# Stabbing



## eastman (Nov 25, 2013)

Last thursday was my first day on the ambulance for a surrounding town's volunteer service. My first call was a man stabbed eight times. He had wounds all over his chest and even a few on his back (steak knife). Upon arrival I noticed that the patient was gasping for breath and actually stopped breathing as we were moving him to the stretcher. My FTO and I frantically began CPR + bvm after loading the patient on to the ambulance and the medic began providing ALS treatment (deflating lungs + epis). The patient was pronounced dead shortly after we got him into the trauma room, I wasn't really surprised because he was gushin blood the whole time. During the call I saw the medic drill into the patient's leg, anyone know what that's called?


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## Anjel (Nov 25, 2013)

It's an IO. Intraosseous. If you can't establish an IV or in times of cardiac arrest it is a good option. Meds and fluids go into the bone and into the blood stream that way.


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## NomadicMedic (Nov 25, 2013)

And as a point if interest, the medic didn't "deflate the lungs", he decompressed the chest in the hope that relieving a tension pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity, which causes the lungs to collapse) would allow the lungs to reinflate.


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## eastman (Nov 25, 2013)

thanks @Anjel and thank you too @DEmedic the medic we worked with simply told me what he was doing and I wanted to share, I'm still learning!


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## Carlos Danger (Nov 25, 2013)

That is one heck of a first call.


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## Carlos Danger (Nov 25, 2013)

DEmedic said:


> And as a point if interest, the medic didn't "deflate the lungs", he *compressed the chest* in the hope that relieving a tension pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity, which causes the lungs to collapse) would allow the lungs to reinflate.



He DEcompressed the chest.

Only pointing out the typo so as not to confuse the OP.


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## NomadicMedic (Nov 25, 2013)

Halothane said:


> He DEcompressed the chest.
> 
> Only pointing out the typo so as not to confuse the OP.



Thanks! Fat fingers on the iPhone. ...


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## FltMedicRob (Nov 25, 2013)

Halothane said:


> That is one heck of a first call.



Just imagine how bad it would be as a first date.......:rofl:

Ok I know I have a sick sense of humor.


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## TheLocalMedic (Nov 25, 2013)

FltMedicRob said:


> Just imagine how bad it would be as a first date.......:rofl:
> 
> Ok I know I have a sick sense of humor.



I routinely stab my dates with a steak knife.  Doesn't everyone?


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## MedicOfReddit (Nov 26, 2013)

TheLocalMedic said:


> I routinely stab my dates with a steak knife.  Doesn't everyone?



All the more reason to swoon them with those awesome medical skills, aye?


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## Household6 (Nov 26, 2013)

TheLocalMedic said:


> I routinely stab my dates with a steak knife.  Doesn't everyone?



Ya... Nothing like getting drilled on the first date..

Don't they teach what an IO is in Basic?


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## Raphamedic (Nov 26, 2013)

I.o


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## granitendirt (Dec 4, 2013)

Household6 said:


> Don't they teach what an IO is in Basic?



My instructor touched on it but more in a conversational way, not as part of the curriculum. In fact, we didn't discuss IVs much at all except getting shown how to spike a bag.


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## AEMTstudent (Dec 4, 2013)

IO is an ALS skill. EMT B & EMT I are not allowed to perform this procedure, though as an EMT I we do learn about them in case we need to assist EMT Ps in the field.


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## alexandermpd (Dec 4, 2013)

I've had some interesting stab calls


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 4, 2013)

AEMTstudent said:


> IO is an ALS skill. EMT B & EMT I are not allowed to perform this procedure, though as an EMT I we do learn about them in case we need to assist EMT Ps in the field.



You're incorrect.

AEMT/EMT-Is can most definitely place IOs. 







I also believe that EMT-Bs can establish them in cardiac arrests in certain areas.


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## AEMTstudent (Dec 4, 2013)

nope. not here they can't. restricted to ALS.


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## Anjel (Dec 4, 2013)

AEMTstudent said:


> nope. not here they can't. restricted to ALS.



Then you need to specify that you are talking about your area, and not make a blanket statement.


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## VFlutter (Dec 4, 2013)

Robb said:


> You're incorrect.
> 
> AEMT/EMT-Is can most definitely place IOs.
> 
> ...




I like "Critical Care Paramedic"....Same as Paramedic 

CC Nurses can place Fem lines, chest tubes, and do pericardiocentesis? Where do I sign up?!?


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## AEMTstudent (Dec 4, 2013)

Chase said:


> I like "Critical Care Paramedic"....Same as Paramedic
> 
> CC Nurses can place Fem lines, chest tubes, and do pericardiocentesis? Where do I sign up?!?




We don't have "CCP" designation here either.  EMT-P is at the top of the food chain, and if you fly, most services will provide additional training/sims etc but unfortunately we don't have that designation.


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 4, 2013)

Chase said:


> I like "Critical Care Paramedic"....Same as Paramedic
> 
> CC Nurses can place Fem lines, chest tubes, and do pericardiocentesis? Where do I sign up?!?



Only thing CCP on the ground does is give you more drugs for transfers. In the air they get even more. No additional skills though. With that said in our new protocol update that's coming out they put all the ground CCP drugs in the regular medic scope. Not sure what they plan on doing for the (few) ground CCPs.  I was hoping to get my CCEMT-P paid for by my agency if I signed a two year contract which would put me at ~3.5 years when I'd be done with it...perfect for my HEMS aspirations but with these new changes idk if that's gonna happen. 

Chase, I'll shoot you a message on FB if you're serious. All three of those are often OLMD except for a chest tubes if the sending has confirmed a pneumo but hasn't yet placed a tube..then they can do it on their own decision.


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## TransportJockey (Dec 4, 2013)

Robb said:


> Only thing CCP on the ground does is give you more drugs for transfers. In the air they get even more. No additional skills though.
> 
> Chase, I'll shoot you a message on FB if you're serious. All three of those are often OLMD except for a chest tubes if the sending has confirmed a pneumo but hasn't yet placed a tube..then they can do it on their own decision.



You enjoy making me debate time and again about moving your way, don't you?


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 4, 2013)

TransportJockey said:


> You enjoy making me debate time and again about moving your way, don't you?



Bahahaha yep 

Mostly because I'm sick of my Intermediate partner and LIV medics.


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## Carlos Danger (Dec 5, 2013)

Robb said:


> *Only thing CCP on the ground does is give you more drugs for transfers. In the air they get even more. No additional skills though. *


*

Do they do RSI?*


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