Treated my first pt tonight ... as a whacker.

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Phlipper

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Today was the first day I sent out resumes to go back to IT Cubicle Hell after not finding a volunteer or PT job. Of all the days to have this happen ...

At my daughter's soccer game her friend on the other team broke his wrist right at game's end. The kid was screaming and holding his arm when I got there, parents gathered around. I compared both arms and wrists and his left was already swelling badly. Checked circ and sensation (too painful for motor) ... remembered my range bag was in the trunk from a match I had Saturday. I grab the bag and run back ... gave him a cling to hold and splinted the wrist with the big popsickle stick I carry and cling, then slung him with my US Army ACU cravat (those things are expensive :ph34r: ). Then checked circ and sensory again ... sent him off to ER for xray. Felt kinda good to be able to help, and the pain subsided a bit once he was packaged.

Of all the days to have my first EMS experience. LOL. Sure wish I coulda made a career of it. Felt good. :)

Super Whacker
 
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You helped a little girl in pain...how is that a whacker? Good job and be patient..good things will happen. It took me over a year to establish a position in the vollie service.
 
bryncvp said:
You helped a little girl in pain...how is that a whacker? Good job and be patient..good things will happen. It took me over a year to establish a position in the vollie service.
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It was a boy - they play co-ed and some of these little girls can hustle. This is the same kid who oddly enough gave my daughter a necklace at her birthday party two weeks ago. LOL. She is kinda' sweet on him and was standing there the whole time with a concerned look on her face. :D

Oh ... I'm a whacker because I had my range bag with EMT-B stuff and GSW kit in my car. I wish I'd had a red cape. :ph34r:
 
Foxbat said:
If GSW = gunshot wound, why do you have a kit for it in a car?
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He said he had his range bag. I'm assuming shooting range bag. A lot of people who shoot regularly have a little kit for if someone gets shot at the range
 
jtpaintball70 said:
He said he had his range bag. I'm assuming shooting range bag. A lot of people who shoot regularly have a little kit for if someone gets shot at the range
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Yes. I compete in 3-gun and long range tactical comps, and when I got my EMT-B I added a few things to the range bag after ensuring I was trained up on them. Would pull them out in a heartbeat if the unthinkable happened and we were miles from anywhere, as we often are. Had a comp Saturday and it was still in the trunk with my ruck and some ammo.
 
Phlipper said:
Yes. I compete in 3-gun and long range tactical comps, and when I got my EMT-B I added a few things to the range bag after ensuring I was trained up on them. Would pull them out in a heartbeat if the unthinkable happened and we were miles from anywhere, as we often are. Had a comp Saturday and it was still in the trunk with my ruck and some ammo.
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Three gun is what I wanna play with once I start getting paychecks and pick up another DR200 or AR. And maybe a handgun that's cheaper to shoot than 10mm :p
 
My first nonclinical patient was my boss at my other job. She fell and broke her shoulder pretty badly. I managed to find a children's blanket and cut it up into a crude facsimile of a sling and swathe.

Except it had flowers, clouds, and rainbows.

The hospital kept it on her for eight hours. I chuckle every time I think about it.
 
Phlipper,
You sent him off to x-ray with parents or other trained EMS types? As some areas this could set you up for pt. abandonment or the like. Treat and release isn't something any state I've been an EMT in seemed too fond of. Personally I think helping people is what we all came into ems for and it's great you did that but if it was me I would have insisted on calling an ambulance and transferring care or letting them get a refusal. My wife who is also an EMT had a similiar incident at one of our kids baseball games when a kid got hit with a bat and she started care but parents didn't want to wait for ambulance so her only choice was to accompany kid to hospital. Which I wasn't fond of because parents are inclined to drive like an ambulance in these instances but she did it and made transfer of care to higher medical personell as required in NY.
 
The OP is not affiliated with an EMS station. He was acting as a by-stander and the kids parents were there. There was no obligation to maintain pt. contact the whole way to the hospital or until transfer to an equal or higher level of care.

Why call an ambulance and commit them on a call if you know in advance all they will be doing is getting a signature on a piece of paper and delaying the parents in transporting their kid to the hospital sooner?

All states vary slightly but most do not hold off-duty providers under the same premise as if they were on-duty.

Sounds like a great job was done!
 
18G,
As far as I know if I treat someone on the street I'm still doing it as an EMT, which in Suffolk County NY requires a refusal of transport once care is begun. If memory serves me correct the same applied in Mass. and Rhode Island. Once again though I didn't knock what he did and I would have done the same thing as everyone in my area that knows me knows I'm on the Fire dept. just would have called an ambulance and let them transport or get the refusal. I'm cautious as I like keeping my EMT certificate, Nursing license, and a roof over my head and all my other toys.
 
citizensoldierny said:
18G,
As far as I know if I treat someone on the street I'm still doing it as an EMT, which in Suffolk County NY requires a refusal of transport once care is begun. If memory serves me correct the same applied in Mass. and Rhode Island. Once again though I didn't knock what he did and I would have done the same thing as everyone in my area that knows me knows I'm on the Fire dept. just would have called an ambulance and let them transport or get the refusal. I'm cautious as I like keeping my EMT certificate, Nursing license, and a roof over my head and all my other toys.
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You're on fire department that is totally different. While he is licensed EMT, he is not associated with any EMS. Even if he was associated with EMS, he was off duty and as such likely would be considered to be private individual providing first aid as bystander. It works a big different when someone is on fire department compare to private company.
 
I didn't really consider the ramifications of treating him and then sending him on to the ER with parents. Never occurred to me. Dunno if I'd do it any differently next time, but it's certainly something to think about. Thanks CS!
 
Phlipper said:
I didn't really consider the ramifications of treating him and then sending him on to the ER with parents. Never occurred to me. Dunno if I'd do it any differently next time, but it's certainly something to think about. Thanks CS!
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I probably would have done the same. I feel like in only a rare case would treating a little guy with a broken wrist would result in a lawsuit or fingers being pointed- especially if you really made the kid feel better. Unless of course, you broke his wrist worse! :P Just a good Samaritan who happens to be a really, really good one, methinks.
 
Don't know the details but the wrist was broken, which I suspected because it was swelling pretty fast and furious and because of the amount of pain. He's wearing a cast and all the kids at school want to sign it, and they all think it's cool that (my daughter)'s dad splinted it and slung it. Kinda' cool feeling actually. :)
 
It doesn't sound like he did anything that a layman first aider could not do. Basic first aid does teach a person to imobolize the injured limb the way he did it. Now he did have a little fancier get up, but it was not differant than a magazine and a sling, or a pillow whatever else is at hand.
Now I would not identify myself as a EMT, rather I would just say I know first aid and work at a layman level in the setting. (just to cover my butt)That is just me.
I say good job!!!
 
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