Listen up Knuckleheads

Well the whole thing is stupid, what the hell do you expect? Just giving you some piss in that pot.

 

Etats unis

 

Eunice's tits? WTF?

 

What whole thing is stupid? That as an emergency medical practitioner I don't want to be used as a taxi which is easily 55-65% of all our calls?

 

So Krazie, the point is, if you don't need life support, take a cab, right? Pumping blood or bones sticking out or puking antifreeze, call 911. Deep cut needing stitches but controlled bleeding with pressure, get a cab. Of course, how can we rely on the average human to self-triage?

Who should I call if I am unconscious?

 

I live up in the Tennessee mountains, in a county that is 55% Federal land. We have to subsidize the local ambulance service with county funds at $10/per resident per year just to keep the ambulance service solvent. Too many of the users don't have insurance, and they can't legally refuse a ride.

 

This happens all the time in the area I used to cover. 78% of the payments made were from Medicare/Medicaid for absolute bullshit stuff. I'm with Krazie here in that I hated getting tied up with BS just to have a real call happen a few blocks away and I couldn't go due to abandonment policies.

scocar--
you are swinging the pendulum too far the other way. There is far too much nonsense that happens on the rig to mention here, not to mention violation of various and sundry privacy laws. People are so brainwashed into calling 911, they do so for things that, had they stopped and thought it through, didn't actually rate the rig coming out. I think that's Krazie's point, just use common sense.

Example: Pt: My stomach hurts and I just ate 4 Big Macs, 4 fried chickens, a whole pumpkin pie, and a 12 pack of beer.
What I want to say: Dumbass, take some antacid. (common sense)
What I have to say: Would you like to go to the hospital?

 

And Medicare/Medicaid won't pay in some instances if THEY don't think it rated an ambulance ride.

 

That was pretty much my point; people just don't use common sense, and it would be helpful if they did, and then I was just being silly. And I can appreciate the strict rules and legalities/liability concerns you must operate under.

I have a similar problem where I work. Rather than telling a coworker "You are a fucking idiot," I am supposed to say something like "I think you could benefit from additional training."

 

Ah. Sarcasm over the Interwebz. Doesn't always carry through. Thanks for explaining.

 

Not even that. I've had people call us because they have appointments at the hospital and they have actually told me they don't want to take a taxi because it will cost them money, but the insurance will cover the ambulance ride.

Or the fuckers who call with toe or stomach pain. 'How long has this been going on for?'

"Oh, 3-4 weeks now."

'And what has made you call 911 now for it?'

"I dunno, it just isn't going away."

'Is it worse than before or different in any way?'

"No, I just thought I should call an ambulance."

Give that man a Cee-Gar!

 

You forgot that they call at 0500, on a Sunday morning after you've run all night, in a blizzard with ice on the road, called in as "Possible cardiac arrest". Other than that you nailed it.

 

True enough. I forgot that everything gets carded as a delta because they're out of breath from being Fat/Lazy/Sloth/All of the above.

 

you also forgot that when they get to the hospitol, there will be a bunch of ambulance chasing lawyers there, asking them if you did anything wrong so they can sue.......

 

True story...
The hospital where I dropped my patients off had 6 lawyers offices within one block. Frickin' vermin.

 

Not so much a problem in Canuckistan thankfully.

 

Oh my, what a hostile thread. All the cussing, and talk about politics. Where are those mods when you need them. This is out of control, and really bothers me to read. I like Canada, ad have been there a few times. But some Canadians are crazy, I guess hence the name of the OP.

How many of you are with me?

 

Go fuck your hat buddy

 

Oh my! Again with the language! Mods! Please help these guys. They are in desperate need of an adjustment!