EMSpassion94
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Are there any contraindications to the use of ammonia inhalants? Any information would be great. Thanks!
Ammonia Inhalants...
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Shishkabob
Forum Chief
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No absolute, but best not to use on someone with a reactive airway disease.
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Hopefully they are all expired, so yes.
firetender
Community Leader Emeritus
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For what and why?
Make believe we're your Base Station and we have no imagination.
Make believe we're your Base Station and we have no imagination.
bigbaldguy
Former medic seven years 911 service in houston
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We used to have them on the plane. If someone had severe ear distress from altitude issues we'd snap one under their nose and most of the time it would open them up. Recently though they were all removed.
abckidsmom
Dances with Patients
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They take the itch right out of a bug bite if you can get over the idea of applying a caustic chemical to broken skin.
Oh...so that rules out mucus membranes too.
Please, no ammonia caps. Johnny and Roy need them all for the museum.
Oh...so that rules out mucus membranes too.
Please, no ammonia caps. Johnny and Roy need them all for the museum.
usafmedic45
Forum Deputy Chief
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The only practical and clinically valid use I have ever had for them was clearing an aggressive dog out of a room with a collapsed patient.
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A couple weeks ago the ED doc gave me one to use on our pt while we waited for a nurse and a room 
traumaluv2011
Forum Lieutenant
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I don't see much practical use to these. If someone has a serious injury and is unconscious, they are going to be much easier to handle unconscious. You can find out what happened from an assessment and scene size-up.
Shishkabob
Forum Chief
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I use / have used them to 'wake up' obviously faking psych patients when the threat of an NPA isn't enough. How do I know they were faking? They were laughing / smiling at my jokes.
Not going to hurt my back when someone fully capable of walking would rather fake unconsciousness.
Not going to hurt my back when someone fully capable of walking would rather fake unconsciousness.
EMSpassion94
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Well....
We were dispatched the other day for an "Unconsious person." Before we arrived on scene we were notified it was "CPR in progress." Which, it wasn't. Turned out to be a woman who we had just transported the previous week due to "domestic violence." This time, she had had one too many beers, (8, she stated...) and was out cold. Lying on the floor in her bedroom. None of the bystanders could tell us if she fell or not, so we took all spinal precautions. Checked her pupils, which were a little sluggish. Once we loaded her into the ambulance, Medic arrived and used an ammonia inhalant on her. She came ALIIIIVEEE. :blink:
What i'm trying to get at I guess, is are there any contraindications to using ammonia inhalants, such as head trauma, spinal trauma? I could understand not using one on a serious injury/unconscious case. Make things more difficult, like traumaluv2011 said. And yes, we still carry ammonia inhalants on our rigs. They are not expired, and we do use them sometimes.
Ammonia has been so abused that I don't think they should be available to EMS and the ED.
Clinically? Very linited use in the patient who is suffering from suspected psychogenic syncope is probably fine. It's much easier to treat "the whole patient" when they're awake and speaking to you. The problem is you dont see "limited use". You see the "walrus", and ammonia being used in patients before other causes of unconsciousness are investigated.
Clinically? Very linited use in the patient who is suffering from suspected psychogenic syncope is probably fine. It's much easier to treat "the whole patient" when they're awake and speaking to you. The problem is you dont see "limited use". You see the "walrus", and ammonia being used in patients before other causes of unconsciousness are investigated.
Shishkabob
Forum Chief
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I once had a "paramedic" at AMR tell me that he 'saved a life' by keeping a patient awake with ammonia inhalents...
Needless to say, he hasn't been allowed to operate above the EMT level for quite some time (for a different reason, but still)
JPINFV
Gadfly
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Well, of course. How many awake dead people have you seen? Does it not logically follow that if you can keep someone from going to sleep they'll never die?
But, but....I've seen someone dead who's eyes were open?
JPINFV
Gadfly
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Shishkabob
Forum Chief
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Infact, I've seen dead people RE-open their eyes.... :wacko:
God I hate when you let the family go see the body and the eyes open JUST as they go in to kiss/hug the body...