Injuries at work?
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mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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Back injuries galore!
I have had a patient scratch me, one tried to bite me (I was wearing long sleeved fatigues at the time), and got a needle stick breaking down a suture kit in the ER I was trying to get hired into.
Wear gloves and sleeves, use all the help you can get lifting, and if you are moving stuff like clothes or surgical drapes, use an instrument or a stick or something.
Biggest danger is MVA.
I have had a patient scratch me, one tried to bite me (I was wearing long sleeved fatigues at the time), and got a needle stick breaking down a suture kit in the ER I was trying to get hired into.
Wear gloves and sleeves, use all the help you can get lifting, and if you are moving stuff like clothes or surgical drapes, use an instrument or a stick or something.
Biggest danger is MVA.
Mountain Res-Q
Forum Deputy Chief
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Never had any injuries on ambo, although I suspect that some of the things I did in regards to lifting didn't do my gentically damaged back and joints any favors. I did have several partners that sustaied real back injuries while on ambo, all from years of lifting and moving patients. that tends to be the major injury found on ambo, although I did have a 5150 make a move to swing on me once in the back of a rig... LOL
On SAR, yes I dislocated my shoulder several times on Swiftwater Trainings. I have also contributed to my bad knees on Rope Calls and some Wilderness Calls (one time in particular when the haul team screwed up on a 330 foot haul up a gulch while we were carying a body... fell hard on my knees onto some boulders... not cool). Other than that... does massive amounts of Poison Oak count? :glare:
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akflightmedic
Forum Deputy Chief
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Agree with AK;
knee injuries from lifting and moving (and falling out of back of ambulance {don't ask}).
Back strain from lifting.
Always try to get help with bigger patients, or even small patients in bad locations: (stuck between/behind toilet and sink cabinet).
knee injuries from lifting and moving (and falling out of back of ambulance {don't ask}).
Back strain from lifting.
Always try to get help with bigger patients, or even small patients in bad locations: (stuck between/behind toilet and sink cabinet).
firetender
Community Leader Emeritus
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For perspective, those amongst us who were seriously injured while saving others lives may be unable to respond to your question. So, it's fair to say, you're getting a skewed sampling here.
There's physical trauma and then there's psychic, emotional, psychological and spiritual traumas experienced while trying to save lives. I think all of us carry scars from these wounds, rarely exhibit them, but sometimes, they accumulate and burst out on their own just to remind us we're human.
Pound for pound, non-physical trauma grossly outweighs the physical trauma we carry. Unattended boo-boos affect all aspects of our lives.
There's physical trauma and then there's psychic, emotional, psychological and spiritual traumas experienced while trying to save lives. I think all of us carry scars from these wounds, rarely exhibit them, but sometimes, they accumulate and burst out on their own just to remind us we're human.
Pound for pound, non-physical trauma grossly outweighs the physical trauma we carry. Unattended boo-boos affect all aspects of our lives.
Aidey
Community Leader Emeritus
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Define injured? I've had more bruises and sore muscles than I can count. As for serious injuries, I haven't had any. I've had a couple of sprained wrists/ankles and banged up some ribs pretty well but that is about it, and I hope to keep it that way.
Epi-do
I see dead people
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If, while walking from the patient to the ambulance, slipping on some ice, smacking the back of my head on the bumper of a car and then the ground, and ending up with a concussion counts, then yes. Or the two (yes I said two) different times I fell out of the ambulance and ended up with some bumps and bruises...
If you are talking about injuries caused by the patient, then no, nothing serious. I took a glancing blow to the eye from a patient that was altered. He was quicker than I was. I was backing out of the way, but he swung a millisecond quicker than I moved.
Fortunately, the concussion has been the most serious injury I have had while doing this crazy job.
If you are talking about injuries caused by the patient, then no, nothing serious. I took a glancing blow to the eye from a patient that was altered. He was quicker than I was. I was backing out of the way, but he swung a millisecond quicker than I moved.
Fortunately, the concussion has been the most serious injury I have had while doing this crazy job.
fbsemssocial
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Injuries
If you take your stuff seriously watch out for scene safety, think ahead be one step ahead and do all the things your supposed to then the likely hood of injury goes way down.
I have never been injured on the job but I am a volunteer with a service and they only call me when they are heading my way cause I am in a rural area so by the time i got to where they are they would have already loaded the patient and would be at the hospital. It would take me 30 minutes to get to where they are so they call me when they are heading my way.
But on all the calls I have gone on with them I have not been injured. Be looking for anything and everything that can hurt you, whether it be a needle, knife, nail sticking out of a board, someone you cannot see, like stated above MVA are a big one make sure you are watching traffic make sure your ambo is parked in a way that will help you should it get hit. People will try to see whats going on like its their business and that means they eyes are not on the road but rather watching you.
Just think one step ahead.
If you take your stuff seriously watch out for scene safety, think ahead be one step ahead and do all the things your supposed to then the likely hood of injury goes way down.
