BLS and Glucometers

[NREMT-Basic]

Dwayne-

I would never intentionally disrespect a MArine. That wasnt my point. What I was getting at was and is that groundpounders in all branches are being given 500cc bags and a start kit. If they can do it on there own,while getting shot at and do it with one hand, I dont think it takes a paramedic. Are there complications to be concerned with? Yes. Should a basic be starting the line in every case. Nope. Hydration lines only. There are lots of things that can go wrong. Its a 6 week course in my case being taught to me who has a year or A and P and a year of diagnostics. I appreciate you saying that I am the exception rather than the rule. Fact is, as far as things like emboli are concerned, I recently asked a ER Doc about this as I saw air in a patients line. He took out a sharpie, marked four inches from the bubble proximal to the patient and said "if that fills up with air, call me." We arent going to be running meds or pushing them and we shouldnt be. We arent going to be hotshotting epi, nor should we. They arent including atropine, nor should they. It is a simple skill, which when learned properly can be done without complication even by medically untrained persons (hence the marine comment...i have agreat affection for marines and meant no slam against them. Just that this is a skill that can be learned one handed. thats all. Its not in my protocol, but I am already certified to start an I/O line. The times they are a changin!

As for you Brentoli....the phones ringing.

[brentoli]

Dwayne-

I would never intentionally disrespect a MArine. That wasnt my point. What I was getting at was and is that groundpounders in all branches are being given 500cc bags and a start kit. If they can do it on there own,while getting shot at and do it with one hand, I dont think it takes a paramedic. .

You missed the point again. Stop thinking this is about you and go and re-read what he wrote.

[Dustdevil]

We arent going to be running meds or pushing them and we shouldnt be. We arent going to be hotshotting epi, nor should we. They arent including atropine, nor should they. It is a simple skill, which when learned properly can be done without complication even by medically untrained persons...

Exactly. But therein lies the problem. You seem to be viewing this as a "why not" skill instead of an indicated physiological intervention. You're getting all excited because the powers that be said you "can" do something you couldn't do before without giving due consideration to whether you should do it, or whether it offers any real benefit to your patient. In other words, this seems to be all about you instead of your patient. That is always a bad sign.

If you can't come up with any better justifications for a procedure besides "I can", "the ER is going to do it anyway, why shouldn't I?", and "it's not rocket science", then you have no business doing it, even if you are the best phlebotomist this side of Iraq.

And you are wrong about what the Marines are doing, all the way around, even beyond the obvious that Dwayne pointed out.

BTW, the guy you accused of being a paragod is a BLS provider. Not everybody who has an intelligent understanding of this issue is a paramedic.

The smartest thing you have said so far was that you weren't going to reply to this thread anymore. Too bad you lack the discipline to stick to it.

[AnthonyM83]

Guess my reasons given weren't good enough.

Or I'll just go ahead and assume they were irrefutable. I know, I'm that good.

[CBEMT]

Did you really just attempt to compare checking a blood sugar reading with providing analgesia?

Congratulations. You just beat out the previous record holder for the most pointless, irrelevant, and invalid analogy ever posted on EMT City.

Why, because you say so? How delightfully elementary school of you.

Withholding pain management from undifferentiated abdominal pain was, formerly, justified by the desire to "not obscure the exam."

Then you say "Primarily, you are screwing up the lab results that ALS or the ER is going to be wanting soon..."

Your words, not mine.

[akroeze]

Its no more trouble causing that medics constantly bashing Basics or FFs. If admin sees it as trolling and wants to ban me, more power to 'em. It must have upset your paragod sensibilities....just goes to prove a point. Its not really about us doing it that bothers medics, its the idea that we can do some of what you do, and since there is no legitimate complaint to be made against Basics starting non-med IVs, you "turn me in." Good for you. Basically what I was saying is that higher powers understand that there is no reason that Basics cannot be taught to cath a vein. You got bent about it, didnt want to admit that I said you would and you did, so you ran to teacher. You just proved my point.

I proved nothing. You are posting FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF GETTING A NEGATIVE REACTION by your own admission. This has NOTHING to do with what you are posting about, I could care less about that at this point. It's the fact that you're a shit disturber that I'm taking issue with.

[akflightmedic]

This topic has been very productive, lot of good points have been addressed.

However, I think we will give it a 24 hour rest or so then see what happens.

If it continues to go south, then it will get a permanent rest.