# Let's Cut It Off!



## MedicPrincess (Mar 11, 2008)

Had a call for a 13y/o boy at a skate park, with a "shoulder injury."  As we get there, the only way to get to him is to go across the various skateboard ramps, where he was laid out cradling his arm.  After talking to him for a minute, with about 40 teenagers looking on who have all heard the "if it hurts that bad, we can cut it off" line, I tell the kid I have to look at his shoulder.  He is doing such a good job toughing it out, but you could see how bad he was hurting just looking at him.

I reach down and grab my scissors.....all the sudden your heard a collective GASP from the other kids.....it goes dead silent....and you hear one of the kids say... "Oh God! She's going to cut his arm off!!!"

I laugh a little and promise my pt I won't be cutting his arm off.....and then procede to cut his shirt.  At which point I hear...  "Oh NO SHE DIDN'T!!!  She cut his shirt!! Theres NO WAY she'd cut MY shirt!!!"

My pt looks over and tells them to "Shut up Man....she might cut my arm off!!"

Oh kids....I love'em.....Little guy felt so very much better after his Fentanyl treatment.  When we got to the ER he told his mom he thinks he would head back to the skate park later that day.


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## reaper (Mar 11, 2008)

My son loves to skate. He is always bring friends by, that have fallen and get banged up.

I learned, don't cut their gear, unless you have too! They get pissed when you ruin that $20 shirt, just to look.

I love telling them that they may never be able to skate again! The look on their faces are priceless!


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## KEVD18 (Mar 11, 2008)

the only garment i wont cut is a motorcycle club members leathers. that can get you killed.

a $20 t-shirt? no problem.


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## Meursault (Mar 11, 2008)

You're doing them a favor. They just don't know it yet.


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## Jon (Mar 11, 2008)

Priceless. I love your stories, MedicPrincess.


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## firetender (Mar 12, 2008)

This young couple once got married. For kicks, he came riding up on his motorcycle at the front of the church to take her to the reception. She got on, and sure enough, just leaving the church, her veil got caught in the motorcycle's drive sprocket and they crashed, she was knocked unconscious (No helmets!).

She was just dazed, but in the process of evaluation, my partners got to cut her out of her wedding dress. This is a story I'm sure they're still telling!


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## Anomalous (Mar 14, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> the only garment i wont cut is a motorcycle club members leathers. that can get you killed.
> 
> a $20 t-shirt? no problem.




Or a down jacket...


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## BBFDMedic28 (Mar 16, 2008)

I my middle of nowhere fire district, I have learned that cowboys get pissed when you try to cut their boots or chaps. They will take them off by themselves no matter what the injury.... or so it seems.


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## SC Bird (Mar 18, 2008)

Even though I am not a seasoned member...I know to not cut any biker's leathers.   Or if you do, make sure you stick the shears back in your partner's pocket. 

Princess, cool story...I can see all the little kids faces now...

-Matt


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## CFRBryan347768 (Apr 14, 2008)

i went throught that except on skates, and i slid a good 15' so i was begging them to cut my clothes off because it hurt so bad touching the road(skate lol) rash.


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## Grady_emt (Apr 16, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> the only garment i wont cut is a motorcycle club members leathers. that can get you killed.
> 
> a $20 t-shirt? no problem.





Leathers can be cut without doing major damage.  If they are sewn together, cut along the seam so that they can be sewn back together later without any major damage, just a new hem on one side.   If they are laced together, just cut the lacing, leather twine is easy to replace.

I also second the down jacket, you will come out looking like you spent the day in a chicken coop, nevermind being impossible to totally clean them all out of the truck


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## Jon (Apr 16, 2008)

Grady_emt said:


> Leathers can be cut without doing major damage.  If they are sewn together, cut along the seam so that they can be sewn back together later without any major damage, just a new hem on one side.   If they are laced together, just cut the lacing, leather twine is easy to replace.
> 
> I also second the down jacket, you will come out looking like you spent the day in a chicken coop, nevermind being impossible to totally clean them all out of the truck


I try to avoid cutting leathers and ANY thick jackets if I can... if I have to cut leathers, I aim for the scene.


