Recent content by Clipper1

I did mention the alternatives in the other posts. But, that is up to the ED doctor and the interventional Cardiologist...not the Paramedic. Either doctor can discuss with the DPOA in greater detail the interventions which can be done. A Paramedic will not know what a doctor can or will do...

Glad you moved this post. You may have a reputation of going above and beyond but how much time are you wasting? You have a DNR order if the heart stops. You have a DNI order for no intubation. You have med control to call a doctor if you are unsure of the destination. You might be asking a...

Respiratory Therapists also have their critical care credential requiring 1 year of experience before testing. Like the CCRN there is one for adults and one for peds. For transport, these are highly recommended. But RRTs can easily gain experience by working in the ICUs and probably 80% of...

Tachypnea and hyperventilation are not necessarily the same thing. ABGs confirm hyperventilation for low PaCO2. Depth and quality of respirations? The pt could be obese or sitting in a bad position. Then it would more likely be a normal MV to mild hypOventilaion. Other clinical signs need to...

If there is a Midwife then there is no problem. Midwives are allowed to do home births and will be the responsible and accountable professional. The EMT has nothing to do with this and should not interfere with the medical aspect. The midwife will make all the necessary arrangements.

http://www.mbc.ca.gov/allied/midwives_standards.pdf Is this EMT/father planning to deliver this baby without a Midwife? I suggest you now consult with an OB. This goes beyond him just being an EMT. Don't play games with the birth of your child and seek professional medical advice from a...

Home births are legal provided there is a licensed Midwife present and the mother/baby are considered low risk by the OB. If the EMT has knowledge that either of these factors are missing then he is putting his cert at risk and most of all his baby.

No, it just sounded like you wanted to wait for a phone call before doing anything. Things can still be done at the hospital for this patient. PCI is not the only answer to an MI or for comfort either. The attending/ER physician will still talk to the family. He or she will explain the...

Chase and I also agreed about reasons for a patient who is in comfort care to be brought to the hospital. Example: If their PICC or indwelling port (special "IVs") is not functioning, they will not be able to receive the comfort meds. For this EMS should transport. I guess the family could try...

Comfort Care, Advanced Directives, DNR and DNI are all very different terms with very different treatment plans. Comfort Care is defined in EVERY state (all 50) in the United States because of CMS and reimbursement. This includes Washington as well as Oregon, California, Montana etc...

This should not be a difficult decision with specific orders like a DNR/DNR this should not be a difficult call. Provide comfort through pain management, oxygen, any other therapy sort of intubation and trsnsport. The hospital physician is much more qualified to determine the best treatment to...

Freaked out? What if it was your wife or child? What you might consider freaked out might just be concern or fatigue from watching a loved one die. You again are forming an opinion (and your personal opinion) from just a few minutes and not weeks or even a full shift of observing. The same...

That is not correct. Unfortunately comfort care does not automatically come with a hospice or palliative care team. Some hospitals don't have palliative care teams and it is the luck of the draw for the patient if they get a doctor who understands "comfort care". Different facilities have...

But such as in the scenario here, the person might be unresponsive from a UTI which could be easily treated. This is not uncommon in the elderly. However, as suggested by some here, the Paramedic might call the family and call it quits. The patient may not have wanted to have their life...

True but not all patients follow a recipe. Other body parts can break either bones (not necessarily from falling) or become diseased. We had one teenager at the beginning of hospice care who got a very painful tooth abscess which required extraction in the hospital. Another got appendicitis...