# TV driving me nuts



## micsaver (Mar 20, 2009)

Like most people, before I became educated a bit in first-aid I fell for or just didn't notice all the errors and bad practices or just flat out "that would never happen" stuff that is shown on tv. That being said, I just wanted to rant and vent for a minute that one of my favorite shows (at least it use to be), Smallville, has a new character on it that is a Paramedic and the portrayal is SO BAD.  I would swear that the production staff never even talked to an actual Paramedic and asked "what do you do during your shift?"

Has the bad portrayal of EMTs and Medics on tv ever made you change channel?


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## PapaBear434 (Mar 20, 2009)

I laughed pretty good at an episode of "Fringe" a few weeks back.  A guy was going to push a syringe of god-knows-what into an IV line, so he did what every TV doc does; Taps the side of the syringe and squirt a little of fluid out to remove the air bubbles.  Except the guy never got the air out, so there was about 5cc's worth of air at the end that he never got rid of before injecting into the bag, so his tapping did nothing but fulfill his stage direction.


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## medic417 (Mar 20, 2009)

They probably find the worst Paramedics from the worst diploma mills that will consult for free.


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## Foxbat (Mar 20, 2009)

These kinds of things on TV/movies don't drive me nuts, but they do make me giggle.
My favorite quotes:

"Severe cardiac arrest"
"He has to practice CPR on a live person to keep his certification" (yes, they actually meant conscious person)


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## micsaver (Mar 20, 2009)

Foxbat said:


> These kinds of things on TV/movies don't drive me nuts, but they do make me giggle.
> My favorite quotes:
> 
> "Severe cardiac arrest"



HAHAHAHAHA!  

I always find it laughable when you see a tv patient go into cardiac arrest in an ER and there is a shot of the flat line with tones on the ECG monitor, but there are no leads on the patient. HA, or when they spend a bunch of time working on a patient but they're not intubated or even receiving O2!


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## BossyCow (Mar 20, 2009)

And doing what I call Baywatch CPR with the elbows bending with every compression.


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## medic417 (Mar 20, 2009)

BossyCow said:


> And doing what I call Baywatch CPR with the elbows bending with every compression.



They had elbows?:unsure:


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## Sasha (Mar 20, 2009)

Bahaha. Go see Last House On The Left. You get to see the father(who'se a doctor), cauterize his daughter's bullethole  perform a thoracostomy on his daughter's hemothorax with a little tube off the handle from a bottle of windex AND do elbow bending miracle working CPR all in 15 minutes!


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## amberdt03 (Mar 20, 2009)

Sasha said:


> Bahaha. Go see Last House On The Left. You get to see the father(who'se a doctor), cauterize his daughter's bullethole  perform a thoracostomy on his daughter's hemothorax with a little tube off the handle from a bottle of windex AND do elbow bending miracle working CPR all in 15 minutes!



wow that amazing. i hope to be that awesome when i grow up. lol.


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## reaper (Mar 20, 2009)

Elbow bending cpr saves the back!


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## Sasha (Mar 20, 2009)

reaper said:


> Elbow bending cpr saves the back!



And the rib cage of the person you're doing CPR on!


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## AJ Hidell (Mar 21, 2009)

medic417 said:


> They probably find the worst Paramedics from the worst diploma mills that will consult for free.


In Southern California, they're not hard to find.


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## LucidResq (Mar 21, 2009)

Haha, this reminds me of something I wrote out of frustration a while back. 



> The more I learn, the more I yell at my TV.
> 
> I know, I know. I can't expect TV to portray medical scenarios without flaw. But still... you think they could pull their heads outta their asses for 2 seconds and at least do some research on whatever they're depicting. Hell, you could even google most of this stuff. Here's some of my favorite medical TV blunders.
> 
> ...


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## reaper (Mar 21, 2009)

Just remember, it is there as entertainment and most that make them are not worried about what the medical world thinks.

You will learn to overlook it and just enjoy the show as entertainment!


