akflightmedic

Thumper...did I miss something? Whats up with the hositility and who put the US down??

Quite honestly, I dont remember with Acadian. I think it was the tibia( I was there back in Sept and Nov, shortmemory sorry). With our flight program we could use either or.

Dust, what I think he meant was like for first responder services. Its easier to all have the same equipment... For example, if they have a physio control AED and place the pads prior to your arrival, you can switch them to your monitor withour removing the pads and then resticking your own. If they have Zoll AED, the pads are not interchangeable with the LP. Realistically, this doesnt happen that often but it is a good idea to have all on the same page I think.

I was first exposed to this wonderful tool when I was working with Acadian in Louisiana after the storms. It is great! We also had it on our helo on my overseas contract. I have nothing negative to say about it. You will love it. Using this tool, you can have an IO placed quicker than you could ever do an IV. I think back to all the pts over the years that truly needed an IV and I was unable to get one, how they would have benefitted from this device. It is so quick and easy to use and much less troublesome than the FAST, cause I have used that one as well. I am a convert and until science proves otherwise, I will push every service I work for here on out to get one. As a side note, the manufacturer recommends changing batteries after ten uses...a use is considered turning it on and testing it, so you need to keep a good log and fresh batteries on hand.

Why not call the LP rep and trade in for the model with all the bells and whistles?? I have used both the Zoll and LP fully loaded and personally the only difference I can say about them is our unwillingness as humans to accept change. They both did the job equally as well. Neither one affected pt care in a negative way. You just have to practice with the new model to get comfortable. I find them both to be user friendly and easy to use in critical situations.

Dust is my hero...I nominate that post of yours for post of the year...superb job sir.

Who did CPR on this thread....it was dead for almost a year......It almost went into auto delete but someone decided to practice CPR ANyways, did anyone notice Medik * said she will try anything these days....HMMMMMM ok , lustful thought moment over with.....

The short simplified version is this... Ventilations not so important as we thought...enough residual O2 in the blood What do we need to convert Vfib?? Answer: electricity By doing longer uninterrupted compressions, we allow ATP to build up in the heart...thereby increasing the pts chance for survival when the AED or medics with a monitor arive. The science is that there will be a buildup of ATP that will allow the pt to convert after one shock. If the pt is going to convert and survive, statistically that is when it is going to happen.

I dont remember making a complaint. I just reversed the scenario to show how stupid the argument is. I agree with you 100 percent hammer and if I could have stated it as eloquently as you, I would have said the same thing.

You only asked the next step...mine would be calling for backup, cause I am not lifting that dude myself, especially when he codes.

You are right about the salaries in Palm Beach County. EMTs start at 40K and medics start at 46K and they all get a 5% raise each year for 8 years. That is why it is so competitive to get a job there as well. Good Luck! But you are comparing apples to oranges. The salary you quote is that of a very large, WEALTHY government that is providing dual role services. This means being a firefighter. A lot of the members here are single role providers. I would like to see you go make 40K without pulling a lot of OT as an EMT in Florida. You will not do it, I guarentee it. It will require many hours of overtime. Historically, fire/rescue services always pay more because of the dual role and the fact that the IAFF puts a stronghold on every council member and makes raises and/or decent salaries happen. I am not saying it is a bad thing, but it is definitly what we need to do as single role providers. If you don't speak up and throw fits like the IAFF does, you will never get more money or a living wage. And I say this as a former member of the IAFF and soon to be again member...

That is correct. All your calls must equal 181 minutes as that would mean you did not get 5 hours of uninterrupted rest. They are playing by the rules in that regard. You need to change it by presenting facts and figures that gives them a reason to change it. OR Take longer on every call, drive the speed limit everywhere. Another important thing to add into that time is run reports. If they are basing the 181 mins on call time alone, then they are in for a rude awakening when you add up the time for run reports, restocking, refueling and anything else job related before going to bed. You could even through in a shower or two as it is sometimes necessary to clean yourself after a particular call so you are nopt stinky for the next run..and since you got stinky doing their work, it is job related. There are many technicalities you can use to your advantage if they wish to play hardball....

Unless you are in a collective bargaining group(union), what your employer is doing is ILLEGAL. Yes, there are agencies that still break the law. A close friend of mine went through this same ordeal several years ago and he was awarded a huge backpayment for hours worked. This practice will continue until it is challenged. Here is the link, look for yourself. I will also cut and paste some highlights... http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/hoursworked/default.asp Time which an employee is required to be at work or allowed to work for his or her employer is hours worked. A person hired to do nothing or to do nothing but wait for something to do or something to happen is still working. The Supreme Court has stated that employees subject to the FLSA must be paid for all the time spent in "physical or mental exertion (whether burdensome or not) controlled or required by the employer and pursued necessarily and primarily for the benefit of the employer of his business." I think this sums it up nicely. Your agency is still stuck in the 80's... Your sleep time is probably not hours worked. If you are able to get 5 or more hours of sleep, the sleep time is not considered hours worked. However, your employer can only deduct the actual number of hours spent sleeping, up to a maximum of 8 hours. For example, if you receive 6 hours of sleep, your employer can only deduct 6 hours for sleeping from the work period. This determination is made on the basis of what happens during each sleep period. Your employer can deduct a maximum of 8 hours of sleeping time provided: You are on duty for 24 hours or more; You and your employer have an agreement to exclude from hours worked bona fide meal periods and a bona fide regularly scheduled sleeping period of not more than 8 hours; You are provided with adequate sleeping facilities by your employer; and You can usually get an uninterrupted night's sleep of 8 hours. (This determination is made on the basis of what happens during each sleep period.) Even though you may sleep more than 8 hours, a maximum of 8 hours can be deducted from the 24 hours you are required to be on duty. All interruptions of your sleep must be counted as hours worked. If you and your employer do not have such an agreement all of the time (24 hours) is hours worked. For more information, please contact your local Wage and Hour District Office. Hope this helps you, but basically what they are doing is wrong... One way to get this changed, without ruffling too many feathers is put together a presentation where you trend out several months of calls and hours worked for the department. You show them that they are consistently biting the bullet and paying for the whole shift anyways, so they might as well make it easier on the employees and the payroll department by putting everyone on pay around the clock. Show them that they are not saving any money doing it their way.

