DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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Last night, my crew was dispatched to a 14 year old unconscious. we arrive, and my captain starts doing paperwork, while I start assessing the patient. hx of migraines., but hasn't taken any meds for it. the physical assessment looks good, nothing super alarming, a quick look at his eyes shows bilateral rapid eye movement. everything else makes me think he's just really sleeping. I try some painful stimuli (nail bed pressure, I'm not doing a sternal rub on a sleeping 14 year old), and he doesn't wince. the ambulance arrives a few minutes later, I give a quick report, and one of the crew pinches the area between his thumb and pointer finger and no response. The general consensus appears that he is just doesn't want to wake up.
One of the paramedics breaks open an ammonia inhalant, and the child starts to wake up. Unfortunately, we don't carry them (and my captain says we can't get them). I remember back in NJ, they were being phased off the truck, for reasons that I am still not sure about, but the cops were using them to wake up drunks. So my questions is, do you guys still carry them? and are there explicit protocols for when they should or should not be used?
and for full disclosure, I do not agree with anyone using them for abusive purposes, but as an alternative to using painful stimuli to awaken someone
One of the paramedics breaks open an ammonia inhalant, and the child starts to wake up. Unfortunately, we don't carry them (and my captain says we can't get them). I remember back in NJ, they were being phased off the truck, for reasons that I am still not sure about, but the cops were using them to wake up drunks. So my questions is, do you guys still carry them? and are there explicit protocols for when they should or should not be used?
and for full disclosure, I do not agree with anyone using them for abusive purposes, but as an alternative to using painful stimuli to awaken someone