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  1. K

    Age and EMS

    Age.... is a number. Period, end of story. There are some young medics out there I'd trust to save my family, some older ones I'd rather wait for a truck from another state to come rescue me. The reverse is also true - there are quite a few brand new EMTs I've come across that I'd like to see...
  2. K

    14 gauge needle (Harpoon)

    Typically around here medical pts get an 18g or 20g, subject to the state of the vein situation and significant trauma pts get 16g. Basically we keep a couple long 14's around for chest decompression should the need arise, otherwise we don't really use them, although I've done it once on a...
  3. K

    Spider Bite Or MRSA ???

    Yeah, we're seeing more and more confirmed MRSA cases here. The sad thing is, apparently once hospitals diagnose it, they're not doing a very good job educating people on how to manage it. My favorite though is when we find out a pt has it and has known about it for a while but didn't think to...
  4. K

    Fisdap

    FISDAP is an online reporting, scheduling, and tracking software some medic programs use to keep track of hours a student has scheduled and has completed in clinicals and FI. It also is a way of tallying the students skills like IV starts, trauma contacts, medical contacts, intubations, med...
  5. K

    Hard Time in Paramedic School

    LOL I'd like to have gone to Medic school where you are. We had to do about 270 hours in the hospital and 504 on an ambulance.
  6. K

    Decadron vs. Solu-Medrol

    I work full time for one service and part time for another - at my full time, we only carry Solu-Medrol, and carry both Decadron and Solu-Medrol at my part time. When both are available, the Decadron is used almost exclusively for head injuries and the Solu-Medrol for everything else, including...
  7. K

    what's your take on this call

    My first thought with the temp regulation problem coupled with the pinpoint pupils was that she has some sort of neurologic dysfunction - possibly related to her hypothalamus? That would explain the hypothermia and since the hypothalamus also controls some autonomic functions it could have an...
  8. K

    Oh my freaking God

    Physical agility testing... that's tantamount to a dirty word around here. When I tested for hiring here, my captain thought it would be a "fun" idea to use the LAFD's quarterly fitness test. A circuit training kind of thing w/ pushups, pullups, sit-ups and the kicker... a step test. We had...
  9. K

    I need a little help...

    I've got several scenario sheets and other field diagnosis worksheets I'd be glad to e-mail you or whatever Phridae... I knew being a pack rat with all my class materials would pay off someday! :)
  10. K

    Happy Valentines Day

    Well at least you're a glass-half-full kind of guy Chimpie!
  11. K

    The 24 hour schedule

    We're allowed to nap during the day if all the chores and all that are done. The problem with that is we dispatch for the PD so of course they're on the radio all day long. But at midnoc they switch to county for dispatch so we get to go to bed after that.
  12. K

    what should be in every tech bag?

    I hope you have wheels on your super kit TTLWHKR....and a little backup beeper. It's a good thing we don't carry that much stuff in one kit - I'd be knocking things over left and right trying to get into a house.
  13. K

    The WORST job

    I just quit my first full-time EMS job after 7 days... It was like moving in next door to the Beverly Hillibillies (not the house in California, but the neighborhood they left). My boss (who was also my partner) was the biggest male cheauvinist I've ever met in my life...we ran about 12 calls...
  14. K

    Going to be a DAD!!

    Awwww! Congrats!
  15. K

    hair & goatees

    We don't have any concrete policy for facial hair and things of that sort other than just using common sense. Body jewelry is actually becoming more prevalent on trucks around here. As long as it doesn't compromise pt care, it isn't a big deal
  16. K

    EMT-I's..........should medic's worry?

    Being an EMT-I, in 2 of the 3 services work for, the majority of the time, I'm the highest trained tech in the truck. In settings like that, I think I's are pretty valuable. If a pt presents that absolutely needs a medic - we call one. It's not that big a deal. That said, I doubt I's are...
  17. K

    How do ALS feel doing BLS calls?

    It's not a big deal to run BLS calls now and then...sometimes it's fun to be the one that gets to sit up front and play with the radio!
  18. K

    EMS boots

    If I could, I would own only side-zip boots... but I've not found any in my size, so who knows if I will ever find them! Try 5.11 stuff. It's actually tactical police gear stuff, but they have boots that I love. Actually, they have a whole line of things like EMS pants, boots, shirts...
  19. K

    I don't like blood

    The thing I really can't stand is mucous....there's just something about a big, slimy lung cookie that grosses me out. As long as the blood doesn't belong to me, it's no big deal. I've worked MVA's with amputations that didn't phase me, but any time I get a paper cut and see my own blood, I...
  20. K

    Age Limitations

    Go for it Radar, I work with lots of EMT's and medics your age and some considerably older. The vast majority of them are great at what they do...age is just a number!
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