I'll bring this up because I recently ran on a diabetic who is well-known by responders and his family as becoming combative when hypoglycemic. He's a pretty strong dude and could definitely give most EMS providers a good fight.
The patient was initially unconscious/unresponsive, with a BGL of 10 mg/dL. After administering some D50%, he became very combative.
What's the most extreme example of EMS providers using force to defend themselves that you know of? Has anyone you know/heard of ever been prosecuted for using force to legitimately defend themselves from a patient with altered mental status (lets leave out examples of providers using force in an obviously malicious manner)? Does anyone know of any case law regarding this matter?
I came closer to getting bitten that I ever have, and while we were able to control this patient, it would have been dicey if there weren't six of us on scene. If it were just my partner and I, we would have had a heck of a time.
The patient was initially unconscious/unresponsive, with a BGL of 10 mg/dL. After administering some D50%, he became very combative.
What's the most extreme example of EMS providers using force to defend themselves that you know of? Has anyone you know/heard of ever been prosecuted for using force to legitimately defend themselves from a patient with altered mental status (lets leave out examples of providers using force in an obviously malicious manner)? Does anyone know of any case law regarding this matter?
I came closer to getting bitten that I ever have, and while we were able to control this patient, it would have been dicey if there weren't six of us on scene. If it were just my partner and I, we would have had a heck of a time.
Last edited by a moderator: