WAS967

My thoughts exactly. Might be time for a second hit of 30mg if the guy is still flailing about.

One plus to the BK117s that StatFlight Uses/Used is that they have dual engines. If one fails you at least have a backup. Many birds do not. Question for the rotor wing pilots on here: If there training in pilot school for helos like there is for fixed wings on things like stalls and putting her down when the engine dies? How hard is it to do? I can't imagine it being a fun experience.

They should get rid of vehicular funeral processions altogether unless fully organized and escorted by police (example - Fire Department Funeral procession, Military Funeral Procession, etc). The typical "funeral procession" from a Funeral Home to cemetery is ridiculous and downright dangerous. People say that you can continue through a red light if part of one. But tell that to the people with the green light (I also don't know if thats actually law or not - anyone?). If you want an honorable procession, have it on foot at the cemetery from curb to grave. Much more solemn and effective.

If so concerned about revealing the paramedic's name to those who might do her harm, then why not only correct the spelling of her current last name but also publish her maiden name on a public forum?

Don't bother contacting the AHA directly, they can't and won't help you. Cards are only issues directly to the TCs who then distribute to the students. Keep harping on your instructor for the card. If they don't get back to you, talk to the training center administrator. Where did you take your class? I know most of the TC Admins out there and might be able to help you.

Maybe they can make extra money druming up business for the crygenic companies. Pack the head in ice so they can drop it into Liquid Nitrogen in a lab somewhere in hopes of a miracle 100 years from now.

The list of speakers was rather impressive. I was hoping to go but was stuck home sick. I would have liked to see Paul Hinchey as he was my Paramedic teacher at WCC.

Trying to find a written news item, but ABC news at noon is reporting an ambulance going lights and sirens struck a girl crossing the street in a crosswalk. They transported her to King's County hospital where she died of her injuries. The ambulance is reported as belonging to New York Presbyterian. More to come.

I am happy to hear that girl is in fact okay, despite the previously erroneous report. Would a Mod please change the title to match. KTHNXBYE

From http://emscc.ca/blog/?p=110

$5 says it all boils down to liability and insurance issues. I just spoke to an EMT that used to work for us and he said he tried to come back to work after graduating college. Said he was turned away because of a single no-seatbelt ticket he received upstate and was told that the insurance company wouldn't cover him. I'm willing to bet the insurance company for the EMS agency in question is at the heart of the issue, probably disallowing anyone but EMS employees to drive the rigs or work in them. Sounds like it's time to find a new insurance carrier.

Found this site via Google adlinks that is a YouTube-like site for EMS people http://paramedictv.ems1.com/ One of the videos I found on there was a doctor dancing to demonstrate ECG rhythms which I thought was hysterical: http://paramedictv.ems1.com/Clip.aspx?key=18604E80AC653C3F

You think the Brits got it down, check out the Israelis sometime. They take airline security to a whole new level. I'm surprised they don't make the PEOPLE go through X-Ray machines to board. But they give pointers to US.

The following went out over the EMS News tonight. I hope this will help Bonnie get support from our EMS family across the nation (and the world):

Date: 3/27/2008 Time: 16:50 Location: Route 9 I/V/O 123 Deli Frequency: 46.26, 155.205, Units Operating: 2131, 2132, 7511, 7512, 3511, 75B1, 35M1, Air1, E133 (LZ), Ambulance from Putnam Description Of Incident: Head on motor vehicle accident with entrapment and vehicle fire. Driver of one car DOA. Passenger removed and transported BLS (???) to WMC by ground. Driver of second vehicle (which was on fire) transported to LZ (Annsville Circle) by ambulance from Putnam, with Abdominal injuries. Writer: WAS967

Reminds me of the good old days when we ran only 2 flycars for all of Putnam County on a regular basis. I logged 23 minute response times to Putnam Lake from Mahopac for a Cardiac arrest once. (We didn't have a termination of efforts protocol yet either).

1) Practice 2) Wear gloves - can't forget BSI that way (unless doing a trauma station and the CLI decides to be a prick and gig you for not wearing a gown/goggles). 3) Remember your critical fails. 4) Avoid tunnel vision. If you need to, step back and take a breath and see the big picture, then start where you left off. 5) Don't jump around. Head to Toe exam is called that for a reason. People who skip around a lot miss stuff. Start from the head and work down, cover every area on the way. 6) Medical - be sure to rule out trauma second to the medical. 7) And as already mentioned, verbalize everything.

The CAD we have in Westchester now is certainly better than what we used to have (did the original one EVER work?). One little intricacy that drives me nuts about it is the apparent inability for the CAD to recognize system status management. We have several medicas that cover a large area and one going out changes the entire response layout, which we have been told the CAD cannot recognize. This often results in say Medic1 being out and Medic2 being dispatched to Town X where it's really Medic 3's response area at the time. 636: What CAD software does the county presently use?

