I have to agree with Linuss. Any doctor in the field will not be able to provide any better care than the paramedic with both using the same tools. Any specialty treatment would make no sense in an outside environment due to infection, lack of tools and equipment and lack of support.
Disagree to an extent. They're able to be more aggressive in treatment, due to their unrestricted scope. The flip side being: they only have available what we do. Of course, they also have a larger knowledge base to work with.
Disagree to an extent. They're able to be more aggressive in treatment, due to their unrestricted scope. The flip side being: they only have available what we do. Of course, they also have a larger knowledge base to work with.
On scene an emergency physician can do the same things that a trauma surgeon or vascular surgeon can do. IVs, drugs, maybe a chest tube. Sure if I had a vascular problem I'd like to have a vascular surgeon IN THE OR. But they aren't going to open my leg up in an ambulance and do a fem-pop bypass. Trauma isn't going to do an Ex-lap in the helicopter.
I'd actually rather have a good paramedic or EMT, who would be able to splint and board and transport me much faster than a doc who isn't used to the situation.
we have EMS doctors that ride in a sprint car sometimes (if there is some event going on in the city which happends quite often). When they are not with EMS they work as EM doctors at the trauma center.
The only doctor I have ever been glad to see on a scene other than my medical director (who was also a paramedic and had been an Army SF medic in Nam) was an obstetrician during a breech delivery.
A frontline USMC, USN or US Army battlefield doctor with a tour just behind him or her.
LOL Depends on the doc's specialty. I know a lot of psychiatrists who were on the "battlefield" (since there's no real "behind the lines" these days) who are utterly worthless in an emergency unless it can be solved with Ativan or Haldol.
BTW, the Marines don't have docs. Their Forward Surgical Resuscitation Service is all Navy. No less badass, but not Marines.
I'd actually rather have a good paramedic or EMT, who would be able to splint and board and transport me much faster than a doc who isn't used to the situation.
This...in most cases. Not that a doc couldn't make a good medic with a few months of practice. Lifting, carrying, splinting, egress, on scene time management, working with one or two sets of hands in no light in unfamiliar environments. Even just the particulars of the gear. None of its rocket science, but its still stuff a doc isn't that familiar with.
I'd welcome any doc who is happy to offer advice if asked without trying to take control of any logistical issues. Especially being new in the job, I don't need the added stress of convincing an edgy or controlling doctor to bugger off.
best me to it, but probably a army field surgeon or a forward aid station doc. maybe a combat medic officer if I got one around. those guys are lightspeed
best me to it, but probably a army field surgeon or a forward aid station doc. maybe a combat medic officer if I got one around. those guys are lightspeed
Having worked with a lot of them, I can tell you that you find a tremendous amount of variation with regards to the skill level and professionalism of them. It's just like any other profession. Hero worship has no place in this sort of thing.
