ericenglund

Seems that could apply to you, too, mate. Might want to heed your own advice.

-be safe

Well if you want to play 3rd grade games I could say the same thing back to you, but whatever. I give up on this thread.

Off Topic Warning!

Ericenglund, AZCEP gave solid advice. As a new provider, it is critical to master the fundamentals of the most commonly encountered disease processes. This will lay a solid foundation for the new provider. In addition, most of the rare conditions are often managed using the same or similar modalities as their more mundane counterparts in the pre-hospital environment. Mastery of the fundamentals can only help as a provider. No, I am not telling anybody to quit learning or not to seek out additional knowledge.

Take care,

chbare.

I'm well aware of the fact that rare conditions are less common than common ones. That is why they are considered "rare" and "common". However, I don't think it's required to question why someone asks a question, especially in such a condescending way. He wanted to know because he wanted to know. Done deal. If you have a problem with it, go read something else.

Why do you want to know more about disease processes that you will never likely have to deal with?

Uncommon presentations of common disease is more likely than a common presentation of an uncommon disease.

Focus on the things you are likely to see. Learn how to manage the basics to the point of automaticity, then concern yourself with the unusual. Pick up any medical text and you will find that they spend most of their ink talking about the things that are most likely to present themselves. There is a good reason for this.

I have a huge urge to tell you to shut up, so I'm going to. He said he had a curiousity for rare/interesting illnesses, and I don't see anything wrong with this. Not to mention WHY DO YOU CARE why he wants to know? Get off your damn pedestal and SHUT UP.

/soapbox

Just a random question I have been wondering about...

Pain patches, would they be effective prehospital? Like putting a fentanyl patch on someone experiencing ACS... would this actually do anything or would it be too long for onset?

I really am not sure, but I heard those take too long to kick in on your typical prehospital run(not your 6 hour transfer or anything)

IMHO, there should be only 2 levels. Basic ( which would be the current EMT-I) and Paramedic. quote]

If EMT-B was given the scope of practice as an EMT-Enhanced rather than intermediate(I'm not all to knowledgable about it but EMT-Es can start IVs, intubate, and give a few meds like albuterol and subcutaneus epi, etc), I think it would be better than having EMT-I's and EMT-Ps because really there isnt that much of a difference (at least in Virginia)besides calling for orders on things that a paramedic has standing orders.

ok so i'm too lazy to read everything this morning, so i stopped at having difficulty with pharmacology..rest assured you aren't the only one.

what i did as far as memorizing drugs/classifications/ contraindications/indications/doseage/peds dose, etc. was get index cards and write the it out like this

Drug Name

classification

indications

contraindications

doseage

ped. doseage

side effects

yea it's a lot to write, especially with the bajillion drugs they seem to throw in your face, but it's worth it.

EMT-B = free through vol. fire dept.

Paramedic = 3200 tuition not including books or GAS to and from clinicals. not bad at all.

My opinion:

I HATED absolutely HATED transport. Did it for about a year as a Basic before I became a Paramedic, the only good thing about it was(as previously mentioned) the schedule and making your own lunch break or bill pay break fit into your day relatively easily. And since you are going on to paramedic, the assessment at a 911 agency for "real" emergencies that you will do or even listen to an ALS provider do will really really help and make things a whole heck of a lot clearer and more practical when the subjects come up in paramedic class. So if it were me, I'd do the 911 agency.

Eric

EMT-Enhanced is state of virginia only, correct? (I know its virginia because i am a VA resident but i dont know if any other random states have a similar level)

Congratulations on passing. EMT-E is a big step from B and I'm sure you'll find the new skills/scope of practice interesting. I'm sure the others will pass with a bit more studying. The pass/fail rate for all of the levels(B/I/P) is about the same. You get out of a program what you put into it.