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## paramedix (Apr 16, 2008)

Good one MP...

Yeah kids say funny stuff. I sometimes enjoy listening to the background comments.


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## aussieemt1980 (Apr 21, 2008)

I have had to cut leathers - if they have # femur they are going to complain more about the pain. Had a kid with a dislocated shoulder the other week and I had to cut his body armour off. Picked the right bits to cut so it could be repaired. 

I tend to cut along the stitching if possible, so the garment can be repaired. When they complain, I explain to them that I can pull it off, cause more pain, leave it for the incoming ambulance and the hospital who are just going to cut where the shears go anyway. They usually let me cut their clothes. 

Last year I was in a major car accident, and the ED nurses just cut the clothes off me. It was a brand new set of clothes that I had spent about $80 on about an hour before hand. by the time they were done, there was no chance of repair.


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## LE-EMT (May 5, 2008)

So where the HELL were you people when I downed my bike.  there was no damage below my waist and they cut off a 300 dollar pair of chaps.  the leather was a little scuffed but I rolled down the road at 80 mph thats to be expected.  They completely shredded my chaps I got them back in a bag there were like 6 piece.  my vest I can understand because that was pretty much gone anyways.  But seriously I lost about $800 in leathers that day.  Is this common practice to just cut everything.  Hell they had me down to my boxers on the side of the interstate.  once they cut threw my chaps they should have seen no signs of injury but no they cut of my jeans too.  My favorite pair.  favorite shirt was shredded in the accident.  that was a bad clothing day for me


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## BossyCow (May 6, 2008)

LE-EMT said:


> So where the HELL were you people when I downed my bike.  there was no damage below my waist and they cut off a 300 dollar pair of chaps.  the leather was a little scuffed but I rolled down the road at 80 mph thats to be expected.  They completely shredded my chaps I got them back in a bag there were like 6 piece.  my vest I can understand because that was pretty much gone anyways.  But seriously I lost about $800 in leathers that day.  Is this common practice to just cut everything.  Hell they had me down to my boxers on the side of the interstate.  once they cut threw my chaps they should have seen no signs of injury but no they cut of my jeans too.  My favorite pair.  favorite shirt was shredded in the accident.  that was a bad clothing day for me



So... moral of the story is, don't wear your favorite clothes on the day you are going to dump your bike!


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## tradesman531 (May 7, 2008)

firetender said:


> This young couple once got married. For kicks, he came riding up on his motorcycle at the front of the church to take her to the reception. She got on, and sure enough, just leaving the church, her veil got caught in the motorcycle's drive sprocket and they crashed, she was knocked unconscious (No helmets!).
> 
> She was just dazed, but in the process of evaluation, my partners got to cut her out of her wedding dress. This is a story I'm sure they're still telling!


thats funny


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## mikeylikesit (May 28, 2008)

ok i have to comment. i love skaters and risk takers...job security. I had a Hell's Angel one time in a Bike accident. Nicest guy i met in a long time, i never cut his leathers although he said he would have preffered it when he was screaming like a 5 year old in Wal-mart.^_^


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## aussieemt1980 (May 28, 2008)

Bikers can be funny when it comes to cutting off clothing. In my personal experience, I was that dazed from the accident I really just did not care anymore. That and I had a full bladder, hospital was taking spinal precautions because of the MOI of the accident (a roll over), and everytime I asked a nurse for help, I was told "ok, be with you in a minute", and then they would get side tracked. That would be the perils of working in an ED, and when I have finished my nurses training, that is where I plan on going.

I find that bystanders can be worse than the pt though, once a pt has given consent for the scissored removal of clothing, bystanders do sometimes step in to pull the clothing off anyway. Usually results in a slap from me or the patient at some stage and a very stern warning that I am no longer liable for the injury once they have touched them.


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## mikeylikesit (May 28, 2008)

Don't you love bystanders, they can sit there all day and tell you that your not doing it right until they get in there and F$%# it all up.


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## Summit (May 28, 2008)

That's an awesome story


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