Recent content by AKidd

Those are examples of an overloaded stretcher ;)

As a Paramedic and parent f a child who has had a S Aureus sepsis twice in the last 7 weeks (well, unresolved rebound sepsis, 2nd time around) I can say EMS is important, but strong ER protocols are even moreso. Present in the ER with a temp of 41.4*C (106.5*F), rigors and a HR of 185, have a...

That is very good advice - many of the inexpensive options out there have you basically paying to replace the unit if you need to replace the probe. One of the reasons I like the Nellcor unit is that it uses the same "disposable" probes as our home hospital - so I know that they will always be...

Try housing 4 patients and their parents in a single room - house 2 people in a 10x10 cubicle with nothing for privacy but a curtain and a walk down the hallway for restroom facilities for 2 months, and you'll see that regardless of where you go, there will always be room for improvement...

The fact that you can get the fingertip ones for as little as $69 sort of lends credence to their position as more of a novelty than a reliable tool. With that said, in a personal kit, they have a place for spot checks - but lack to "go to" factor for longer term monitoring. Let's trade - I'll...

By the way, if you're ready, you'll do fine. If you're not, this will be a learning experience. Either way, look at the positive - and have a beer tonight.

Eek - work on your shorthand - you just prescribed yourself an exam. Did you perhaps mean Dx? And, for the record, the Tx is do your best and don't forget to breathe. Oh, and maybe a beer tonight to unwind.

It is the Virox 5 wipes I am talking about (the hydrogen peroxide ones). They are great for virals but if you have even the slightest inkling that you might be cleaning something resistant - grab the cancer wipes and scrub, scrub, scrub! The tubing on my Littman started to show signs of...

I am a big fan of Virox wipes - not inexpensive, but very broad spectrum. It is the surface disinfectant of choice of our home hospital, and less destructive than alcohol to the tubing and diaphragm on your stethoscope.

I know the likelihood that anyone personally or their service has one in decent condition for sale, so instead, I'll ask you about what pulse oximeters you have experience with as being both portable (as in quite small with more than 2h battery time) and reliable. My daughter has a Nellcor...

One word... ACK!

Check your turnout - it may still be salvageable - anyone know what the success rate for *** reimplantation is?

I'll give you that, the good PR a story like this generates is frequently worth it all. The happy taxpayers would likely still balk if they knew what the actual resource cost was to have however much manpower and equipment there, but if you can turn it into education and the "feel good" factor...

That is sweet, but may I shoot myself in the foot and ask why this level of resource was used to save a dog, and ultimately, who paid for the rescue?

I must share the first time I heard this joke - my daughter had just been admitted to the hospital (Christmas Eve) and we were heading back from X-ray. Up ahead of us, there was a porter pushing an (occupied) morgue cart. He stops dead in the hallway (no pun intended) and while blocking the...