If a 14 year old girl had slit her wrists, taken pills, and was going to jump off a bridge but cops showed up before she did, what kind of stuff would you do in the ambulance? What would you do if she wouldn't tell you what kind of pills she took? Would you do a full body exam to see if she has any other injuries she hasn't told you about? How would you check her body, just tell her to take her clothes off? If you did and you saw bruises on her body would you believe her if she said they were from sports or would you go tell one of the cops because you suspect someone abuses her?
Teen Suicide Attempt
- Thread starter Kiley3706
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DesertMedic66
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What on earth kind of scenario is this? I'll bite anyway.
Attempted suicide calls are calls where we stage away from the scene and will only be cleared in once the scene is secured by law enforcement.
If she won't tell us what kind of pills she took and there are no pill bottles around then nothing. Hospital will draw lab work.
If she did jump then yes I would be doing a full body exam and probably cut off her cloths. If she didn't jump then I may not do a full body exam unless I suspect something.
If I saw bruises I would include it in my ePCR and inform the ED upon my arrival. Law enforcement will be doing a follow up at the hospital with this patient.
Attempted suicide calls are calls where we stage away from the scene and will only be cleared in once the scene is secured by law enforcement.
If she won't tell us what kind of pills she took and there are no pill bottles around then nothing. Hospital will draw lab work.
If she did jump then yes I would be doing a full body exam and probably cut off her cloths. If she didn't jump then I may not do a full body exam unless I suspect something.
If I saw bruises I would include it in my ePCR and inform the ED upon my arrival. Law enforcement will be doing a follow up at the hospital with this patient.
CALEMT
The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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I was thinking the same thing.
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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This smells weird to me.
akflightmedic
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Very weird first post for sure....unsure if we are answering homework questions, feeding a family member info for legal recourse, or giving pointers on how best to kill oneself.
I'm asking these questions because I'm writing a story. I'm not sure what would happen so my story won't be very good if I just guessed what would happen. I'm not suicidal.
DesertMedic66
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Most suicide attempts/successful suicides do not involve 3 different ways of doing it...
I wouldn't know, I'm not suicidal. I don't know what goes on in their head. But maybe some people just really don't want to fail so they think if you do more than one way there is less of a chance you fail.
CALEMT
The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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You're writing a story on committing suicide? Must be some book...
No I'm writing a story about a girl who was about to commit suicide but before she jumped the cops showed up. About her life leading up to her wanting to kill herself. And then after she gets taken to the hospital how she gets better and sees the good in life again. About her finding reasons to live.
NysEms2117
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you know, us ambulance folk have that tendency to change peoples lives around lickedy split 
VentMonkey
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OP, you're better off joining a writers forum than asking a bunch EMS folk what they would do if...
Everyone approaches patients with their own spin for various reasons, and I doubt that the way the EMS personnel in your "book" assess her would have much bearing on her life-changing moment. That is, or course, unless the tech in the back was a master at "verbal judo" as this is arguably the strongest asset any public service agency provider can possess.
All the other stuff sounds irrelevant to your storyline, and as a non-medical person, I could care less if this isn't their turning point (i.e., again assuming the person in the back of the ambulance doesn't play a pivotal role in their decision-making).
Notice what I said has absolutely nothing to do with what you see ambulance people do on TV, and in the movies, why? (whispers) Because that isn't what we do. Good luck on your book.
Everyone approaches patients with their own spin for various reasons, and I doubt that the way the EMS personnel in your "book" assess her would have much bearing on her life-changing moment. That is, or course, unless the tech in the back was a master at "verbal judo" as this is arguably the strongest asset any public service agency provider can possess.
All the other stuff sounds irrelevant to your storyline, and as a non-medical person, I could care less if this isn't their turning point (i.e., again assuming the person in the back of the ambulance doesn't play a pivotal role in their decision-making).
Notice what I said has absolutely nothing to do with what you see ambulance people do on TV, and in the movies, why? (whispers) Because that isn't what we do. Good luck on your book.
akflightmedic
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Maybe have an "angel" in the form of a paramedic named Clarence show her how the world would be if she were not in it. During the ride, this could be the treatment of choice. By the time they arrive at the ER she will have a better understanding of how much an impact she has had on the people in her life and how much more impact she will have in the future...surely she will recognize its a wonderful life and worth living.
Seirende
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Hi Kiley, welcome to the forum. I see that you're pretty young, so kudos for trying for accuracy.
Tbh, I would shy away from putting a lot of technical detail into a fictional story like this. If you're serious about getting stuff right, your best bet is to find someone to critique the material after you've written it. It's hard to answer vague questions in detail
"Take your clothes off." <-- Not a sentence that you'll hear coming out of my mouth in this context. If I did need to expose any body areas, I would explain why it was necessary, then either cut the clothing or help her remove it.
As an aside, psychological care/therapeutic communication is going to be a significant concern here. That's a bit of a rabbit hole, but there's plenty of good reading material. Here, have an article for starters. http://www.emsreference.com/articles/article/ems-guide-depression-and-bipolar-disorder
Tbh, I would shy away from putting a lot of technical detail into a fictional story like this. If you're serious about getting stuff right, your best bet is to find someone to critique the material after you've written it. It's hard to answer vague questions in detail
"Take your clothes off." <-- Not a sentence that you'll hear coming out of my mouth in this context. If I did need to expose any body areas, I would explain why it was necessary, then either cut the clothing or help her remove it.
As an aside, psychological care/therapeutic communication is going to be a significant concern here. That's a bit of a rabbit hole, but there's plenty of good reading material. Here, have an article for starters. http://www.emsreference.com/articles/article/ems-guide-depression-and-bipolar-disorder
Seirende
Washed Up Paramedic/ EMT Dropout
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DesertMedic66
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Please call the suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255
I'm not calling a hotline.
SpecialK
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A great opportunity to timely remind us:
1. Attempted suicide, threatened suicide, and self-harm are NOT the same thing and should NOT be treated the same!
2. These scenarios do NOT routinely need the police, and the police are often more harm than good!
3. Transport to ED is NOT routinely required unless no other option is available.
1. Attempted suicide, threatened suicide, and self-harm are NOT the same thing and should NOT be treated the same!
2. These scenarios do NOT routinely need the police, and the police are often more harm than good!
3. Transport to ED is NOT routinely required unless no other option is available.
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