Frequent Flyers or Transport Tommys?

[mstovall]

At work today I heard another term that would fit. "Ky Gold Card holders" The-my-kid-is-one-block-from-the-hospital-and-just-got-the-wind-knocked-out-of-him-and-I-want-him-checked-out-so-have-the-ALS-truck-punched-out-for-a-non-breathing-child-just-to-get-you-hear-quicker-and-then-get-you-to-take-him-so-I-don't-have-to-wait-in-the-triage-area-card.

ok, not a good day today.

Michael

[Richard B the EMT]

Well, sometimes it can be a good thing to have the right "nasty Triage Nurse", so when they get routed to the waiting area instead of being immediately seen for the paper cut that they are dying from, your ambulance crew doesn't get blamed. You did your job, even if it was a truly non emergent call.

[pacman]

Well, sometimes it can be a good thing to have the right "nasty Triage Nurse", so when they get routed to the waiting area instead of being immediately seen for the paper cut that they are dying from, your ambulance crew doesn't get blamed. You did your job, even if it was a truly non emergent call.

Its funny you should mention that because I had a very similar call the other day. It was a 74 year old female who cut her hand cooking FIVE HOURS before dispatch. ( It could have waited, my dinner was being served ) Called EMS to have it evaluated and transported to a hospital. I arrive, with only a first aid bag in hand. In there I found at least 6 neighbors with perfectly running cars acting VERY CONCERNED, yet none of them could take the time to drive her to the hospital. *sigh*

The lady wants to go to the hospital to get treated quickly. I tell her she might have to wait in triage since her injury was not an emergency. We walk her to the ambulance, seat her, and I drive nonemergent to the hospital.

We get there and there was only one spot left for my rig. It was obviously a full house at the hospital. My partner and I get her to triage, sign her over to the nurse, and I wheel her into the triage room while she says " Oh my! There are about a thousand people in front of me!"

I wished her happy holidays and left to get to my cold dinner.

[spenac]

I love when the time wasters ask me as I am leaving how soon till a Doctor will be in. I'm always honest "maybe 4 or 5 hours, possibly more, have a great day." Same answer whether they are only patient or not.

[CBEMT]

Ambulance Triage Nurse: "Whaddeya got, guys?"

Me, never slowing down: "Oh, don't worry about it. He's going right to Public Triage."

[Echoburger]

I think we just call them 'Frequent Fliers'

some other ones that I have heard are

GORK - God only really knows

POPTA - passed out prior to arrival

CAC - clear all corridors (hospital uses it for a cardiac arrest)

GrannyHaul - Transport service (non emergency)

We have a public hospital here ( John peter smith) that deals with a bunch of lower income people. People always "accidently" fall at a bus stop 2 blocks away...they call 911..and request to go to the hospital. they have no injuries what so ever and refuse all EMS contact

the reason? they dont have transportation or money.

what does the hospital do? Divert the ambulance to 'parkland hospital ' which is oh..30 minutes away.

"patients" always get ticked off when that happens

[Lone Star]

I've only called them 'frequent fliers', but....

You know its a good day when you can 'cure' a frequent flyer by following all protocols!

I had a frequent flier that called us one night for N/V x4 days, accompanied by fever and chills.

On arrival, found the pt laid out on the couch, glass thermometer suspiciously by the lamp on the end table, mercury read 108...

Pt, who is a bi-lat AKA, further states that he's been suffering for the last 4 days (didnt seem to be 'suffering' 2 days ago when I took him home from the hospital), and to further compound his 'problems' hes also afflicted with vertigo and syncopal episodes. In fact, he 'fell out of his wheel chair just before you got here'.

I asked him if his neck hurt, to which he 'tried' to move it and wincing, says 'yeah, hurts real bad'. After I told him not to move, I turned to my partner who had magically 'disappeared'! It seems that he dashed out to the truck and got a C-collar and LSB.

After applying the collar, and putting him on the LSB, he started to tell us how this 'wasnt really necessary'.

Per protocol, we had no choice but to take c-spine and spinal precautions because of the complaints of neck pain and back pain from falling.

The hospital was STUNNED that we had put so much effort into packaging the pt (who we all knew was only there for a Demerol 'tweak'.

It got around the company that we were able to 'get even' with this problem individual, and the other crews were insanely jealous!

It seems that we never heard from him again, but I DID hear a crew from a different service get toned out to his address a few days later........

[Echoburger]

Thats a good one Lone!..

could you get in trouble if it was some frequent flier and you wanted to establish venous acces and you intentionally picked the biggest needle you had?

[firedoc5]

We once had a call that someone was choking on a piece of food. When we got there the "patient" was complaining that it felt like a piece of ham was lodged in her throat but was not effecting her breathing. She was playing it to the hilt though of how uncomfortable it was. Just as soon as we reached the ER she said she swallowed real hard and it went down. She didn't even go in. She went right out of the back of the rig and proceeded to walk next door, to the mall. We came to the conclusion she just didn't want to walk from downtown.

Now don't forget the GOMERs, Get Out of My Emergency Rig. Every now and then we would ask the ER on the radio asking to run a "Porcelein Level". Letting them know it was a "crock" call. I'm sure I can think of a few more.

[Lone Star]

Now don't forget the GOMERs, Get Out of My Emergency Rig. Every now and then we would ask the ER on the radio asking to run a "Porcelein Level". Letting them know it was a "crock" call. I'm sure I can think of a few more.

I had always been told that G.O.M.E.R. was: Get Out of My Emergency Room