# God I am such a wanker/super noobie.



## para82frame (Sep 28, 2008)

:blush:I bought an ALS pocket field guide so I can know what my paramedic partner is saying and doing.


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## Airwaygoddess (Sep 28, 2008)

*Naw.......*

Bless your heart, that is not being a whacker, that is just wanting to learn more!!  Welcome to the tribe!


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## el Murpharino (Sep 28, 2008)

para82frame said:


> :blush:I bought an ALS pocket field guide so I can know what my paramedic partner is saying and doing.



To be honest, I use the back part of it where it lists out the prescription meds and what they're for more than anything else in that guide.  They're handy at times.


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## Scout (Sep 29, 2008)

me hopes you forgot the H h34r:


something to read is never a bad thing. I'm sure you will pull something usefull out of it


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## KEVD18 (Sep 29, 2008)

theres nothign wrong with having a field guide.

theres nothing wrong with having a field guide for the level above you, provided that you dont use it as justification to practice outside your scope.

if, after a call, you research the pathophysiology of the patients issue, all you're doing is increasing your knowledge base. nobody will ever fault you for wanting to know more of the why behind your job. 

but you have to keep it in reason. dont be one of those guys that memorizes a few pages of text and then proceedes to try to "talk the talk" as it were. 

field guides can be beneficial for that reason. when they shouldnt be used is in the middle of a call. you really need to know your protocols and algorithms cold _before_ getting into a situation. that being said, if you're in the back of the bus with a patient circling the drain, if you're well and truly out of ideas, theres nothing wrong with checking your cheat sheet to make sure you dint miss anything. calling olmc is a better move and should be done first, but a punt is a punt. in my area, it takes roughly 60sec to get the doc on the radio. you could do both at the same time.

N.B. i just said it, but some things are worth repeating ad nauseum. nothing, and i repeat nothing, should replace knowledge and intimate understanding of your protocols and algorithms.


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## wxduff (Sep 29, 2008)

You could have done much worse... You could have bought 5 pairs of scissors and other crap for your pants...


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## KEVD18 (Sep 29, 2008)

wxduff said:


> You could have done much worse... You could have bought 5 pairs of scissors and other crap for your pants...



as long as you only wear one pair at a time, there nothing wrong with variety....


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## JJR512 (Sep 29, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> as long as you only wear one pair at a time, there nothing wrong with variety....



No, no, no, you need two: Trauma and Bandage.  And don't forget the Kelley clamps/forceps.

(And yes, I've just described myself! h34r: )


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## KEVD18 (Sep 29, 2008)

last i checked, trauma shears cut bandages just fine. 

and i know we've been down this road before, but there is no good reason for a kelly clamp prehospital.


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## LAnel1 (Sep 30, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> as long as you only wear one pair at a time, there nothing wrong with variety....




HAHAHA! cute. some one owns a collection... don't we?


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## KEVD18 (Sep 30, 2008)

at the moment, i might be able to dig a up one pair, but no promises.

but a few years ago, yeah i had six or seven pairs. they're cheap enough and i like to mix it up. but i only wore one pair at a time....


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## sabbymedic (Sep 30, 2008)

Never hurts to know what your Medic partner is talking about it helps him or her with their job. Plus the more you read and learn the better your assesments get in my opinion.


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## Sasha (Oct 1, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> last i checked, trauma shears cut bandages just fine.
> 
> and i know we've been down this road before, but there is no good reason for a kelly clamp prehospital.



But they sure look cool in your pants!


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## Sasha (Oct 1, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> at the moment, i might be able to dig a up one pair, but no promises.
> 
> but a few years ago, yeah i had six or seven pairs. they're cheap enough and i like to mix it up. but i only wore one pair at a time....



I like mine to match my pen light, which I change on a regular basis! Must coordinate dontcha know.


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## JJR512 (Oct 15, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> last i checked, trauma shears cut bandages just fine.
> 
> and i know we've been down this road before, but there is no good reason for a kelly clamp prehospital.



I disagree. Just the other day, after washing my hands after patient contact, I noticed I had a nose hair protruding from my right nostril. I didn't have any tweezers with me, and both shears were too large to insert into my nasal cavity. But with the kelly clamp, I was able to get a good grip on it, and yank.


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## boingo (Oct 15, 2008)

Kelly's and surgical tubing make great tourniquets.


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## BossyCow (Oct 15, 2008)

boingo said:


> Kelly's and surgical tubing make great tourniquets.



Hmm so do you keep a roll of surgical tubing on your belt?


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## Flight-LP (Oct 15, 2008)

Sasha said:


> But they sure look cool in your pants!



God if I had a nickel for every time I've heard that one!


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## boingo (Oct 15, 2008)

BossyCow said:


> Hmm so do you keep a roll of surgical tubing on your belt?




Ahh...no.  :lol: I do however keep pre cut surgical tubing and kelly's in my bag.


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## WiFi_Cowgirl (Jan 20, 2009)

I carry these in my work coat; Emergencia, Emergency Translation Manual; Rapid Rescue Spanish; Rapid ACLS; EMS Basic Field Guide and EMS ALS Field Guide. The more things you can look up, the better, in my opinion. I also carry a small protocol booket and a write in the rain pad, because you can clean them with alcohol pads and reuse it.


