What medical skills have you used outside of work?

[Veneficus]

After the brief discussion this morning on the forum relating to back country surgical skills, I was wondering...

Not a day goes by somebody doesn't ask for some kind of medical advice. But what type of procedures, decisions, and improvisations have you done when not officially performing your EMS, nursing, or medical role?

 

[Shishkabob]

I play paintball. I am friends with the owner, manager, and a few of the refs there. They all know I work in EMS, so on more than a couple of occasions I've been asked to help them with something medical while at the field (Honestly don't mind, it gets me free crap)

I've bandaged a bloody leg after a player slid and beat the crap out of it.

Bandaged a hand after it was cut open on a piece of wood.

A few other relatively minor things.


And once had a player collapse from dehydration. Helped them get to a cool spot, gave them the correct fluids, did what I could, kept my eye on them the rest of the day.



Every single person I advised to call an ambulance or go to a doctor and have someone that actually HAS equipment and authority to work to come check them out, as there was only so much I could do in the capacity of a lay person (which is all I limit myself to)

 

[Veneficus]

as there was only so much I could do in the capacity of a lay person (which is all I limit myself to)

Is it possible to even be a lay person anymore?

 

[emt_irl]

not much beyond a few band-aid's and some advice to call an ambulance.

i only ever once stopped at an mvc because the people knew myself and 2 work colleague's were in the car behind the crash. I directed someone to take c spine as we done a quick assessment of each patient to tell the ambulance which was the priority.

 

[LucidResq]

I rock at jerry-rigging bandaids and ice packs and such for family members with minor injuries in tricky locations such as elbows between the fingers etc etc.

Once at my future brother-in-laws restaurant, after hours, the boy and I helped out a cook who got degreaser in his eye. Mostly just lots of flushing while calling poison control, assessing his vision etc and trying to convince him to go to the ER, but he was too afraid of getting deported. It all turned out okay from what I've heard.

Also helped out the boy's grandma a lot on a regular basis when we were all living at his parent's house, but those were mostly CNA skills.

 

[MrBrown]

Brown performed a splenectomy during his lunch hour, solved my problem of what to have for lunch.

Now Brown expects to perform several more "catch-ectomies" at home in the years ahead

 

[TransportJockey]

bleeding control is about all I've ever done when off duty. I try not to have to actually do anything medical when I'm not getting paid for it at work

 

[CAOX3]

Heimlich and cpr, years ago.

 

[fortsmithman]

Just first aid if needed.

 

[abckidsmom]

I am a nurse-paramedic mom. I can't count the number of times I've helped friends through the "should we go to the ER" dance. I've diagnosed (well, not really, but I saw it coming) leukemia, diabetes, flu and ear infections over the internet.

I am the go-to first aid person, but the worst I've seen in my off-duty life is a car crushing a guy's head. No big.

 

[MrBrown]

Brown keeps some suxamethoinium in a hip pouch for easy access when at the supermarket

 

[abckidsmom]

Brown keeps some suxamethoinium in a hip pouch for easy access when at the supermarket

I once had a medical director who told her hubby that if she ever found out he was cheating on her, he'd wake up paralyzed, with her holding an ambu bag. She said she'd give him a few minutes to consider what she would do with it and might even bag him through it. Maybe.

 

[bstone]

I heimliched a kid at a Passover Seder a few years ago in front of 40 people. I was a hero.

 

[KCS911]

I race motocross and play alot of sports so I see alot of injuries.I'm always being asked to help with them and give advice wherever I race.

 

[emtchick171]

I play sports and I also ride horses so there's always someone dislocating something, spraining an ankle, getting skinned up...

I generally just do the alcohol wipe/band-aid...have done a few ace bandages to get some people through some softball games.

Also, have done the Heimlich...completely caught off guard, took my mother to her doctors appt., after we left there carried her to eat seafood. As our waitress sits our food on the table she looks over my shoulder and says "Oh my goodness...he's choking"...so I jumped up and went to help him...just thank goodness we had a firefighter in the restaurant too, he helped a lot just goes to show, you can never be "too prepared". Things happen when you least expect them.

 

[C.T.E.M.R.]

just for the family and people i know. a few scrapes, bruises etc. And for myself when i do something stupid and get hurt, oh and 1 difficulty breathing but it was a friend grandma so i just sat with her until the rig showed up, had nothing on me to help anyway.

 

[CAO]

Some basic bandaging and splinting. Nothing too exciting.

 

[Akulahawk]

Off Duty from "everything"? Let me see: watched/called in/assisted at a 2 vehicle TC with roll-over, helped out with 2 knees, wrist rehab, "diagnosed" a rotator cuff tear that the primary care MD missed and required surgery for repair, lots of minor bandaging, debridement of road rash & turf burns, splinting... Then again, I've been doing that kind of stuff for almost 20 years now, so, yeah, I've stumbled upon quite a few incidents where I did something to make things better.