anon311 Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 Hi all, I've been an EMT for a few years now and have thankfully never had a call for an arrest in which I didn't know what to do/was alone. I was thinking recently, however, and came up with these two scenarios in which I wouldn't know what to do: 1) One of the VACs I work with has a BLS fly car. Say you're the first responder to an MVA with a non-traumatic arrest in the rain (presumably the arrest caused the person to crash, or whatever). You'd obviously have to get the pt. out of the car to perform CPR/defib, but could you do this if it were raining heavily? With an ambulance you could throw them in the rig quickly, which is why I brought up the fly car. 2) I've only worked a few codes in my career (thankfully), and all of them have had pulses by the time we got to the hospital. Since I fear this wont always be the case: how do people perform CPR while moving the pt from the rig to the ER gurney? I know with stairs you do a minute at each landing... but I'm not sure what I would do here. The TV examples of someone straddling the patient seem unrealistic, too. Do you ride the rail and do CPR or lower the gurney low enough that you can walk alongside and do compressions? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akroeze Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 I prefer to lower the stretcher to a comfortable level to do compressions while walking beside the stretcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scratrat Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 I raise the stretcher about half way, and since I'm a bean pole, I ride the rail baby!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeEMTP Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 I prefer to lower the stretcher to a comfortable level to do compressions while walking beside the stretcherI prefer to do this also. Although, I have seen someone ride the stretcher just like on " Turd Watch". They are the ultimate whacker however. I personally don't recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akroeze Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 Riding the rail is very dangerous in my opinion (I have no evidence to back this up, just supposition): 1) The weight distribution is thrown way off so it is easier for it to tip 2) How smooth are the entries to the hospital? Don't you have bumps to go over when going inside and things like that? 3) If it's just you and your partner.... are they moving the stretcher by themself?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCicco345 Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 As far as the defib in the rain. I think as long as you don't put the patient in a puddle and then you youself being in the puddle, it should be fine. I agree with the people above, drop the strecher down a little and do compressions while walking along side the strecher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyM83 Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 I would prefer to lower the gurney to an appropriate level, but FFs pretty much decide everything we do on-scene, so that's probably not going to happen. On my first arrest, I was having some trouble with compressions from the ER parking lot to the hospital gurney bed and a medic told me to ride the gurney. I smiled and kept walking alongside with it. Afterwards, I found out he was serious and they showed me the spot on the gurney bottom frame that has a picture of a foot. Apparently, you're supposed to do that. I'm pretty light and there's usually two people at the head (heavy side) anyway during a full arrest to control both sides. So, I'm undecided, as to riding the gurney, yet. I know it would definitely allow me MUCH better compressions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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