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ok, so what the hell do you do that is so dangerous to your shins?

SO TRUE!!! we have all computer charting at the hospital i work at. everytime the patient is moved(weather from one part of the ER to another, or to an admit area or discharged) a copy of the notes is printed. its the same notes, just gets longer and longer with each print. no one throws the old version away. and lab & radiology reports for EVERY patient print on EVERY printer in patient care areas in the ER. i SWEAR that ill throw away a whole ream of paper when i clerk, 2 on a busy day. also, all of the discharge papers are printed in duplicate, one copy with the pt, one with us....theyre computer generated and can be easily re-printed for that pt with the click of a button(sop when pts loose them we can re-issue them) so that totally defeats the purpose of us keeping a printed copy...........stupid stupid stupid.

we do the same thing in the ER i work in. We call the room where the patients go to after triage, the Rapid Assessment & Triage room.....R.A.T. We had alot of complaints about patients being taken to a RAT room, and being called a RAT patient. so they just kept the name and said we'd get written up if we said RAT on the intercom. it DID make a big difference in that we get treatment started on everyone, and the docs like it because they have test results when they see the patients(because they stay ion the RAT room for 8-10 hours sometimes). they also instituted a "Medical Screening Exam" a couple of months ago, where a NP from one of our clinics basically re-triages the patients and decides weather they go to our fast track area, RAT room, directly to a bed, or should be discharged and sent to our family health clinic. only thing is, these NPs don't have ER experience, and are not well versed in our policies and procedures, and end up sending patients to fast track that should go directly to a bed, and vice versa. the original triage nurses usually has to go back and change the disposition of the patient...........oh, and the medical screening examiner only works weekdays from 9-5 and takes an hour lunch. so when they're not there, things go like they used to before we started all of this.....whats the point? oh i love the politics of workin in an ER........

Well i got the niteize LED bulb for my cellbig maglite, and it wasnt very bright. I ended up getting the actual MagLite brand LED bulb and it is actually brighter than the incandescent bulb i think, and of course saves bettery life.

the reason i asked about the ability to break windows, is because i AM fire! here, in texas, most all FDs run the ambulances also, therefore, i really do have the need to break glass when im on fire side. and yeah, alot of times glass is broken on the vehicle, but not ALL of it, and to remove the roof, you need to first remove ALL of the glass. and yes, sometimes ill be riding the engine, and have ythe shears on me, and then i use them to break the glass(with gloves on), and when im on the box, the engine guys break the glass and i use the shears to CUT. they are multipurpose for my multiple roles.

yeah, the back sheath didnt work well for me also, and especially not in my scrubs. i keep em in my fanny pack when im at the station and just on my bag when in the ER and only bust 'em out if we're gettin a good trauma in that will need to be exposed in a rapid fashion.............or if we might need to crack a chest and they decide to clam shell the guy again.

got any pics of them modified? I hadnt thought of doing that to them. can you still get a good grip on them to break windows without the plastic?

ok, i scratched that idea off my list of things to look into. next up, I-Stat machine!!!!!!! ......not really. The kit I linked to contains an otoscopic head, and a fiber optic light bender, thus allowing examination of the Ears, Nose, and Throat, as well as the eyes. The "Deluxe" kit actually contains an Ophthalmoscope.

Do any of you carry any sort of ENT kit either in your personal jump bag or have them at work in pre-hospital settings? Something like this: http://www.narescue.com/Basic-Field-Corpsman-Kit--P68C8.aspx They can be found pretty cheap online, and more Fluorescein Strips can be bought for ~$12/box of 100 Just curious. I'm thinking of getting one, I think it would be very helpful for eye injuries and removing foreign bodies from eyes & wounds etc. ya'lls opinions & thoughts?

I'm going with LP12 because as DD pointed out, thats what I'm used to. We have a Zoll M as a backup(dont ask) and ive used it a few times. i dont like the fact that it does not have a battery life indicator, and has only 1 battery, also, the EtCO2 cable we have for it only connects to ETTs so you cant monitor EtCO2 on anyone who isnt intubated. I also used an M in my last ACLS class and I thought it was really easy and quick to select energy and switch between modes. I have only played with the MRX and it seems like an awsome monitor, i like the large screen and the set up of the whole rig. and ive only heard things about the pic 50, i like its color display even though it is a lil small, and i just dont like the propak for ALS situations because of the lack of defib & pace capability.

well when ya get back, we should grab a beer. i should have my custom bag by then and ive also got a small duffle bag & my fiancee has a backpack of theirs(won them both at the FRI 2006 in dallas). on a note about the bag, i e-mailed the sales rep my basic idea so hopefully in a couple of weeks ill have my first try-out bag! anyone wanna buy my current A500? hehehe

where do you reside when you're not playing in the sandbox?

ive worked a lot of concerts. the transfer company i worked for did a ton of standbys, they did it so the employees could get a taste of 911 stuff they said. i have later found out that its just better to work for a 911 service :? ! concerts were alot of fun though, specially when it was bands i liked. id stay up front by the pit and watch as much as possible. i worked at a medical convention once and walked away with a TON freebies they gave me!