Says who? I sincerely doubt he would have just dropped dead from a sneeze. Any impinging of the spinal column or nerves would most definatly deal a LOT of pain (trust me I know - been there done that). There are many different types of fractures involving the vertebra from full blown shattering (really bad) to chipped spinal processes (not so bad). As for KED, the biggest problem is people just plain aren't adept at using it. A team of providers who are adept at using the KED can have it on in less than a minute. (Mind you, I'm not a huge fan of them either.)

We had similar. We had the guy in the ER showing of his little device (not the one with the detachable vide screen, but the one with the little view scope on it) and the guy was VERY cavalier about "how well" it got the tube in. If we really wanted a good device to play with for intubation, we'd all be carrying endoscopes. Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good laryngoscope at your side, kid.

At present our protocols regarding spinal immobilization are old and antiquated. The old way of thinking, where we immobilize everyone just because there is a dented fender is kind of moot. Comparing cars of today with cars of yesterday we often see very low impact accidents result in thousands of dollars worth of damage to a vehicle. Cars now are designed to absorb the kinetic energy of an accident so as to not transfer it to the people inside. Take a car from the 70s and put it into the same accident and it would probably just need a new bumper. Problem is the person inside gets hit a LOT harder. Spinal immobilzation IMHO is actually OVER used. If you pull up to an accident where the car is pretty banged up, but the person got out of the car PTOA and is walking around with nothing but a few scraped and bruises, no complaint of pain anywhere, no distracting injuries (fractures to extremities with contant pain, intoxication that could mask pain, etc), would you immobilize them? My answer would be no. Right now our protocols don't support this way of thinking but that will (hopefully) be changing soon. New protocols (BLS) are on the way (unsure if it's regional or state) that allow us to immobilize patients based on presentation....ie....we rule them IN for spinal injury, not rule OUT. Any person who is uncomplicated, who has a spinal injury, WILL complain of pain. Be it simple whiplash to a displacement of the cervical vertebra. [The first person to bring up a call in Brooklyn where there was supposedly a patient that was walking around fine after a severe accident and supposedly RMA'd then turned around and turned his neck and collapsed and died cause he supposedly had an unstable axis/atlas fracture - gets smacked.] Certainly the kinematics and mechanism of trauma should NOT be ignored. Use it to HELP formulate a plan for treating your patient, but don't let it DICTATE your treatment plan. If the person wants to RMA but you think they should go, show them the car and use that to help convince them to go get checked. (I always tell people that in an MVA there is no fault insurance and there should be no cost involved in them going to get checked out). Here's another thought. Do this. Take a backboard and toss it on a stretcher. Lay down on it and have someone strap you in and block you in. Then have them drive around town a bit. Then ask yourself - "How do you feel?". I bet you'll be damned uncomfortable. Now think of other treatments we provide. Are there treatments we provide that aim to make a person uncomfortable? Then why do we do it with immobilization? Also, how well does a regular longboard actually immobilize the spine? (Answer: Not very well at all). If we REALLY wanted to do a GOOD job at spinal immobilization, we'd all be carrying those full body vacuum sand splints. So my way of thinking is simple - treat the patient. No neck or back pain? No pain on flexion/extension/rotation? No PMS involvement leading you to suspect a spinal injury? No distracting injuries? No immobilzation. Plain and simple. [/soapbox]

I found the following article while doing some brushing up on my knowledge of Cardizem. With Cardizem administration now being standing order in the Westchester region, it only makes sense that we, as ALS providers, become intimately familiar with it's effects and actions (if we aren't already) since we now have the greater responsibility of being able to administer it without a verbal order. http://www.emsresponder.com/print/Emergenc...zem/1$3822

From The New York Sun Fire Department Sued for Dropping 500-Pound Man Down Stairs I sincerely doubt the FD failed to tie him down. If anything I'd say the guy's weight played a factor (you think?) and the straps broke. What recourse do the rescuers have when we get hurt because we have to lift some fat guy out of his house? Probably none. Yay.

LOL, How many times have we seen someone put similar in the "chief complaint" section of a PCR/ACR?

I believe it was called "Bad Boys". They were all undercovers and would do drug raids in masks to hide their identities. I recall it being a good show. Agree that Rescue 77 was crap. The only good part of the show was the rave-like music they seemed to always played during responses. Who can recall the dude doing the handstand on the defib paddles to stay out of the standing water in the manhole (which in reality probably would have gone BOOM from methane). I miss the likes of Code Red and True Blue. Anyone know if they are available on video anywhere?