Kaisu

Thank you so much Iowa medic. The reason I wanted the video watched was these facts are presented in an orderly way. I personally was not aware of the facts of the case and had not formed an opinion at all. It was interesting to see. What he does present is the basis for the verdict. And he states when he is speculating and then states what is evidence. You can make up your own mind.

Obviously none of you have watched the video link I posted. Stand your ground has nothing to do with this. The dispatcher's routine advice is thoroughly explained. Please educate yourselves. You are all uninformed - voicing opinions without the facts.

Zimmerman is not in EMS. He does not have to obey the suggestion of a 911 dispatcher. Check out this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DL2xdwEKfEA

I just want to mention that the jury was informed that a manslaughter verdict was allowed. Late in the deliberations, the jury requested clarification of the manslaughter statute. It is safe to assume that they did not find evidence to support the lesser charge either.

I always taught by the philosophy that if I can't explain it to a 12 year old then I don't understand it. Even the most difficult concept can be broken down into simpler ideas.

At one time in my checkered "career", I taught computer applications to adults. The entry level course (operating systems) was the most difficult to teach. It was all concepts, important to impart to form a solid base for people of the transition generations, those having reached early middle age without the presence of computers. I used everything in my arsenal - pictures, sound, demonstrations, etc. I learned that everyone learns differently, so I stacked each concept with many different analogies. A representation that clicked with one student left another cold. Short answer - analogies, diagrams and demonstrations

This is one of those instances where the local environment varies greatly. The culture and attitudes that are tacit in one area are considered "whacker" in another. I think generally speaking, at least on this site, progressive EMS emphasizes professional response in ambulances under medical control and oversight. Thus. issues of POV response are met with derision and a lack of interest/expertise. Personal attacks on individual posters are bad form and unhelpful. OP, I'm sorry but I don't think you will get useful information on POV lights here. You will get laughed at.

Hey Teri... easy on the OLD... Sounds like fun

Oh wow. How very painful for you. I certainly understand. I had fought the prevailing culture of protocol monkey macho BS for the entire 4 years I ran in AZ. I was done with it. My resignation wasn't noble like yours. I had just had enough. I am using this hiatus to get some more education, making me even more of a pariah :-) Not sure where I will end up however, I am determined to make it meaningful and relevant. Welcome back.

Holy overachiever BatMan! congrats congrats congrats. I envy you. That took commitment and courage and tenacity. Please keep posting.

Kat - Canada is a different cup of tea entirely from the US. The privates and fire that dominate EMS have absolutely NO interest in advancing EMS. Fire fighters are doing it as an adjunct to what they consider their primary goal - fighting fire. The large privates would replace medics with firefighter medics (paid for by taxpayers) and provide EMTs to drive as long as they can (and do) charge for the transport. A paramedic fighting for advancement of the profession is fought every step of the way.

I totally missed the impact of third spacing. The rales in the bases are now explained, Great post. Great first scenario. Thank you for the education.

As you might know, Ghandi walked everywhere. He went on multiple starvation diets and was committed to eating simple meals. This combination of a huge expenditure of calories and poor diet played havoc with his teeth and gums, and he had bad breath. This made him .... are you ready for it?..... A super calloused fragile mystic plagued by halitosis....

I'm going with a dissecting aorta and I am looking for a chopper. Fluid replacement needs to be balanced with the likelihood of increasing his already pretty nasty bleeding. I would titrate fluids to keep MAP at 60 and would start thinking about vasoconstrictors. Have you got an anxiolytic/amnesiatic agent on board?

lung sounds? abdominal sounds? abdominal palpation reveals what?

so sorry to hear your daughter is not well again. that is very difficult. PS - the test - you passed..

Not sure if I'm an expert but we had a kid (EMT) with a severe anaphylactic reaction to some nuts in the lunch. Gave him epi, A & A and solumedrol as well as transported to the hospital. Kid's still working.

OK.. so I was wrong. I thought it was a parasitic infection. Those things can be pretty bizarre. Great post Dwayne. Love it when I learn something new.

oooo oooo I think I know... and I didn't google it.

I think this captures my religious beliefs exactly.... and PS - I keep it to myself unless asked :-) http://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion

I went back mike,,, and yeah.. there it was, I ran over it in my enthusiasm to expound. I saw it, was just steaming ahead..

Paramedic mike, why didn't you come on earlier? You could have saved me a lot of fumbling :-) Blind faith in anything is stupid and lazy. Chbare - point taken. The fact that someone had the insight to postulate antimatter is amazing. Einstein predicted it as an offshoot of E=mc2 (I know - facetious). Matters of faith have been greatly hampered by a system that discourages questioning. Christianity was hijacked by a bunch of guys (Constantine - who made Christianity the state religion nevertheless remained pagan till his deathbed when he was too weak to protest his baptism) concerned with temporal power over spiritual freedom. I can only state what I have found to be true at this point in time. I am not stupid or lazy, but my faith has enabled me to survive in situations where most have not. I am not the only one. It's what I got and is my facet.

Doc Can you prove the existence of quarks and antimatter without a particle accelerator? Does that mean they didn't exist because we couldn't measure them? Or does our ability to find them bring them into being? You can dismiss my arguments (and I'm sure anyone with a modicum of logic and training can do that cause I'm not that bright) but you are missing the big picture. I have honestly looked at sections of the bible that appear to contradict themselves and see there is no contradiction whatsoever. Let me give you the example of the "sin" of Onanism or spilling your seed upon the ground. Considered sinful by the idiots was the act of coitus interruptus, which led injuctions about masturbation, etc. Closely tied to this is the God's Law that stated a man was obligated to marry his brother's widow if she was childless. In this day of might equals right, a childless widow was doomed to poverty and death by starvation in her old age. Onan did not want to create competitors for his own heirs, thus he fulfilled the letter of the law, and had the pleasure of screwing his sister in law, without fullfilling the spirit of the law which required him to selflessly provide for his sister-in-laws well being socially and financially. God's law has nothing to do with marrying your brother's widow or coitus interruptis. It has everything to do with looking after the weak and helpless, even at the cost of your own treasury, As you can see, context takes a confusing and "stupid" regulation and transforms it into something liberating and meaningful. I believe this is the same for every story in the Bible, and it is only my blindness, sloth and lack of knowledge that prevents me from understanding it - something I can rectify anytime I want to devote the time to true study and understanding.

Dwayne, as usual, you misunderstand. Dare I suggest that you are reading my post in light of your own defensive posture from being subjected to religious abuse by large members of a fundamentalist and narrow minded family. LOL.. I do presume. Doc's take on thing is just as valid for him as mine is for me. I don't know how you missed that. Perhaps you should reread the posts.... Love you forever

As in any crisis, I would have them employ HALT. If they are hungry, angry, lonely or tired, they need to deal with those things first. Then I would remind them that crisis means "turning point". It is a moment of danger but also great opportunity. I would then encourage the person to find a support system. If it can't be me, I would strongly suggest they find someone that will be willing to sit and listen - to accompany them on this journey - to help reframe things, present other points of view and offer encouragement and support. I would suggest they pray - not in the "our father who art in heaven" formulaic way, but in anyway they feel comfortable talking to the great unknown. Think, process, face, deal with and get through. And congratulate them. This crisis and difficulty is a gift. Take it and go with it.