Not to alarm anyone...

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Captn' Tuddle

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So I had a fun third day on the job the other day. The head paramedic supervisor had just given me a TB test shot and we were standing around chatting when I began to feel dizzy. Then, I was told, I said "Not to alarm anyone..." just before I passed out in the middle of the office. I came to a moment later, joked about this being the best response time in ambulance history, signed a pt. refusal form and went on to finish my shift in the wheelchair department.
What I want to know is why I passed out seeing as I'm not affraid of needles and I've had a previous TB test shot with no problems. The only thing I can think of was that I was standing up when given the shot and that I had skipped breakfast that day. Any ideas?
 
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silver

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Captn' Tuddle said:
So I had a fun third day on the job the other day. The head paramedic supervisor had just given me a TB test shot and we were standing around chatting when I began to feel dizzy. Then, I was told, I said "Not to alarm anyone..." just before I passed out in the middle of the office. I came to a moment later, joked about this being the best response time in ambulance history, signed a pt. refusal form and went on to finish my shift in the wheelchair department.
What I want to know is why I passed out seeing as I'm not affraid of needles and I've had a previous TB test shot with no problems. The only thing I can think of was that I was standing up when given the shot and that I had skipped breakfast that day. Any ideas?
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Probably not the best advice to seek medical advice on the internet, where no history, physical, labs or diagnostic tests can be performed. Who knows, probably was vasovagal syncope, but it could have been entirely coincidental that it occurred after you got a ppd plant...
 
firecoins

firecoins

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Its a condition called syncope. I hate to be the one to say this BUT You got 6 months to live.
 
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Captn' Tuddle

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Oh good, I've got at least six months then... And I know what syncope is, I was just wondering if anyone has heard of reactions like that to a TB test shot before, unless there was something else in that needle...joking.
 
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Captn' Tuddle

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It was part of the new employee get a drug test, get fingerprinted and get tested for TB (tuberculosis) kind of a thing. The TB skin test was where they injected some of the nonactive TB protien into an outer layer of your skin (you get that weird bubble at first that goes away) then leave it for 48-72 hours to see if there is a reaction. For me at least, it was required before I could take the EMT-B course, then again after I got hired. Also, the only reason the paramedic supervisor gave me the shot was because the only other person certified to do so was busy at the time.
 
citizensoldierny

citizensoldierny

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So reading this right you passed out, signed a refusal and then your supervisor let you go do a shift on the road after a syncopal episode without doing an assesment based on your word? :blink:
 
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Captn' Tuddle

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:lol: No, not at all. They did a full assesment, made sure my heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels were fine first. Then, it was up to me whether to finish the shift or not. Since I had been just sitting around for an half hour then spent another hour drinking a ton of water and doing a drug test I felt fine. If I had felt the slightest bit off I would have gone home instead of risking having a problem while transporting a pt.

Come to think of it, since it would be written off, I should have taken the free ride in the ambulance, possibly stopping to get ice cream or something - just to be safe :D
 
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