Ask A Medic

We got trained on everything in case you have to use it. And I have.

 

Hey....they all come with directions in the packaging

 

I know that there is a push for getting rid of ETI in the pre-hospital (out-of-hospital) realm across the board. However, I think that they will have a hard time accomplishing this. Call me crazy, wishful, hopeful, whatever the case may be. There are a lot of services (I happen to work for one) that requires a minimum of 4 successful ETIs/year. If we don't get them in the field than we go to the OR to get them. As long as one stays proficient then skill degradation is less likely to take place, and success % stays up. Also the main reason for all the controversy is unrecognized esophageal intubation. This boils down to shear laziness of the lead provider not checking their tubes, initially and continuously especially after every move. Waveform EtCO2 being almost readily available on every new monitor only further aids with recognizing esophageal intubation. Not trying to beat a dead horse, and I am sure most of you agree with me, but ETI is a necessary skill at the paramedic level and this is not something I will just let them take away from me, they are going to have to take the laryngoscope from my cold dead hands.

 

True, but at 3 am with a pt who's not breathing, do you really want to be the tool going "Thank you for your recent purchase of the throat violator 2000 LMA. This product is guaranteed to give you hours worth of..."

Yeah no. Fire will look at you like a retard and your partner will push your ass to the side and tell you to go sit in the passenger seat.

Yeah, it'll never happen. The only thing that gets me is when medics or doctors spend an inordinate amount of time attempting to get a ET tube when a king would do perfectly.

 

haha...I was being sarcastic

 

Sorry, just finished two calls. My sarcasm meter is borked currently.

 

understood...

911 or transfers?

 

They weren't transfers, but I hazard to call them 911 by any means...

 

Good 'ole BLS? (bullshit life support)

 

One fell, more like slumped over, got back up. A/Ox4 no injuries, mild fever, probably UTI.

Second fell last week and has upper back pain. Walked to ambulance. <-Onscene time was like 2 minutes.

 

did you at least to get to drive on either call (is your partner an EMT or medic?)

 

anyone else think combo tubes are better than king tubes?

 

I drove back on the second one. Partner is a Medic. We cancelled on the first one. They wanted to see their family dr in a different part of the county than we service. We're like...we're EMS, we come from Town A, You get taken to Town A cause that's the closest hospital.

 

I have never used a king, I have used a combo....but from everything I have heard the king is a superior product. Single lumen, simpler, quicker, smaller. You only have to blow up one balloon (both inflate at same time, vs. one at a time w/ the combi)

Gotcha...are you a medic or an EMT?

 

EMT. Currently trying to get on with Metro Fire Dept.

 

yeah true everyone is switching to king tubes thats why i asked and also cause i wanted to get in on this thread

 

cool...good luck with that! By metro, you mean Rural/Metro?

 

Cheers man. Yes, City of Calgary.

 

I'm going in tomorrow (well, today) morning to sign my conditional/contingent job offer papers with rural/metro orlando.

Hope everything goes okay...I want this job so bad.

 

Best of luck to you! I've been jonesing for Fire for over 2-3 years now. It's been super competitive though.