Recent content by skyemt

things are just not so simple... just because someone is A&O x 3, does not mean they are not altered mental... what if someone answers the questions correctly (A/O x3), but the family says they are not acting themselves? would you let them sign a refusal form? what if someone was...

wow... three pages about accepting tips in EMS? and EMT's trying to defend it? it's making the "what lights do you use" threads look pretty appealing...lol think we are hitting a new low. a bellhop dressed as an EMT is still a bellhop...

if you are not enjoying what you are doing, then perhaps it is not for you... if you do enjoy it, why not put your time into doing it better, instead of griping. no offense intended.

you need to get at least 1 3/4" to 2" of compression depth for CPR to be effective at all... every bit of energy absorbed by the mattress will ensure that you are wasting your time, unless the air is let out, as mentioned previously. it helps to understand why you need a solid surface under...

it is not going to make any difference in your treatment.. don't waste the space. instead, keep a list of common medical emergencies, and what positive and negative findings need to be documented. since we have done this, our documentation and medical history taking have both improved.

no need to change your tune and get defensive, own your comments.... you said "Nothing makes that seem more true then making a transport and getting a tip at the end of it." i think we would all agree that most do not wait until the "end" to give driving tips... lol pretty clear what...

this is not accurate... in many areas of NY, it is not becoming BLS at all. it has been allowed in NY for some time, but it is the county level that decides whether or not it will be a BLS skill for their EMT's , and most have decided that it is not.

2 minutes of CPR is on everything i have read as well, including my AHA materials... basically, if someone is down for 5 minutes or more, and you go right to shocking, it will be a speedy way to make sure they will not make it. there seems to be a lot of focus on "oxygenation", which is...

if they have a policy on what to wear, follow it... if not, look professional, but like you are still part of the same agency. if you are worried about fitting in, stop focusing on what you are wearing, and think about how you will treat the others... your goal should be to avoid...

also, without getting too far ahead, it is important to understand the hemodynamics of CPR first... for example, during compressions, not that much blood is pumped out... the hemodynamic principal of negative intrathoracic pressure has been proven to be the most important, and least understood...

now, a more informed answer about lights.... most of the time, they would not save me any time, so those opinions are really correct... however, summer weekend gridlock, people courteous enough to let me through... i am not talking about saving two minutes, i'm talking about 10-15... not...

pretty much what you do before or after the major change in NYS Spinal Immobilzation protocol?

be verrrry careful here... in many places, included mine, vacuum mattresses for immobilization are out of protocol for a very good reason... they leak. we use them for pelvic injuries, etc, but having used them a ton of times, they do develop tiny leaks and lose their rigidity.. would be...

it always seems to be the same thing here with pulse-ox..."absolute numbers" to "confirm" a diagnosis,etc... not needed for that... as stated before, a good clinical exam will make that decision for you... however, in a sick person, trending is the most useful thing a pulse-ox can do... tell...

Great article... also shows how pain management is still overlooked by far too many...