Can I beat him at his own game? (Pulse question)

RebelAngel

RebelAngel

White Cloud
Messages
226
Reaction score
6
Points
18
I know a guy in our FD that helps out with the EMT refresher courses. He told me last night he would be coming in for skills nights for my EMT course. He went on to say that he went in to help at EMT refresher course last night and one of the EMTs couldn't find his pulse, that he was screwing with him and the EMT didn't get his pulse until he made him laugh. He didn't tell me how he can make his pulse barely detectable but he said he can also make his BP readings go all over the place. I asked how many places the EMT tried to find his pulse and he said just his neck. I know there are other places to check the pulse and I think, in that situation, I would have tried somewhere else. Other than that, can I beat this guy at his own game on skills night?
 
He could vagal down and possibly slow his own pulse temporarily, but there's no way he can make his carotid undetectable. Some people's pulses are more difficult to palpate than others due to deeper lying arteries or more than average tissue/fat. Sure, feel free to check other places, but the most likely explanation is that the new EMT student simply isn't used to finding pulses yet and the "patient" was trying to vagal to make it slightly more difficult. The easiest place to palpate a pulse is going to be at the carotid artery anyway.
 
No, this was an EMT, not a student. He should know how to find pulse.
 
This sounds kind of odd. Any information on what kind of build he has? Athletic background at all?
 
If he's bearing down he's probably flexing his neck and that's gonna make it tough to feel a carotid pulse.

Dude sounds like a jackass
 
He says he can make himself very calm and then hype himself up again. Eh, whatever...I just want to know how to prevent him from messing with me when it's my turn to practice skills on him.

ETA: He did say that the instructors do occasionally give specific instructions to the people that assist in the skills lab, to see how the student handles it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
He is very active in the FD, but I don't know if he has any structured work out plans...I doubt it as much as he works. Haven't really paid attention to see if he's built like an athlete, but I don't think he's overweight.

Does that help any?

MedicSchrute said:
This sounds kind of odd. Any information on what kind of build he has? Athletic background at all?
Click to expand...
 
Robb said:
If he's bearing down he's probably flexing his neck and that's gonna make it tough to feel a carotid pulse.

Dude sounds like a jackass
Click to expand...

Sounds like? ;)

RebelAngel said:
...I just want to know how to prevent him from messing with me when it's my turn to practice skills on him.
Click to expand...

Prevent him? Let him.

He'll probably get his pulse back fairly quickly when you drag him to the floor and start doing chest compressions after finding no pulse.
 
Robb said:
If he's bearing down he's probably flexing his neck and that's gonna make it tough to feel a carotid pulse.

Dude sounds like a jackass
Click to expand...
This.

Why not check his radial?... I doubt this guy vagals himself low enough to eliminate peripheral pulses... If he does, let his *** pass out, then laugh at him for being a tool.
 
Act like you have it and look at your watch and count. How long can this guy try to vagal without passing out. If you're an emt student, its not taboo to take a pulse for a full 60 seconds, even if you're just pretending.
 
I'll tell you how you beat him at his own game:

try and palpate along the femur
 
Why palpate the pulse with this guy... get an apical rate!
 
Akulahawk said:
Why palpate the pulse with this guy... get an apical rate!
Click to expand...

It's part of our skill set, we have to learn how to take pulse and apply during our skills nights, and other times. Unfortunately, we don't choose the volunteers, Instructor does. That being said, he's not a big ***, just screws around with people at times, to have some fun.

Jokingly, I told him if he screwed with me during my skill nights I would throw a bottle of water at him when I have to rehab him during fire fighting...forget vitals, haha. (No, wouldn't really do that).
 
MrJones said:
Sounds like? ;)



Prevent him? Let him.

He'll probably get his pulse back fairly quickly when you drag him to the floor and start doing chest compressions after finding no pulse.
Click to expand...

"Shock advised…charging…..":ph34r:
 
There is a trick where you can cause the illusion of starting and stopping your radial pulse at will, while someone is taking it.
 
An old magic trick of taking a small ball and placing in the axilla and occluding your brachial/radial pulse by squeezing the arm against the object

R/r 911
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top