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Common Sense
Written by Medic215 Sunday, 10 January 2010 07:56
Okay, here's the deal. If you wake up in the morning experiencing chronic pain, and chronic high blood pressure, why does that constitute an emergency today?
I recently heard an EMS radio report from a basic ambulance service that was bringing a patient to the hospital for "back pain" which had already been diagnosed as a herniated disk in his spine. When this BASIC ambulance service reported the patient's vital signs, it was a little over 200 systolic, and over 100 diastolic. The also stated that the patient had the pain for 2 days and had not taken anything for it, as well as not taken their hypertension medication.
Which begs the question. If the patient had exercised the slightest bit of common sense would an ambulance have been needed? Right now, this patient or their insurance will need to sort out the necessity and payment for services and that is what usually drives healthcare consumers about the necessity of professional medical care. What is going to happen when people have the illusion that it is free? I am referring to the universal healthcare scam that our current administration is trying to force through and sign into law. The reason I use the word "illusion" is because if you have any amount of brains, you know that NOTHING is free. Someone is going to have to pay for it. Do people actually think the government is going to pay for it? HA! If we have learned anything about out current corruption is that they pay themselves first, re-election (special interests), second, and what is left over they pump into useless government programs. History also tells us that any healthcare coverage or FORCED retirement plans are simply extra bank for them to take money from! So what makes this different? Oh ya, it's even MORE MONEY!!!
So let's employ some common sense here. If you have chronic problems and have medication to help you with them -TAKE YOUR MEDICATION AS IT WAS PRESCRIBED TO YOU! If you think universal healthcare is a going to help anyone - WAKE UP AND GET A SNIFF OF REALITY!
I.V. Drip Rate Calculator
Last Updated on Monday, 14 December 2009 15:15 Written by Medic215 Saturday, 12 December 2009 11:13
I now have my I.V. drip rate calculator moved to this new site. It is designed for calculation of non-medicated IV's, but can be used for any calculation when trying to set the drip rate based on how many milliliters given over a specified number of minutes. The result will tell you how many drops per minute to set your IV with certain drip sets. Check it out!
Three for one?
Last Updated on Saturday, 19 December 2009 06:53 Written by Medic215 Monday, 14 December 2009 15:13
Have you, as an EMS professional, ever been sent out in extremely hazardous weather to transfer a patient from one hospital to another? I have. Many times hospital staff know that the road/weather conditions are dangerous but they feel that it is still necessary to send these patients out. Good call or bad? Do we really want to risk the lives of three people, to take 1 patient that may or may not need to go?
Some would say that this would depend on the call. Does it? Is your family going to feel the same way if you do not come home from work because your local hospital didn't want to wait until conditions improved to send that angina patient to a higher level of care? Would it be different for a level 1 STEMI? I am sure that this could be viewed several different ways. Some would say that it's worth it to risk your own life to take a patient to get the level of care he/she needs. I think that it is an unnecessary risk for me AND the patient. Not all transfers are emergent, or even urgent for that matter. What about a high risk delivery? We can do "What if" all day long. But there is one simple fact. The patient is in a much more stable environment in the hospital where they are, and not out in dangerous conditions. This may be a good topic in your local EMS system to find out when you do, or when you don't transfer a patient over a long distance in poor weather, or poor road conditions.
Local calls emergent calls can usually be accomplished in winter driving conditions by use of local resources. I have been on calls where we had to have a plow lead us to the call, and back. Some of my less fortunate colleagues tried that on a rural call and ended up getting stuck at the bottom of a hill, along with the snow plow. So it doesn't ALWAYS work, but usually it's better than nothing. Luckily they had plenty of fuel and no patient on board.