Ammonia Inhalants...

[Cohn]

Ammonia pellets are useless to us if they are out... keep em' that way.

 

[DrParasite]

Only because this topic came up at EMS con ed, with mixed opinions from people, and I didnt' feel like starting a new thread....

Are ammonia inhalants they still permitted, are there any new risks, and are you still carrying them on your trucks?

 

[Summit]

They are still very common on OB units for near syncopal episodes.

Amyl Nitrate is a weak countermeasure for cyanide poisoning
https://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/countermeasure_amyl-nitrite.htm

 

[DesertMedic66]

We haven’t carried them in well over 7 years

 

[luke_31]

We carry them, but we also get a lot of fake pass outs that refuse to wake up without them. So it's a useful diagnostic tool for when everything else doesn't work before that.

 

[Bullets]

We stopped carrying them once we got licensed in 2012. I discourage their use. EMTs have a tendency to shove them up the patients nose. I like a good hard trap pinch

 

[DrParasite]

We stopped carrying them once we got licensed in 2012.

was that just a coincidence, or did something with the licensure necessitate that change?

I discourage their use. EMTs have a tendency to shove them up the patients nose. I like a good hard trap pinch

you mean they don't go up someone's nose???? I don't think they work as well when placed behind the patient's ear......

in all seriousness, shoving them up a patient's nose sounds more like training and re-education is in order. or clinical discipline, where you can either demonstrate on said EMTs why you shouldn't shove them up a patient's nose or they can take a 5 shift unpaid suspension for mistreating their patients.

So other than the potential for providers misusing them (which is possible for any item in EMS), was there a reason you removed them?

 

[EpiEMS]

So other than the potential for providers misusing them (which is possible for any item in EMS), was there a reason you removed them?

I was under the impression that the possible problems caused by an unconscious patient with a (potential) unstable spinal injury recoiling reflexively was part of the reason for why people don't use them.

 

[Bullets]

was that just a coincidence, or did something with the licensure necessitate that change?you mean they don't go up someone's nose???? I don't think they work as well when placed behind the patient's ear......

in all seriousness, shoving them up a patient's nose sounds more like training and re-education is in order. or clinical discipline, where you can either demonstrate on said EMTs why you shouldn't shove them up a patient's nose or they can take a 5 shift unpaid suspension for mistreating their patients.

So other than the potential for providers misusing them (which is possible for any item in EMS), was there a reason you removed them?

No, nothing to do with actually having the license since they are not mentioned either way in the regulations

with the addition of paid staff and the creation of a hybrid agency, the paid staff went through and lightened up every aspect of our trucks. The volunteers had a habit of filling every cabinet and bag to the limit. We took 25 multi trauma dressings (the big huge ones) off one truck. We also got rid of superfluous stuff, and we felt that there was nothing an ammonia inhalant could provide that couldnt be done with your hand, or a pen. So them, those glass vial bee sting swabs, jaw screws, FROPVDs all went into the trash.

We did train our people, but once we threw them away, it wasnt an issue.

 

[VFlutter]

They are great before a heavy deadlift