as far as the price, they quoted me alot less than a STOMP II, and about what i paid for my current bag. (a pacific bag). as for the features that i cant live without that are not on off-the-shelf bags. i just cant really find one that i like alot. i want a backpack style, that has removeable pouches like a thomas pack. the blackhawk bags have too many elastic loops for my liking, thomas aeromed is too small, and their als bag with backpack straps is too big and costs WAYYY too much. EMS USA makes a bag simular to the thomas, in about the size i want, and they will customize them & add backpack straps, but its bot the quality i want. the straps arent padded and i dont like the material they use(cordura nylon). i also dont want the plastic window crap on the pouches that most have, i want mesh. so i figured id have them make my own. the ambulance service here in fort worth moved to this bag company and had theirs custom made and everyone i talked to is extremely happy with the quality of the bags. what i carry? i use my bag for myself and family/friends when traveling. everything most people have in their medicine cabinet at home, i carry in this bag as well. lots of meds, usual B&S supplies but in slightly larger quantities because i am sometimes gone for a week or so and are with 4-6people. OB kit, BVM, OPAs & NPAs, gloves, B/P cuff & ears, glucometer, thermometer(hyper/hypothermic), irrigation solutions, small suture kit, light sticks, cravats, elastic bandages, wide assortment of band-aids, flashlight, knife, trauma pads, burn sheets, burn dressings, cold packs, shears(trauma & bandage), forceps. the bag company im looking at is EarthPaks http://www.earthpak.com/ their material is soft, light, durable, waterproof & bloodborn pathogen resistant, machine washable, and more durable than cordura. they also make a prototype and let you use it for 30days to see if any changes need to be made, and make the changes then send out another testerbag. they keep doing that until the design is perfected. there are half a dozen fire departments around that use their bags and ive heard nothing but good things about them. and to top it all off, the bags are made right here in TEXAS, the greatest country in the US!

I know the topic of jump bags has been beat to death. different bags for different folks, ALS, BLS, etc. everyone has a different fav company. well I have a twist on things, I found a company that makes custom bags. ive put my hands on em, and have a duffle bag & back pack by them, the quality is outstanding. the ability to have a bag made the size and way you want. the color you want. everything customizable. anyhow, i have a basic idea of what i want, just want some input from you guys, kind of a brainstorm. my bag is going to be thomas pack style in that it opens up in the same way and has velcro zippered pockets inside, but i want backpack strats on it, and a little bigger than their aero pack. for the removeable pockets inside, im thinking of fabric mesh as opposed to the clear plastic. i just like it better. im also thinking of having one of the pockets about half the size of a glove bow and having a slit in the mesh, so gloves can be pulled out easily. im wondering about pockets on the outside. i like the clean look of the blackhawk packs. less on the outside to get caught on. but its a loss of valuable space. any other suggestions? i know im bein kinda vague, but i wanna see what ideas ya'll have if you could design your own jump bag.

its a VFD, and we do have medics, but have basics first respond alot of times. and you medics need a backup also. not ALL of you are gods of medicine!

what about the rusch easytube? its latex free, and "Allows the use of fiber-optic devices or passage of suction catheters and tube exchangers through the second lumen when esophageal intubation is achieved" http://www.hudsonrci.com/Products/product_...=&keywords= http://www.remotemedical.com/Rusch-Easy-Tu...le-Lumen-Airway http://www.buyemp.com/product/11229587.html gonna see if my department will switch over to these. great for basic first responders. basic places this device and ventilates, then when ALS arrives on scene they can switch to ETT.

was the AED any cost to her or the school, and how involved was getting the grant? was it a few forms or many many pages of writing a proposal?

any such thing? money out there for someone to get a personal AED that anyone knows of?

my work area at home is a mess, and so is my computer desk. but im anal about my medical work areas. when at the hospital i make sure everything i might need is where it should be, and easily accessable, especially the really i,portant things like thoracotomy & thoracostomy trays. same with the back of the ambulance, making sure we're topped off on everything, and i go through the bags and make sure everything is in its proper pocket. im even anal about the zippers.

well i figured id be the first to respond! i should be ordering a custom bag shortly, and ill post pics when I get it!

pics?

that compartment with the kling & 4X4s & ABD pads looks cluttered & un organized. is that a medical backpack or one you are using for the purpose. are there compartments and pockets in there?

http://www.earthpak.com/emsfirerescuebags-mpna.html great packs, lightweight, soft, STRONG material. made in the USA & from recycled products. they will make you a custom pack if you want also. im gonna have em make me one simular to a thomas pack, but better of course!

I have a pair & LOVE em. everyone makes fun of em when they see em but when i cut through leather chaps, jeans, underwear, and a leather belt with a snip they shut up. ive also used them(well the surgeon did) to cut ribs during a thoracotomy. ive also used them to break windows(side windows obviously). they ARE heavy, but i keep em in my pocket or fanny pack, depending on weather im workin in the ER or on the box. P.S. http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4445