site's having issues it's even worse !

Ummm wow - don't know that I'd be doing mouth to snout on a pig there - though I have attempted to rescucitate more than a few cats, dogs, and baby horses...guess to each his own !

One thing I would venture to question though is if you look at a patient on a backboard, especially if the patient is heavier, they aren't truly kept "in line" which is the goal. Padding really should be put under the head to raise it up to an in line position - part of the reason they say don't remove helmets unless absolutely neccessary - they actually put the head in a better position. Also, there are a lot of people (as another person said with the "no neck club") that don't receive appropriately sized collars in the first place. If you look an immobilized person has a pretty steep curve to their c-spine. Perhaps a shorter collar or padding under the head would be more effective - just a thought? Along with poor immobilization (especially with the three strap boards) patients slide all over. As to the foam blocks, we utilize the "head beds". For those that aren't familiar, they are a foam piece attached to the backboard and then two foam blocks velcro to the sides next to the patient's head. Much more stable than the giant foam blocks and tape that many (at least in this area due to cheaper cost) are still utilizing. Though some are using blanket/towel rolls instead. Also, I have utilized a blanket roll for a large patient that couldn't fit a c collar. Wrap the blanket around the patient's neck, then fold the sides down next to the head to form "headblocks". Similar to the general round foam neckbraces seen worn sometimes by patients. I agree that the study does bring about some questions to be investigated, and the preliminary information is something to consider, but I have difficulty believing that unrestrained movement in any direction with a potential or proven c-spine injury is better than restricting movement in some fashion. Just like any injured part - excessive moment does increase the risk for bleeding, inflammation and damage to nerves and surrounding tissue. I think we need to look into what the stress points in the c collar are, and find a way to eliminate those, as opposed to completely doing away with immobilization because from what I'm understanding of the study, it's not the actual limiting of movement that is potentially affecting these patients negatively, it's the stretching of the ligaments in the neck that are causing the greater potential for injury.

Okay - For those states where medics are allowed to terminate resucitation efforts OR declare death on scene - what is your protocol for doing so? Here there are a few things required 1. Determination of Death class must be completed 2. 6 inch strip must be ran confirming asystole in all 3 leads To even qualify for it - 1. Injury incompatible with life (burned beyond recognition - and no large surface area does not equate, we're talking entire consuming of body by fire and is blackened, or complete decapitation) 2. Resucitation effort exceeding 30 min with no return of pulse or shockable rhythm (or complete exhaustion of provider, but I'm not aware of a case involving that). They keep flipping back and forth - have to work it to the hospital and let doc decide 3. Presence of Dependent Lividity or Rigor Mortis Anybody else out there follow a similar protocol? I should think so, but with the amount of these cases happening, it's making me question whether the medics are just not following protocol and calling people dead they think should be dead OR further training needs to be happening. Either way, there's a problem and it needs to be fixed !

I'm like Jim, I'm not going to judge as I wasn't there and I don't know what their protocols will or will not allow. I've been in the situation of having a patient considerably larger than me attempting to beat me up and it wasn't pretty. Didn't have the luxury of meds to give (basic at the time with basic partner) and pd was nowhere to be found. Yep we did some unconventional things to take control of the scene, but we had to. I certainly don't promote that, but if that's your only option, so be it. Now - the flip side. One I'm wondering if the reporting is accurate (like it ever is but.... ) because I've dealt with many a seizure patient, and yes, they will become combative post ictal (or ictal if complex partials), but the aggression is usually not directed - this sounds pretty directed to me. Most of the time it's because you won't let them up and they become restless trying to fight to get up or you are blocking their path if they are wandering. I have yet (not to say it doesn't happen, but not yet to me at least) to have one intentionally hit me, and then continue to do so. Obviously yeah, I've been in the way of a swing or struggle to get up more than once, but not intentionally. Also - alot of times if you de-escalate the situation, make it more quiet and relaxed they will as well because they are simply disoriented (think about how people are when they first wake up - not totally with it and fuzzed - well that's the feeling). Should restraints have been utilized - yeah - perhaps wrist and lap restraints in addition to normal stretcher straps would have been considerably more beneficial than taking a swing. That likely only made things worse. All else fails, there are such things as backboards and spider straps (or backboards and restraints). Would have been much easier to justify and get out of hot water with the department and also the state than taking a swing. At a minimum people - you were in Chicago ! You can spit and hit a cop ! Let them be the ones to get in trouble dealing with a combative patient, not you. Protect yourself, protect your cert and if all else fails, let the guys with the guns be responsible for restraint. It can always be sorted out later. Also, this doesn't say whether meds were within range, but for a seizure patient, I think one could easily justify giving valium, versed, or ativan (versed and ativan IM) for sedation. I know many have bent the rules on combative seizure patients and utilized this with justification with no backlash. Be safe, be smart, be wise out there.

Each has it's own challenges as many here have stated. Two very different worlds and some prefer better than others. I did urban time for a bit just to see how I'd like it and decided after a bit that I loved my long transports and middle of nowhere to praying that I didn't run over a pedestrian or end up lost in the ghetto. Be safe, keep your ears and eyes open, and with your bad self !

Good find terri ! I'm not much into the energy drinks and had never really looked, but I had no clue they were putting alcohol into some of them. Wow - who'da thunk it?

Hey Wig wag, Welcome ! Glad to see you've gotten your feet wet and are ready to wade a little deeper. We promise not to drowned you. That being said, 911 is a different ballgame, but I think you'll enjoy it. You don't mention whether you are urban or rural, as sometimes rural 911 feels like a transfer service . Take care, jump right in and enjoy !

Welcome back welsh - good to see ya around again ! The majority of the crowd is in from 10 on - hope to see you in there !

I have heard similar with MS patients - interesting phenomenon definitely worth looking into ! Perhaps an intentional bee sting will be the medicine of the future for certain patients who knows?