5 Lives

I am responsible for monitoring the cardiac rhythms of 60-70 high risk cardiac patients at the same time. Can I haz cookie?

e2d.jpg
 
There should be no difference in your safe ordinary driving and your emergent driving.

This. People say my driving is pedantic and Nana-like but I am just hyper-alert and you know, drive to the road rules, funny the number of people who do not do this.

Oh and apparently adding oxygen to newborn resuscitation makes outcomes worse, I read that somewhere but do not know more than that. I only say that because using a non-rebreathing mask on a newborn baby was mentioned. I will look into it more.
 
My roommate just got his first EMS job and he asked me if driving emergent was difficult. I told him it is the exact same as regular driving except that red lights become stop signs. IMO that is the only major difference.

I am responsible for monitoring the cardiac rhythms of 60-70 high risk cardiac patients at the same time. Can I haz cookie?

I'll mail you a pack of cookies. I did that job for two weeks and I quit because I hated it. (Actually I liked the cardiac monitoring, it was my coworkers that I hated so much.)
 
My roommate just got his first EMS job and he asked me if driving emergent was difficult. I told him it is the exact same as regular driving except that red lights become stop signs. IMO that is the only major difference.

Pretty much right, when going through a closed intersection stop, check all is clear then proceed through slowly, that is how I was taught and it works very well.

Also, check both ways when approaching an intersection anyway is a good habit, even it's a one way street etc, its just an automatic habit I have because you never know when people are going to run red lights etc.

Expect the unexpected when driving the ambulance basically, people are idiots anyway but you come up behind some people with red lights flashing and siren +/- air horn blasting and they just freak out and slam on their brakes or do something stupid like that.
 
Okay, that's enough newbie bashing. Please keep your comments constructive from now on.
 
Well, I used to be the occasional solo night fire dispatcher on the home base of the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command, most powerful military organization the world has ever seen*. So I was watching out for the entire population of the whole world.




*Well, maybe not as big as Genghis Khan, or Bill Murray in "Stripes".
 
Oh and apparently adding oxygen to newborn resuscitation makes outcomes worse, I read that somewhere but do not know more than that. I only say that because using a non-rebreathing mask on a newborn baby was mentioned. I will look into it more.


That is correct. Multiple studies have shown increased survival rates when newborns (especially premature) are resuscitated with room air vs 100% 02.

Where I did my OB rotation they used PPV with 30% 02 I think
 
That is correct. Multiple studies have shown increased survival rates when newborns (especially premature) are resuscitated with room air vs 100% 02.

Where I did my OB rotation they used PPV with 30% 02 I think

Isn't the potential damage of free radicals highly amplified in neonates/infants?
 
I believe you are correct, as well as causing potential retinal damage? I'll do some research if I get off my $#%# today.
 
Isn't the potential damage of free radicals highly amplified in neonates/infants?

That was my understanding of it.

I've always been taught to start resuscitation with room air and only use supplemental o2 if they are persistently cyanotic/hypoxic.

NRP has numbers they want you to aim for but I can't remember them off the top of my head.
 
That was my understanding of it.

I've always been taught to start resuscitation with room air and only use supplemental o2 if they are persistently cyanotic/hypoxic.

NRP has numbers they want you to aim for but I can't remember them off the top of my head.

IIRC it can take up to 7mins for a neonate's oxygen saturation to reach extrauterine levels and during those first few minutes their spo2 will normally be 70-80%.

OP: stupid question, are you sure it was a NRB and not a face tent or simple mask?
 
OP, it worked out, you did ok, then fine! I don't read from your post that you did anything foolhardy.
BTW, whereabouts? Know where Clinton is?

thank you mycrofft. And yes I know where Clinton is, travel through it going to Clarksville, Little Rock
 
IIRC it can take up to 7mins for a neonate's oxygen saturation to reach extrauterine levels and during those first few minutes their spo2 will normally be 70-80%.

OP: stupid question, are you sure it was a NRB and not a face tent or simple mask?

Funny this came up. I am taking a NRP (Neonatal resuscitation class) right now. Book states it can take up to ten minutes post-delivery for the 02 saturation to reach 90%. This is normal. As long as they're breathing normally on their own oxygen should not be provided.

Targeted Pre-Ductal Sp02 After Birth Table:
1 min -60-65%
2 min -65-70%
3 min -70-75%
and so on till 10 min - 85-95%


If PPV needs to be performed then it is to be done with room air.
 
Back
Top