Jake proved my point. Its ok, funny, or not deemed as serious when the role is reversed. 26 year old female teacher and 14 year old male student...many guys said I wish that would have happened to me.... Reverse the gender and it suddenly becomes OMG, thats disgusting and I would kill the bastard.

What about all female crews and its a male patient? Tell me a female has never committed a sexual crime. This kind of stuff aggravates me to no end. Its a double standard that needs to go away. You get what you get, geez you aren't shopping at Wal Mart for crying out loud. Act professional at all times and document, document, document. The only thing we used to do was radio in our starting and ending mileage (which is recorded and time stamped) and then tx accordingly. Keep the lights on and stay in constant verbal and/or visual contact with your partner...

I have found many old friends from classmates.com...give them a try I found friends from the 4th grade!!! Found a GF from 6th grade and many HS friends. I do not work for that site and I recieved no compensation for shamelessly plugging them.

Absolutely!!! If it is on scene while tending to a pt and it may compromise patient care, do it ASAP, however do it in a non condescending, in your face you screwed up way. This is when it is only minor things. If it is harmful to the pts life, you better speak up loud and clear. For instance if you see a medic getting ready to push the wrong drug or the wrong dose, stop them and ask them why they are doing it. Just be sure you are able to support your actions with facts, so that you are not stopiing the medic everytime he goes to push a drug. Now about your wording.."do I have the right to TELL them they did something wrong"... You have the right to bring it to their attention and see why it varies from what you percieved to be correct. See what the person was thinking and why they did something a certain way before you TELL them they were wrong. All of this is acceptable, its all just a matter of how you present it that either makes the medic fly off the handle and belittle you, or humbles him and he thanks you, or you learn a new way of doing something.

Excellent job Rid! What a lovely way to end this topic. Nice summary. Nothing more can be said, only actions performed by us in our own respective communities will change anything. This thread has run its course and I think it should end now while its on a positive note and to prevent anymore redundancy. I wish to thank everyone for contributing and stretching it out way past 10 pages without it getting locked due to fighting. ADIOS!!!

How is determining if she is trying to harm herself private or embarrassing information? Do yourself a favor, change your style. After a few years and some experience, you will realize the best way to find information is to ask directly. Do not beat around the bush. What if they croak or pass out before you get to the important stuff. Get your assessment done with all pertinent information then talk about the weather or whatever else you feel like. Do not attempt or rely on "casual conversation" to find out the critical information for your assessment. Sorry for the rant but right now I have visions of you asking about the weather and then saying by the way, did you take viagra in the last 48 hours. Ok, thats good, now how about the traffic around here, pretty crazy eh?

Dang Canadians always spelling words funny... Its Muktuk... Also avoid stinkheads, or stinkflippers..whichever they serve there Fish ice cream, maybe give it a try..its an aquired taste.

I have worked in the arctic and I actually enjoyed it. However, I have no knowledge of the area or company you are referring to since it is in Canada. If you have any questions with regards to the arctic and unique situations I have encountered, feel free to ask. I still have some nice gear to sell if you are interested...lol.

Best I can tell in my simple words is that is the standard by which they use to ensure accuracy when measuring JVD. Peripheral assessment is another crucial indicator of the progression of congestive heart failure. Dependent body parts (legs, feet, sacrum, and back) become edematous, as the left ventricle is no longer able to pump blood sufficiently, leading to the back up of blood into the peripheral venous circulation. There can also be seepage of fluid from these areas with pressure application. In severe cases, periorbital swelling (of the eyelids) occurs as well (Smeltzer, et al. 1994). As this build-up of volume occurs, jugular vein distension can be observed. The patient is elevated to a 45 degree angle, and the estimated distance between the angle of Louis and the level of the jugular vein distension is estimated. Any measurement greater than 3 cm is abnormal. Lastly, hepatojugular reflux is another indicator of peripheral congestion. The patient is made to breath normally while manual pressure is applied over the liver for 30-60 seconds. If neck distension increases greater than 1 cm, this is a positive test for increased venous pressure (Smeltzer, et al. 1994). This one has a nice graphic for ya... http://classes.kumc.edu/son/nurs352/Module_5/jvd.htm

ALMOST AT 10 PAGES!!!! We havent had a 10 pager in a while.... Anything that generates this much discussion is usually shut down by page 6.... Keep it up!!!!!!!

Sorry folks, but I have decided to leave Emt City. I no longer enjoy it like I used to. I am so sick and tired of certain members attitudes and the headaches they are causing me. It was fun in the beginning but for now, I am done. Just need a break I guess. Due to this exit, I have also decided to cancel the road trip. No need to waste time and money to see people I really don't care to see. I am just going to take the quickest shortest route to Florida. Thank you to everyone... Aprils Fool!!

Dude, Hammer is a girl...and a hot one at that!