I have never been injured on the job but I am a volunteer with a service and they only call me when they are heading my way cause I am in a rural area so by the time i got to where they are they would have already loaded the patient and would be at the hospital. It would take me 30 minutes to get to where they are so they call me when they are heading my way.
But on all the calls I have gone on with them I have not been injured. Be looking for anything and everything that can hurt you, whether it be a needle, knife, nail sticking out of a board, someone you cannot see, like stated above MVA are a big one make sure you are watching traffic make sure your ambo is parked in a way that will help you should it get hit. People will try to see whats going on like its their business and that means they eyes are not on the road but rather watching you.
Just think one step ahead.
A few minor scrapes here and there. Once hit my head when the driver swerved to avoid a deer and wound up seeing stars for the rest of that shift. The worst a patient has ever done is punched me, and it didn't really connect all that well.
One medic I run with nearly died in an ambulance accident. A drunk took them out while they were running code three, and he suffered some pretty serious injuries. Never fully recovered, and still can't lift. But that's a good enough excuse for me...
One medic I run with nearly died in an ambulance accident. A drunk took them out while they were running code three, and he suffered some pretty serious injuries. Never fully recovered, and still can't lift. But that's a good enough excuse for me...
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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The biter was a little sixteen year old girl.
About ninety pounds, hig on an Elavil OD, she was fighting off four of us on her parent's stairway landing on her back. She took a small chunk outta my crewchief's arm (he'd had his sleeves ashortened for summer wear).
She did the Elavil thing, suiddenly collapsed and required intensive care to maintain for a few days.
As far as psychic wounds...I guess...the 12 y/o who lost at .357 Russian Roulette.
About ninety pounds, hig on an Elavil OD, she was fighting off four of us on her parent's stairway landing on her back. She took a small chunk outta my crewchief's arm (he'd had his sleeves ashortened for summer wear).
She did the Elavil thing, suiddenly collapsed and required intensive care to maintain for a few days.
As far as psychic wounds...I guess...the 12 y/o who lost at .357 Russian Roulette.
Sasha
Forum Chief
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Oh they're so cute when they're new
I find elderly dementia patients to be the most violent, but they often don't understand what's going on. I had a student who got whacked by a dementia patient last week because she didn't listen when the lady said not to touch her.
As a basic once I unexpectdly got hit in the stomach by a confused and combative man, got bitten once (that was after "I don't want to restrain him.. he's just confused. He doesn't mean it" speech. Now I know better), and have ducked a lot of smacks. Recently in a small scuffle with a psych I got stuck with a needle (but that was my fault, I was an idiot.) .
And you'll be suprised how hard those little old ladies can hit
However. It's not something that will create lasting injuries. I'm more concerned about hurting my back than I am about combative patients. They can and will strike at you, but you'll get good at dodging it with time
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eveningsky339
Forum Lieutenant
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I live in a college town and have the privilege of running "drunk kid" calls at least once a week. So yes, I've taken quite a few swings. 
h34r:
h34r:Oh they're so cute when they're new
Yes, thank you
I'm not there yet, but I will be soon.At the moment I'm working at the plastic company, and the parts don't fight back (although I did get a little injured a few weeks ago by the very heavy stacker that slipped from my hands and hit my hip bone).
But no, seriously, that's why I asked that question-I want to see what's waiting for me ahead
nicolel3440
Forum Crew Member
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About 5 years ago i was working as a cna and i have been bit, scratched and slamd up against a wall but dimenta patients that on a normal day could not lift a pencil. They can move fast when they dont realize what they are doing.
Lvillemedic
Forum Ride Along
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Safety Green vest don't mean don't hit me with ur car!!!
Was treating a Pt, wearing that safety green vest we are required to wear last year, 2 days before christmas, thinking scene safety was off the freeway in grass with car between myself, partner, firefighter and pt and the freeway. Chevy Blazer skidded on icey overpass, struck a police car (with all his lights on), skidded on wet pavement, struck the car of a bystander that initially stoped to help the pt, and came over and said hello to myself and the FF, then skidded on the wet grass downhill approxamently 60 to a 100 feet...Thank the good lord just scratches, bumps and a whole lot of bruises....I can still tell you what the underside of that blazer looked like....Rust bucket... Even thou you take all the precautions you can, expect the unexpected..
Was treating a Pt, wearing that safety green vest we are required to wear last year, 2 days before christmas, thinking scene safety was off the freeway in grass with car between myself, partner, firefighter and pt and the freeway. Chevy Blazer skidded on icey overpass, struck a police car (with all his lights on), skidded on wet pavement, struck the car of a bystander that initially stoped to help the pt, and came over and said hello to myself and the FF, then skidded on the wet grass downhill approxamently 60 to a 100 feet...Thank the good lord just scratches, bumps and a whole lot of bruises....I can still tell you what the underside of that blazer looked like....Rust bucket... Even thou you take all the precautions you can, expect the unexpected..