aryan51 Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Ok, here's a story I was told by one of our alternate supervisors that seems a little far fetched, and I was just wondering if anyone has heard of anything like this. The reason I'm doubting this is because the individual I heard it from is a bit of a blowhard at times. I guess this is a secondhand story, and this person wasn't the medic on scene. Dispatched to a vehicle rollover in a rural area, 2 occupants. Fire has a 20 minute ETA when the ambulance gets on scene. Driver is still in the driver's seat, most likely a parent, and the passenger is a 9 year old boy who has been partially ejected. His arm is trapped under the car and unable to be freed. The driver/parent unbuckles their seat belt and climbs out the window. The car starts to flame up, and the medic has no choice but to watch the boy burn to death. So after this story, the teller asks me "You know what a GOOD medic woulda done?" "What?", "Call base and cut that boys arm off" This just sounds ridiculous to me, but he said he would make base contact, give them the situation, and ask what their amputation protocols are. Any thoughts on whether this guy is serious, or trying to yank my chain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief1C Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 We've peeled apart metal with pliers to avoid calling for a helicopter to bring in a surgeon. Something tells me that it wouldn't work the same as it does on TV. It's likely, if the patient was trapped long, that they would be exsanguinated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustdevil Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 I'm not clear on what exactly you are asking. The guy didn't claim he did it, did he? He does sound like a blowhard, but I don't understand what you are calling BS on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 On TV things go bad and the Paramedics do a field amputation. In real life the few field amputations that take place are done by a doctor. In theory we could if we had to but I doubt it would ever happen. I am not aware of any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aryan51 Posted April 19, 2008 Author Share Posted April 19, 2008 He's saying that if he were the medic on that call, he would have taken steps to attempt an amputation in the field. I'm wondering if this is something that I'm just naive about and only happens in extreme situations, but IS actually possible...or if this person is just an idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott33 Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 On TV things go bad and the Paramedics do a field amputation. In real life the few field amputations that take place are done by a doctor. In theory we could if we had to but I doubt it would ever happen. I am not aware of any. Happened only this month in the UK, and not a Doctor in sight (though they were consulted) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7327673.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Happened only this month in the UK, and not a Doctor in sight (though they were consulted) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7327673.stm Thanks for that info. I would sure hate to be put in that position with the limited education we get in the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scaramedic Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Here in my neck of the woods one of the hospitals (a Level 1) has a surgical team that responds by helicopter to do amputations. They did one last year on an MVC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustdevil Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Yeah, I don't know that I have ever heard of a medic in the U.S. actually doing it, but it is certainly a theoretical option. Although, maybe one out of every hundred medics (being generous) in this country actually has enough anatomy education to do it half-way intelligently. I doubt that Mr. Blowhard is one of those elite few. Anybody who talks about calling a doctor first probably isn't up to the task. This is kind of like the old field C-section on the dead/dying mother thing. Most medics have neither the education nor the ballz to even attempt it, much less pull it off. The chances of you encountering either in a career are astronomically low. But yeah, there have been field C-sections done by medics. By the end of my junior year of nursing school, I felt like I could do one in my sleep. I guess the answer to your questions are yes and yes. Yes, he's probably a blowhard. But yes, it's an option under extreme circumstances. I can think of a lot of more common and important things to spend your time studying for though, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aryan51 Posted April 19, 2008 Author Share Posted April 19, 2008 Thanks a lot Dust, now I'm trying to wrap my mind around an emergency C-Section in the field, haha. I can't even think of anybody around my parts that would even begin to try that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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