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## UGA_Medic8714 (Jan 28, 2009)

Not to be an ***... but looking up things is fine, but shouldn't you know more than your lookng up?


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## rescuepoppy (Jan 29, 2009)

Nothing wrong with going back and taking a look to make sure. Go into your local ER you will find all sorts of guides there. They are there for doctors and nurses to use when they want to make sure that their thoughts are right. So,how can it be bad for a medic to carry a field guide?


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## Sieldan (Jan 29, 2009)

Im just an EMT-B student, but in the Marine Corps, having 'knowledge books' on hand that you were familiar with was considered a good thing.  Actually reading them was even better.  Being unable to do anything with out them was a bad thing tho.


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## UGA_Medic8714 (Jan 29, 2009)

rescuepoppy said:


> Nothing wrong with going back and taking a look to make sure. Go into your local ER you will find all sorts of guides there. They are there for doctors and nurses to use when they want to make sure that their thoughts are right. So,how can it be bad for a medic to carry a field guide?



No one said you couldn't carry a field guy and if you're implying that I said that, you are dead wrong. I've never been into the local ER so I'll be sure to go in and check that out. lol. Carrying 5-6 things on you is a little much. Come on. 

You don't see a doctor walk in to a patient's room with a copy of the latest NEJM (Journal of Med) or his A&P book from college. 

I carry a (1) ALS field guide, but to carry a guide or cheat sheet in every pocket... please. I don't mind be the dark horse here... can't be swayed.


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## UGA_Medic8714 (Jan 29, 2009)

see above.


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## Shishkabob (Jan 31, 2009)

Sieldan said:


> Im just an EMT-B student, but in the Marine Corps, having 'knowledge books' on hand that you were familiar with was considered a good thing.  Actually reading them was even better.  Being unable to do anything with out them was a bad thing tho.



Or getting caught by a DI without having one... even worse.


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## jochi1543 (Feb 1, 2009)

UGA_Medic8714 said:


> No one said you couldn't carry a field guy and if you're implying that I said that, you are dead wrong. I've never been into the local ER so I'll be sure to go in and check that out. lol. Carrying 5-6 things on you is a little much. Come on.
> 
> You don't see a doctor walk in to a patient's room with a copy of the latest NEJM (Journal of Med) or his A&P book from college.
> 
> I carry a (1) ALS field guide, but to carry a guide or cheat sheet in every pocket... please. I don't mind be the dark horse here... can't be swayed.



They don't WALK into a room holding it, for obvious reasons, but trust me, they go and consult those things OUTSIDE the room a lot. The nursing desk in our ER has a stack of those "Bugs and drugs" type of books that our physician refers to quite frequently. When you look at the amount of information a physician must deal with, you realize that it's impossible to do every single thing without ever referring to a guide. Pharmo alone - there are literally thousands of drugs, each with a handful of doses, contraindications, and possible drug interactions. Same with rare procedures or obscure tests.


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## trevor1189 (Feb 10, 2009)

BossyCow said:


> Hmm so do you keep a roll of surgical tubing on your belt?


You mean your belt isn't made out of surgical tubing? lol ^_^


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## lightsandsirens5 (Feb 10, 2009)

trevor1189 said:


> You mean your belt isn't made out of surgical tubing? lol ^_^



My belt was made out of 550 cord one time! I forgot by belt and had to keep them on somehow! It wasn't fun when I had to go to the bathroom though!


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## emtfarva (Feb 10, 2009)

See, I don't need the paper version of the field guides I have them On my Blackberry. As for the meds, I have Epocrates. And if that fails me I still have the mobile web.


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## daff243 (Feb 12, 2009)

emtfarva said:


> See, I don't need the paper version of the field guides I have them On my Blackberry. As for the meds, I have Epocrates. And if that fails me I still have the mobile web.



How'd you get them on your blackberry?!


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## emtfarva (Feb 12, 2009)

Do you have a Blackberry?

If you do, go to http://www.blackberrymarketplace.com/ and http://blackberry.handmark.com/ .
Look under the medical reference.


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## daff243 (Feb 13, 2009)

emtfarva said:


> Do you have a Blackberry?
> 
> If you do, go to http://www.blackberrymarketplace.com/ and http://blackberry.handmark.com/ .
> Look under the medical reference.



yes i do. checked it out, a little to pricey though haha but looks like it'd be nice to have.


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## emtfarva (Feb 13, 2009)

I had the one that was 24.99 but I had to reset my phone and I lost the pin number. but it was ok. I can't afford the Prepid one 'cause I work in ems, but maybe one day.


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## Shishkabob (Feb 14, 2009)

I have epocrates on my iPhone... I don't see me digging out my $300 phone during a trauma call in the back of a truck, and somehow using my hands with or without gloves to use it... but hey, I have it!


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## ffemt8978 (Feb 14, 2009)

But flip books don't require batteries or a signal from a cell tower.


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## emtfarva (Feb 14, 2009)

ffemt8978 said:


> But flip books don't require batteries or a signal from a cell tower.


nope that is why I have the flipbook also


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