Patient Care (or lack there-of) Attn. Va. providers

[orangecrush]

I need to rant about patient care or rather the (lack of it).

When I travel with my friends, normally Fire/EMS is the last thing on my mind! I was in a hotel over the weekend at an event with about 200 people in attendance. Saturday afternoon I was told the spouse of an attendee had not felt well and went upstairs and proceeded to faint in his hotel room. The hotel staff called 911. I was asked to go check on him, but the EMS crew (1 paramedic and 1 EMT) were in the room, so I left. I trusted that he was in good hands, according to the big Paramedic and EMT letters on their shirts. Imagine my surprise when I met them coming out of the elevator with no patient, a stretcher with a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope thrown on it. No other equipment of any sort.

I am the last provider to ever bother providers in other areas, or to even care about what they are doing. However, this struck me wrong. Because of the way I was dressed, there is no way they could have known I was a paramedic and I certainly did not want to play "visiting provider."

What ticked me off about this call was that I decided to ask the person that called 911, what the dispatcher was told. They told them, there was an unconscious subject located on the 7th floor in room *** and that an ambulance was required. They were not able to give any other information.

Now is it me or if you were going to an unconscious subject, with unknown etiology and on the 7th floor of a high rise, would you take at least some equipment. I had a bad feeling when they came out of that elevator. Later I ran into the spouse who was the attendee and asked about the persons condition. They said, and I quote "the person didn't want to go, so the people got some paper signed and left." The spouse asked what I thought and I said I wouldn't second guess someone elses care, but I explained what to look out for and kindly suggested that they seek medical attention if he feels bad again. My hands were somewhat tied, due to my being in another state and unfamiliar with how things were done. They explained to me what happened and there was no question in my mind that if the scenario was presented in the same manner to the crew - more than a damn blood pressure cuff was needed. When I got to my room I told my roommate, that person will be in the ED by morning. 0200 hours he went to the ED. He has been admitted and is still in the hospital.

Now come on guys - think about this - A BP cuff and a stretcher to an unconscious call. I blame the one in the Paramedic costume. Haven't we evolved from our "ambulance driver" roots.

I have now added another area to my list of "where not to get sick or hurt". Unfortunately I now own property in that state. How comforting!!

Thanks for letting me vent!

oc

[ubermutant]

Yeah you'll only find poor EMS providers in VA. You won't find crappy emergency services in any other state. Great blanket statements.

Of course, going to an Unconc call w/ a stretcher and cuff is idiotic, no arguement. (Not to mention giving off a lazy and unprofessional impression) But as long as the patient willfully signed a refusal, (hopefully not talked into it) the providers' hands are tied. You can't take someone who doesn't want to go, as I'm sure you know.

Welcome to VA.

[JakeEMTP]

Yeah, perhaps the title was a little vague.

That being said, the treatment, or lack thereof, by these two was unacceptable. If the pt. refused to be transported, that is their choice. A thorough assessment should still have been done. Perhaps they were going to be late for a re-run of "Turd watch" :roll: There isn't a valid excuse for shoddy assessments. If my partner and I were responding to a call for "unconscious on the 7th floor", we would be bring the monitor and ALS bag I can assure you.

Wait, these weren't firemedics were they?

[Richard B the EMT]

Per training, local and state protocols under which I work, even if going to a frequent flyer that always signs the medical release, I go up with O2, Defib, and suction, as well as the steth and BP cuff. If that patient had been in arrest, per my protocols, the EMT and Paramedic of this tale would be fired, stripped of certification by the state, and probably looking at, to a minimum, Wrongful Death charges being filed against them. Were I on that jury, I'd probably find them guilty, at least as far as the description previously shown by the original poster goes.

[p3medic]

Pretty lazy I'd say, I mean the building has an elevator, your bringing the bed, might as well throw your stuff on the cot and take it up.

[cwilliams17]

Not very professional to include the almost 34,000 EMS providers in this state with your negative comments. I agree that they made a mistake, I would have carried all my equipment with me too. But to say that Virginia providers cannot render appropriate care to patients is wrong. And another thing, as a paramedic yourself you should know that even if a caller says one thing, it may not be relayed to the responding units as the same. I think I wouldn't have had a problem with your post if you left out the whole Virginia thing. Have a good day and welcome to Virginia

[spenac]

Yeah, perhaps the title was a little vague.

That being said, the treatment, or lack thereof, by these two was unacceptable. If the pt. refused to be transported, that is their choice. A thorough assessment should still have been done. Perhaps they were going to be late for a re-run of "Turd watch" :roll: There isn't a valid excuse for shoddy assessments. If my partner and I were responding to a call for "unconscious on the 7th floor", we would be bring the monitor and ALS bag I can assure you.

Wait, these weren't firemedics were they?

Many patients that "faint" are embarrassed and refuse to allow you to even do a basic assessment, been there done that, got the t-shirt. Can't force treatment, exams, or transport.

As far as no equipment bad choice. That far from the truck cot should have been loaded for the unknown.

[akflightmedic]

Well, first of all, these guys were absolutely wrong. To ever go to a call, ANY call without the proper equipment is wrong! NO matter which way you slice it or try to justify it, it is wrong.

Some replies said, well dispatch does not always relay what was said due to caller not giving proper info, or the patient signed a refusal, or you can not force treatment on someone....all of those statement are valid only AFTER you know what type of call you have. Regardless of patient condition or transport status, the fact remains that these providers KNEW they were going to the 7th floor! Knowing that fact alone and not having proper equipment with them could be delicous information for a supervisor or worse yet, an attorney to know about, should a situation arise after this call.

These guys were wrong and there is no justification or excuse for what they did...NONE!!

Having lived and worked in some densely populated tourist areas, where all you see is hotels, I NEVER went on scene regardless if it was stubbed toe or fainting, without having all my equipment. There have been times where I have been toned for the most benign complaint only to find a critical patient and vice versa. It happens, so you must always be prepared.

Being the direct person I am, I most certainly would have spoken to them immediately after the call while at the same time gathering company and supervisor iinformation. I would have no qualms about doing this as it is this type of display that weakens our profession as a whole and their actions should NEVER be repeated.

[Dustdevil]

Not very professional to include the almost 34,000 EMS providers in this state with your negative comments.

I think you are being a little hypersensitive. It did not appear to me that he was impugning all EMS providers of an entire state.

You have to really, really, really stretch it to say that, dude

And speaking of professionalism, it's not very professional to make broad-sweeping assumptions either.

[medicmole]

I have now added another area to my list of "where not to get sick or hurt". Unfortunately I now own property in that state. How comforting!!

Gotta agree it looks to me like he is bashing the entire state not just those two paramedics.