Real Life In The ER

[chbare]

I am not sure if this is funny, sad, or something else.

Did anybody watch Trauma Life in the ER last night? I was at work and somebody was flipping through channels and stumbled upon the show. The scenario in question took place in Oregon. We saw a flight crew bring a pediatric crush injury into the trauma center. From what I gather, it was an interhospital transfer. He was intubated, had an OG, and chest tubes. Pretty typical stuff.

So, they give report and hand the patient over to the ER staff. An anesthesiologist is at the patients head and starts making comments about resistance to bagging and poor compliance. She pulls the tube stating a bigger tube is needed. She ends up placing another tube. However, after placing the tube, she moved her face down near the patients bloody face and used her teeth to pull the stylette. Then, she brings her face back up, spits the stylette out, and smiles into the camera.

Funny, sad, hamming it up for the camera, hmmm???

Take care,

chbare.

[Schwaa]

Don't forget about after she pulls the stylet out with her teeth and says "Damn I'm good."

Anything for TV.

[firedoc5]

We had another agency bring in a code while we had just brought a patient in and I was doing the paper work. So my partner helps with the code. The RT said it was "tight" to bag the guy. The doc was somewhere. So my partner scopes the guy, and says "I got it". He retubes the guy and on the end of the old tube was a glob of gum. The idiot who tubed him had shoved the gum down the guy's throat. He had NOT choked on the gum previously. We started calling it "Wrigley Syndrome".

[mrmeaner]

I am not sure if this is funny, sad, or something else.

Did anybody watch Trauma Life in the ER last night? I was at work and somebody was flipping through channels and stumbled upon the show. The scenario in question took place in Oregon. We saw a flight crew bring a pediatric crush injury into the trauma center. From what I gather, it was an interhospital transfer. He was intubated, had an OG, and chest tubes. Pretty typical stuff.

So, they give report and hand the patient over to the ER staff. An anesthesiologist is at the patients head and starts making comments about resistance to bagging and poor compliance. She pulls the tube stating a bigger tube is needed. She ends up placing another tube. However, after placing the tube, she moved her face down near the patients bloody face and used her teeth to pull the stylette. Then, she brings her face back up, spits the stylette out, and smiles into the camera.

Funny, sad, hamming it up for the camera, hmmm???

Take care,

chbare.

Wouldn't that be an appropriate time to hit a woman?

Ok, I know. I'm going to hell.

[Adam Swartz]

Wouldn't that be an appropriate time to hit a woman?

Ok, I know. I'm going to hell.

I have seen that episode. If I remember right she was also listening to lung sounds at the same time and everyone was busy. I could be wrong but still it was a good episode. The kid lived. What are the odds.

[Kaisu]

In all fairness, stuff gets weird out there. Everyone handles stress differently and I don't care who you are, a peds case that needs to be re-intubated is stressful. There are things I've said in the heat of battle that I would cringe if they were repeated... especially in an edited or out of context way. One more reason why there should NEVER be cameras in the the back of the ambulance.

Stay safe.

[Adam Swartz]

In all fairness, stuff gets weird out there. Everyone handles stress differently and I don't care who you are, a peds case that needs to be re-intubated is stressful. There are things I've said in the heat of battle that I would cringe if they were repeated... especially in an edited or out of context way. One more reason why there should NEVER be cameras in the the back of the ambulance.

Stay safe.

I disagree with that. We should have cameras so that maybe people will stop calling us ambulance drivers. But that is just my opinion.

[Tech217]

I think I agree with you, Adam. People seem to think that nothing really ever happens in the back of the ambulance. But we have to get them there alive in order for the ER docs and nurses to treat them anyway, don't we? They'd all have far fewer cases to work on if it weren't for folks like us.

Give us a camera for a day and let us do a little "hamming." We have plenty to brag about too!!

[Eydawn]

Oy frickin' vey. It's called HIPAA, and we don't need to "ham it up" for anyone. There was a show that did exactly that on the Discovery Channel; it was called "Paramedics" and showed a good mix of crappy and cool providers. Big deal.

Besides, media types with cameras make me mad. They sit there and get in the way and try to get an angle on their story... instead of helping in a crisis situation where all hands on deck would be absolutely amazing. The *only* exception I can think of happened in Denver a long time ago, where a news helicopter pilot intervened with his chopper in a hostage situation after a long police chase and standoff, saving the hostage and helping the cops. His name is Mike Silva.

Focus on becoming an educated professional who can express yourself in multiple arenas. I know I'm planning to take these typing fingers way further once I get my BSN... I have a feeling that good quality writing about our field and the elements that are lacking in it will do a helluva lot more for our profession than "Lookit! We do schit in the back of the ambulance! I not are Amboolance drive!"

We aren't in this for the recognition and glory. You want to meet some under-appreciated care providers? Go apply for a direct care job in the developmental disabilities world. Paid less than CNA's, many are hated by families, attacked by behavioral clients on a daily basis, exposed to volatile body fluids on at least a weekly basis... and the list goes on.

EMT's have it cushy... you treat the patient, you do the paperwork, you turf them to the ER or back to their house. Try a 12 or 14 hour shift in a group home with *maybe* 2 bathroom breaks if you're lucky...

So quit bragging about prehospital medical care and start learning. If your communication becomes more sophisticated, all of a sudden you appeal to wider audiences than just other EMT's... and as we've all noticed, the power balance isn't exactly sitting in the truck with us. Make sense?

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Adam Swartz]

I think I agree with you, Adam. People seem to think that nothing really ever happens in the back of the ambulance. But we have to get them there alive in order for the ER docs and nurses to treat them anyway, don't we? They'd all have far fewer cases to work on if it weren't for folks like us.

Give us a camera for a day and let us do a little "hamming." We have plenty to brag about too!!

Get the patient to sign a release for the camera. Have it mounted in the back so that there isn't a cameraman back there unless he or she is able to keep out of the way and is a first responder minimum and can drop the camera and help. So that is why there would be a fixed camera or two. I remember the show paramedics. Wish that they would bring it back. That is my opinion and only mine. We need to show people through cameras and through education. The show would not be biased or edited. It would be exactly what happens none of what you see sometimes. Like the codes always survive. It would be the most realistic medical show around.