Wierd call. Can you create a scenario that justifies it?

[Chief1C]

I'm taking this all in... while peeling an egg. Peeling the foil off...off of a Cadbury egg. Recovering from the 24hr flu, which I've had for six days. I can eat chocolate, it stays down. But turkey, cooper, fresh baked bread and hot mustard doesn't stay down..and Pedialyte...WTF is up with that. Orange my ass! That shit tastes like vegetable oil, mineral oil, a cup of salt and maybe a drop of orange oil mixed together.

So, what I've gotten so far is.... Everyone does what they have to do to get by. Everyone thinks their way is the best way, and your way is the wrong way. I say we go back to ambulance attendants with 18hrs of training and just run converted hearses. Because, as an authorized billing agent, and the way Medicare is screwing people over with this revalidation shit... That's all we (EMS) are going to be able to afford in ten years. Gotta get paid to pay for our stuff, its the truth, and don't depend on the US Government to fund it, EMS isn't even an "essential service".

Anyhoo, I got that wrapper off my egg, I don't want chocolate on my keys.

Edited February 12, 2012 by 2c4

[Kiwiology]

I want to go back to the days of very early ALS when we had people with massive afros driving around in a Caddy sporting gold chains, a blue boiler suit with "PARAMEDIC" on the back in yellow letters, glass IV bottles, sodium bicarbonate and a Lifepak 4 or some shit

[DwayneEMTP]

Other than, as mentioned before about having a patients family member hold the fluids, it certainly hasn't been a regular part of treatment, but it has happened.

We brought in an arrest on night in the Springs. The man's 30ish year old daughter and his wife followed us into the ER and were allowed in the resusc room. Approx. 20-25 minutes into ACLS the Doc asked the mother and daughter if they would like to help, and to my surprise the daughter jumped up immediately and said 'yes.' He taught her how to take over the BVM and she did a great job with the most amazed, focused look on her face.

After probably another 10 mins the doc decided to cease resusc measures, explained his rationale for doing so, encouraged anyone in the room to speak up if they felt that there was anything else that they thought might be done, and ended by asking the mother and daughter if there was anything else that they thought might be done. They both said no...it appeared obvious to me that they were terribly grateful to be allowed into the process.

After that I've once had a husband offer to do compressions on his wife, and another time a son offer for his mother, and both times I've accepted, and though I didn't follow up in any way, at that moment in time both of those decisions seemed to have been really, really good. Both family members seemed really focused, and much calmer than you'd expect, and both seemed more at peace when it came time to stop.

Neither of these men were healthcare professionals.

As far as taking over care of their loved ones, I would do all in my power to stop that. It's just not a mentally healthy option, and I believe that it's well accepted at least, perhaps been proved, that family members emotions often cause the delivery of less than optimal care.

But to answer, no, I've never had a family member attempt to do so. At least not in any rational way.

Dwayne

[ERDoc]

There have been plenty of studies that show families are happier when they are involved with the resuscitation, even if it is just as a bystander. You have to judge the family you are dealing with. I can't say I've had family bag someone but it is an interesting thought.

[jonas salk]

There have been plenty of studies that show families are happier when they are involved with the resuscitation, even if it is just as a bystander. You have to judge the family you are dealing with. I can't say I've had family bag someone but it is an interesting thought.

they might do better than fire...

[ERDoc]

they might do better than fire...

Tru dat.

[Kiwiology]

I can't say I've had family bag someone but it is an interesting thought.

What? Are you insane? Why the bloody hell not? You know how important it is to ventilate the absolute snot out of somebody at a gadzillion times a second to force that oxygen into their lungs right? I mean come on you even have to ignore the dangers of dynamic hyperinflation and cardiac arrest risk in an asthmatic who requires manual ventilation and forego ventilating him at a slow rate because it's imperative to force as much oxygen down his gob as possible!! Come on man!

And you call yourself a Consultant Physician

[ERDoc]

Uh, no. I call my self an ER attending.

[Kiwiology]

And here I was thinking those who attended the emergency department were the patients?

I want our hospital to get one of those signs that boasts "Comprehensive Medical Care / Physician on Duty 24 hours" below where it says "EMERGENCY" ... wow I am so relieved knowing the hospital has a Doctor there 24 hours!

You know I believe such a statement is only a legal requirement in California

[ERDoc]

I want the sign that says, "We are out of Dilaudid."