Calls In The Middle Of The Night

[wolfwyndd]

So has anyone else had any funny middle of the night calls or frequent flyers during the middle of the night?

We used to have a frequent flyer who was a diabetic. She would call at all hours of the day / night and her chief complaint was always that when she checked her sugar her meter would just read 'HI' and not give her a number. She she'd call 911 and want to go to the hospital. Invariably we'd show up on scene and she'd be sitting in front of her TV smoking a cigarette (and sometimes on home oxygen at the same time) with an open bag of skittles, M&M's and empty Nestle's wrappers scattered about the table in front of her and on the floor. Every single time we'd show up on her she'd admit that she'd been sitting there eating nothing by candy and junk food and every single time we'd explain to her that's why her sugar was so high. She never did get it. In any given year, just her alone probably accounted for 10 - 15 percent of our calls until she moved to another jurisdiction about two years ago.

 

[johnrsemt]

call for sick person; lady at the entrance of apartment complex waved us down, and we followed her as she walked (with her purse over her shoulder) through the complex parking lot; to a row of buildings. we unloaded the cot, and followed her to the back bldg, and to the back of the building. she unlocked her door and told us, to follow her into the apartment
when we left the cot outside the door and walked in with her, she told us that she was the patient, and that she threw up one time approx 20 min earlier.

she got upset when I told her to follow us back to the truck as I pushed the empty cot back. then had her sit on the airway chair, seat belted in. she wouldn't let us take vital signs, due to us not having NEW, in the plastic bag; equipment. told the hospital the same thing

 

[JeffDHMC]

Actually yes every call should at minimum have a Paramedic on scene.

To say that most calls need a paramedic is ludicrous. To say they all do is beyond the realms of understanding.

Any basic can manage a tight assessment. In my opinion the only difference between a good basic and a good medic is what the can do in regards to procedures and medications. Any basic worth his salt can do what is important; have a high index of suspicion obtain a solid hx for the receiving facility. The extra bells and whistles that come with being a medic are just that and rarely make a difference. Vive la EMT-B.

Jeff

 

[reaper]

I hope all of Denver doesn't have this mind set. It is called education!

 

[wolfwyndd]

The extra bells and whistles that come with being a medic are just that and rarely make a difference. Vive la EMT-B.

I agree with MOST of what you said, but I'm not sure I agree with this. I believe the majority of calls a Basic can handle on their own, but there's quite a bit of calls that require WAY more then a Basic can provide. Any good Basic worth their salt can tell what calls are out of their realm of treatment and will call for backup immediately.

 

[Seaglass]

I agree with MOST of what you said, but I'm not sure I agree with this. I believe the majority of calls a Basic can handle on their own, but there's quite a bit of calls that require WAY more then a Basic can provide. Any good Basic worth their salt can tell what calls are out of their realm of treatment and will call for backup immediately.

I usually stay out of this old debate, but it's early in the morning and I can't sleep.

I think that a good team of basics technically can handle most calls, but I'd still far rather have ALS as part of each crew. I hate wondering whether it's really worth calling the intercept. I really hate seeing patients in pain when they could get relief. And I really, really hate having them crash and wondering when the medic will get there.

 

[TransportJockey]

I hope all of Denver doesn't have this mind set. It is called education!

I live in Denver for the moment, and I've been clear on the fact that I don't ahve this mindset

 

[Bullets]

Long time lurker here, I work the 1800-0600 shift, so i am the king of the late nigth calls.

0200-0400 is prime time for drunk time, bars close at 2 and the drunks try to go home and get in all kinds of trouble. had a guy last week at the local Quik Check who walked 6 miles from a wedding in a tux, fell down in the deli, and called for a ride home. took him to the hospital, ER nurses were thrilled...

had a guy who seemed drunk, disoriented, definatley AMS, blew a .00, no problems upon admitance, just a strange guy...

frequent flier, hx of MS and on like 15 Rx, routinely calls between 5-6 for migraine, body pains, UME, only to be released within the hour. She would also routinely call 911, we'd respond, shed refuse our transport and request a private company. i had the officers document her refusals, and later had her locked up for inciting a public alarm after 15 refusals. now she just calls the private company direct

 

[Stephanie.]

I once was called to a parking lot of a gas station right on the county line, for face trauma..?? Once we got there, the patient was a 6yom that was bleeding from his gums. (Him and his cousin were throwing a monster truck (toy) instead of pushing it around and he was hit in the mouth.) The mother stated that she had her grandmother drive her there because they didn't want to be transported by the other county. (Which is completely understandable :-X ) The medic stated that we could take him to the ED, but they wouldn't be able to assist with that, he would have to see a dentist. The mother acknowledged, and then came back and asked if we could transport them to the ED (which is over an hour transport) so they could walk across the street to the dentist office because 'she didn't have a ride'. :glare:

"yea lady, get in"

 

[SauceyEMT]

We get those all the time. I do a great deal of overnights, and a few Tuesday's ago at the start of the shift at 0013 or something similar, we were dispatched to a parking lot by one of the dorm buildings for an unknown medical. We get there and it was two sorority girls that were a bit buzzed, nothing even resembling a medical emergency. Total waste of time.

WTF? Since when are two sloppy drunk sorority girls a waste of time? What f*ckin' planet are you on? h34r: