A pretty bad day

[btkspot89]

Darn leaky surgical sites!

What I forgot to say was this was a surgical site that was closed for a year and started leaking 2 days prior to our dispatch. I suspected internal bleeding was the cause of her crashing on us. But of course I couldn't guess since its not in my protocol.

 

[EMSrush]

One time we had an LBS dialysis patient who could be squished onto the regular stretcher in a pinch. We were busy that day they sent a regular stretcher. We asked for a lift assist, but didn't get one, so we were both at the foot of the stretcher.

The lock bar didn't catch on the hook, and when we both lifted, the stretcher slid forward the fell over. There as nothing we could do. I probably actually made it worse by trying to hold my end with one hand and reach for the side to try and right the tipping. The patient ended up face down on the cement with a stretcher on top of her.

Reading this ticks me off, because it reminds me of a couple of times when we requested lift assist and were denied. Not only were we denied, we were guilted for holding things up when we could have just "used some strength". There is a very good reason for asking for help when you need it, no one should be made to feel bad for it. I am quite curious as to what your supervisor had to say after the fact, assuming that he/she knew that you asked for help before the incident.

 

[bigbaldguy]

It was a nightmare, and I hope that most people only have one experience like that.

Hmm just the one I'm all paranoid now.

 

[exodus]

With most of our older vans the step doesn't go up, and you have to pull the stretcher out until the hook catches just to clear the step. So yes, it's to be used every single time.

None of the steps go up on our vans go up either. And I HIGHLY doubt they are installed correctly if the only way to get the gurney out is to pull it out far enough to be pulling on that hook... It catching it slightly is correct. It catching it and STOPPING the gurney, is incorrect and unsafe.

 

[the_negro_puppy]

That is some what of a bold statment to make about a patient without any medical history or personal knowledge of the situation.

No matter which way you look at it, to sustain a weight of 450 lbs you need to consume an insane amount of food on a daily basis (pt CAN help this) and live a sedentary lifestyle (may not be able to help this). Either way this pt is at least partially to blame for their own ill health. Not everyone who is morbidly obese has some disease, genetic or thyroid problem that is responsible for their obesity.

 

[dixie_flatline]

None of the steps go up on our vans go up either. And I HIGHLY doubt they are installed correctly if the only way to get the gurney out is to pull it out far enough to be pulling on that hook... It catching it slightly is correct. It catching it and STOPPING the gurney, is incorrect and unsafe.

I don't know, on our International/Hortons fitted with Fernos, you have to get the cot pulled until it catches in order to lower the wheels - and our back step does flip up. I've never seen it fail to catch, though I suppose if enough gunk got in there it could conceivably get stuck in the "open" position, but I doubt this would go unnoticed.