Just Plain Ruff Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 I seriously doubt if they would ask you to turn off the ventilator and all you would have to do is say you know nothing about the ventilator and it is not the reason you were called or not part of your job description. You could also just say you are not comfortable doing that. About the only situation I could think up where this might happen and ONLY if the physician is present would be for a patient that has agonal respirations on the vent, is in hospital and is near death. Even at that it would be the physician that would assume the responsibility of shutting off the ventilator You don't have to do everything a physician tells you if you are uncomfortable or it is harmful to the patient. If the physician who is present told you to push a medication at a dose which you know would be harmful and he/she still insisted, would you? Or would you again ask if he is sure that is the med and then hand the syringe to him? Nobody can make you kill a patient unless you are a willing participant or just have no clue about the situation situation. I also will not just go into an ICU/ED and terminate life support at random just because a doctor ordered it unless it is a known patient with the proper orders and paperwork. As health care professionals we do have the right to do the right action to the right patient and ask for the right procedure to be followed at the right time if it involves our hands on the patient or technology. And remember, the doctor won't take the fall for your ignorance in a situation. That has been learned the hard way many times by many different health care professionals. I think that once again Vent (and no offense intended) you have taken this to literally. I have never been asked to do this, I don't know if anyone else has but I will bet that it will come one day. I'm smart enough to know that you just don't take a doctor's word for it but there are brand new medics who if called and if they are protocol monkeys then they will follow the orders of the doctor telling them to turn off the patients vent. I'm sorry if I took this down a different path and maybe I shouldn't have but sometimes I think you take things too far. Now before you get down to clarifying yourself or telling me why I'm wrong, Let's just drop the discussion and if you want we can discuss this in chat or via PM's. I think that is has been taken too far by both of us. I'm sure that this situation won't happen for a long time so I don't think we need to discuss further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VentMedic Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 I think that once again Vent (and no offense intended) you have taken this to literally. Ending life support is very literal and final. My responses were to your statements below and my response was to inform EMT(P)s what they can do in a situation such as this. My posts were not an opinion about whether end of life support is right or wrong. What I am against, and very strongly against is getting a call to a house and having someone tell me that I need to turn off the vent. Has it happened to me, nope not yet. Will it happen, more than likely in the foreseeable future but I DO NOT think it is my responsibility to turn the vent off. This should not be done by EMS. That is what I am against. After a very nasty exchange of PMs with you and being told my posts were too technical for this forum as well as a few other choice words, I apologize and promise not to post here again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 Ending life support is very literal and final. My responses were to your statements below and my response was to inform EMT(P)s what they can do in a situation such as this. My posts were not an opinion about whether end of life support is right or wrong. After a very nasty exchange of PMs with you and being told my posts were too technical for this forum as well as a few other choice words, I apologize and promise not to post here again. Good god Vent, You are making mountains out of mole hills. You are the one who started the insults in PM's not me. You are the one who took this way out of proportion and don't come here seeking sympathy from anyone unless you are willing to allow the posting of the PM's that we both shared. I never once insulted you in pm's. You are the one to basically told me to go F myself. You are the one who literally reamed me a new rear end in your first PM. If you wish to dispute that fact, then let's post the PM's and let the group or a select few of the forum decide. If not then you can't just come here and say "You hurt my feelings and you did this or that" and expect it to go away. That's like pulling the race card. You also have never responded this way to anyone on this forum like you have with me. If you go away and stop posting then those who lose in this situation is YOU not me. but whatever!!! If you choose to run away and not answer any of the recent pm's to you from me then you are the loser here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Good god Vent, You are making mountains out of mole hills. You are the one who started the insults in PM's not me. You are the one who took this way out of proportion and don't come here seeking sympathy from anyone unless you are willing to allow the posting of the PM's that we both shared. I never once insulted you in pm's. You are the one to basically told me to go F myself. You are the one who literally reamed me a new rear end in your first PM. If you wish to dispute that fact, then let's post the PM's and let the group or a select few of the forum decide. If not then you can't just come here and say "You hurt my feelings and you did this or that" and expect it to go away. That's like pulling the race card. You also have never responded this way to anyone on this forum like you have with me. If you go away and stop posting then those who lose in this situation is YOU not me. but whatever!!! If you choose to run away and not answer any of the recent pm's to you from me then you are the loser here. I was doing some thinking and I think many on this forum are correct. Vent, when you criticise us we don't get nasty and bent out of shape but when you are criticised you blow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts