bbbrammer

Next: Confusional Migraines (Though rare and usually seen in children, we have a 52yoM recently diagnosed with this.)

Reye's syndrome (RS) is primarily a children's disease, although it can occur at any age. It affects all organs of the body but is most harmful to the brain and the liver--causing an acute increase of pressure within the brain and, often, massive accumulations of fat in the liver and other organs. RS is defined as a two-phase illness because it generally occurs in conjunction with a previous viral infection, such as the flu or chicken pox. The disorder commonly occurs during recovery from a viral infection, although it can also develop 3 to 5 days after the onset of the viral illness. RS is often misdiagnosed as encephalitis, meningitis, diabetes, drug overdose, poisoning, sudden infant death syndrome, or psychiatric illness. Symptoms of RS include persistent or recurrent vomiting, listlessness, personality changes such as irritability or combativeness, disorientation or confusion, delirium, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. If these symptoms are present during or soon after a viral illness, medical attention should be sought immediately. The symptoms of RS in infants do not follow a typical pattern; for example, vomiting does not always occur. The cause of RS remains a mystery. However studies have shown that using aspirin or salicylate-containing medications to treat viral illnesses increases the risk of developing RS.

Know some people like that.

There is something wrong with you....

Paramedics save lives and EMT's save paramedics. I hear that one alot around here.

Very common where I work. I figure that is just something that people who live out in the middle of nowhere take on when they move there. Like not being able to just make a quick run to the grocery store and the like. Its understood.

Best cookies I ever made!

I'd love to get into patch trading, the only problem is the company I work for doesn't have any patches. Any Ideas?

Next one: Thrombocytopenia

Obvious reason why we don't run. Wish I could hand this video out like candy to some of the families we run across.

Yes, we technically diagnose in the field. Otherwise how would we be able to treat anything? Though the legal semantics is the only thing that really seperates what we do from MD's in the hospital most of the time.

There are many ways to get around paying a full shift. Where I work we do 24hr shifts, but we are only paid for the first 8hrs we are on. After that we are considered to be on-call. If we get a call during that on-call time we don't get paid any extra, just the pay for the first 8hrs. Which makes the pay approx. $60/shift EMT-B, $70/shift EMT-I, and $80/shift EMT-P. I'd be happy to get paid for 16hrs out of every 24 I worked. Paying bills would be easier.

We use lights on scenes because we are extremely rural and that is usually the only way that anyone would ever know we are there. Especially in the dark.

Keep on venting. We all need it sometimes.

I agree. There are many things to take into consideration, but hanging out that long is not helping anyone.

Usually no. I only do when the weather is bad since I am the only paramedic in my service and they may need my help on something.

When people don't know your name but know whose house you were at last night and how many times. You use the station address to get your mail. The phone at work is better to reach you at then at home. You mowed the grass before you left for work and have to mow it again when you get home. When you no longer know, or care, what day it is. When you tell the days apart by what calls you ran. You forgot what it is like to wear civilian clothes. When you hear about a bad call and go "Cool, I missed out!" When you know the locations of every house, mobile home, lake house, business, driveway, roadway, bridge and outhouse in town. When you know the names of every person in town, including their cousins, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, parents, and the family pet. When people have your phone number on speed dial for their aches and pains questions. When people call you before they call 911. Its a test when you have to answer the questions "Last time you slept?", "Last time you ate?", Last time you had a day off". You remember people by what was wrong with them, but can't remember their names.

Had a feeling that punchline was coming, but I laughed anyway!

I like that one.

Sweet! I like that. I am glad you put it on here, now I am going to have to print it off and put it up at the station.

Similar things happen to me. Often times I can tell when a call is coming in and if it is early in the morning before I usually get up I will even set the alarm to wake me up early so I can get some coffee in me. Sometimes you can seem to just feel if a call will come in at certain times. Its weird, but quite usefull.

Nice, I like it!

You have to look at several things when you decide whether or not to cease (or even start) treatment. My call this weekend was a witnessed arrest that was down for approx 15 minutes before we got there. He was in asystole at the time and I decided to work him. He arrested at 0215 and at 0248 we actually went from asystole to a junctional rhythm WITH A PULSE! Go figure that one. He only lived for four more days, but that was time for the family to say goodbye. Should I have worked him? The bigger question was, "Was there any definitive reason why not?"

when we havn't had a call for two days, or between 1730 and 1900