Recent content by GorillaMedic

So I'm curious—what are your agencies using to strap people to backboards, and what are your experiences with it? We're using webbing, which is cheap and holds them in but a pain to secure, and it takes too long. So what are you using, and is it better?

We had a call tonight for a fall—92 y/o F who slipped and fell. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, assessment revealed hip pain with no other injuries; pt has no medical history at all (and overall, seems to be in good shape). Gave her some pain medication and as part of our pain management...

We have ketamine in our protocols for RSI and excited delirium. I've personally only used it for RSI and found it works pretty great—with a few caveats. It takes a little longer to hit than etomidate does; we wait for evidence of sedation before pushing paralytics. We've seen a few instances of...

Increasing the FiO2 won't make a bit of difference for respiratory alkalosis. Not that it's a bad idea, but it's a hypoxia treatment, not an alkalosis treatment. And treatment should be aimed at treating the root cause: while anxiety cause hyperventilation is a common cause, there are other...

Back a couple years ago I was working loads of overtime on different medic units—well, one night, I was half-asleep while my partner as fueling up. Tones dropped for a unit I'd worked on the night before and I responded, put us enroute, then started yelling for my partner to get in. We flipped...

Truth. or granddaughters. Seriously, though…I'd think ethically it would be very hard to justify a relationship based solely on a care provider–patient relationship. Even if the patient is the "initiator". Its begging to be fired and possibly to have state action—simply not worth it. Now...

CCEMS I'm assuming equals Cypress Creek EMS—that's the most common result. I doubt this would be anything significant—media can show up frequently anyplace. It isn't until CNN shows up that it is really serious (joking). CCEMS did just have ESD-11 board election returns—could be related...

Take heart! Every one of us felt challenged on our first clinical. Just go in with an open mind, be willing to jump in and work, stay humble/teachable, ask a lot of questions, and don't judge anyone. You'll do fine.

I think $40 is too small a spending limit. I personally have worn 5.11 Tactical Company Boots (with the safety toes) for the past three years and love them. They are comfortable, look good, and are easy to get on and off in the middle of the night. If you are doing 911 stuff, you'll want...

I've not personally attended HCC's program but I have had multiple of their students do clinical ride outs on my truck. Overall, I'm not impressed. The San Jacincto and Lonestar students generally seem to be better prepared and more clinically motivated. Don't if this helps or not…

Oh man, I'd love to get this kind of documentation training. I've yet to be called to testify on a call, but it scares the crap out of me…

I have to echo the sentiments above…I don't get how paramedics can piss and moan about students. We all were students once, and I think we can all look back at great clinical preceptors who helped us become the medics we are today. I love teaching and I love having students on my truck. At...

I hate getting stuck myself, but I try to donate blood every couple months just to remind myself what my patients feel. Does that make me odd?