Hypothetical Question

[trevor1189]

You are an off duty paramedic. You see someone fall and hit their head and lose consciousness. You decide to move in and hold c spine until EMS arrives.

With abandonment laws you cannot leave a patient to someone who does not have equal or above certification. A BLS ambulance arrives. Do you have to accompany the patient to the hospital? Since you have not initiated any ALS care as a bystander off duty I wouldn't think so, but I'd like to see your input. Hypothetically you are a higher level of care so handing off to a BLS unit would be abandonment. Or do you just have BLS request ALS once they get there.

Just another one of my "got me thinking questions."

Thanks

 

[Epi-do]

Since your situation makes the medic off-duty, they are simply a good samaritan. Once EMS arrives onscene, tell them what you observed, if you saw the fall, and let them take over. Since you were not dispatched to the call/on duty, you have no legal obligation to do anything. And, unless you know the crew that shows up, or tell them you are a medic, how are they even going to know?

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

You are an off duty paramedic. You see someone fall and hit their head and lose consciousness. You decide to move in and hold c spine until EMS arrives.

With abandonment laws you cannot leave a patient to someone who does not have equal or above certification. A BLS ambulance arrives. Do you have to accompany the patient to the hospital? Since you have not initiated any ALS care as a bystander off duty I wouldn't think so, but I'd like to see your input. Hypothetically you are a higher level of care so handing off to a BLS unit would be abandonment. Or do you just have BLS request ALS once they get there.

Just another one of my "got me thinking questions."

Thanks

If you are out of your jurisdiction, then you are merely a bystander and can only provide first aid. If you are within your jurisdiction, then you could very well be the chief medical officer on scene until relieved. Check your local protocols for tiered responses.

I've had an off duty Medical Control ride in with me and an off duty CFNP ride in on two separate calls.

Also was on a critcal care ground transport as an RRT with a MD when pt got considerably worse and we called for a scene flight. The flight team made the MD ride in with them because he was the chief medical officer. He wasn't too pleased because he was afraid of heights.

 

[trevor1189]

Ok thanks guys/gals. Input appreciated.