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## imurphy (Mar 21, 2009)

Some good movies on the EMS:

1. The Official EMS Training DVD aka "Bringing Out The Dead" (1999)
Amazon

2. Broken Vessels (1998)
Amazon

3. Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)
Amazon

4. History Channel: The Ambulance (2006)

5. Saved (2006)


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## Shishkabob (Mar 21, 2009)

It's not just shows, it's also people that attempt to pass off info from said shows as fact.

Example;

Was in Jamaica back in January, and our bus driver told everyone if you get stung by a jellyfish, gross or not, it's a proven fact that urinating on it stops the pain.  


It took all I could not to correct him infront of 40 people... but I did let my family know not to listen.  I said just get the vinegar.


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## Sasha (Mar 21, 2009)

> 1. The Official EMS Training DVD aka "Bringing Out The Dead" (1999)
> Amazon



You did NOT just recommend Bringing Out The Dead. That was such a crappy movie. The book? Was good. The end was a little stale, but in general the book was good. However the movie was terrible! I'm glad I found the book before the movie, or I would have missed out on a good read, because the movie was just... dumb. And the acting (Save for John Goodman. But I'm a huge John Goodmanfan.) was the WORST! Especially Patricia Arquette.


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## Ridryder911 (Mar 21, 2009)

Linuss said:


> It's not just shows, it's also people that attempt to pass off info from said shows as fact.
> 
> Example;
> 
> ...



And we know why they have vinegar on hand? ... 

R/r 911


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## Shishkabob (Mar 21, 2009)

Ridryder911 said:


> And we know why they have vinegar on hand? ...
> 
> R/r 911



To make the food taste better, duh.


Jeez, must I explain everything to medics?


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## VentMedic (Mar 21, 2009)

For a volunteer flick, "Ambulance Girl" is good. The book was also a good read. 

For TV's version of realism, I always chuckle at the person wearing a NC with an old ventilator in the background that has bellows moving up and down. 

Of course, the patient on this "ventilator" is in an ICU with a nice private room that doesn't seem to have any medical staff anywhere nearby. 

One of the EMS TV shows I would like to forget is "Saved". "Rescue Me" is in the same category but at least it has good acting which makes it almost enjoyable at times.


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## Shishkabob (Mar 22, 2009)

I loved the few episodes of "Paramedics" I actually saw... too bad I cant find them anywhere.


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## medic417 (Mar 22, 2009)

imurphy said:


> Some good movies on the EMS:
> 
> 5. Saved (2006)



LOL.  That was some good sarcasm there imurphy.


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## reaper (Mar 22, 2009)

Come on, doesn't everyone in EMS make it with hot docs in the ambulance?


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## Sasha (Mar 22, 2009)

reaper said:


> Come on, doesn't everyone in EMS make it with hot docs in the ambulance?



I love how all the TV docs are young and hot. None of the doctors here are like that.


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## reaper (Mar 22, 2009)

Nope, just the interns!


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## Ridryder911 (Mar 22, 2009)

Linuss said:


> To make the food taste better, duh.
> 
> 
> Jeez, must I explain everything to medics?



Well, *its not food!* Look at the medical application for vinegar.. that and is used. Must I be blunt? It has something to do with a certain type of irrigation....hint hint. 

R/r 911


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## Sasha (Mar 22, 2009)

Ridryder911 said:


> Well, *its not food!* Look at the medical application for vinegar.. that and is used. Must I be blunt? It has something to do with a certain type of irrigation....hint hint.
> 
> R/r 911



I just looked it up, got everything from ear and nose irrigation, to bladder irrigation. Even watering potted plants! I never knew vinegar was so multifunctional!


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## medic417 (Mar 22, 2009)

Sasha said:


> I just looked it up, got everything from ear and nose irrigation, to bladder irrigation. Even watering potted plants! I never knew vinegar was so multifunctional!



It is also one of the best natuarl cleaning products available.


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## marineman (Mar 26, 2009)

My only pet peeve in the TV arena is that they always shock asystole. Scrubs is the greatest and most educational medical show ever invented, if you watch scrubs you will not have to open a book to pass paramedic class. h34r:


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