Differences in Paramedic and emt run ambulances

[medic417]

Interesting thoughts about the differences in ambulances based on how they are staffed in this article.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar...lance_an_ambulance_the_differences.html?cat=5

 

[CAO]

Pain management.

Yep...that's the only difference

 

[firetender]

The message he's giving is the problem with ambulances is some of them (EMT level) just pick you up and bounce you around to the hospital, and others (paramedic) come to you and give you something for pain and THEN bounce you around to the hospital.

The problem is you never know who's gonna come, the meat wagon or the drug wagon.

He's quite the intelligent writer and a huge service to us because now his reading public knows the difference between a paramedic and EMT is that you can get loaded off the paramedic. Great coverage!

 

[JPINFV]

Pain management.

Yep...that's the only difference

Did he say it's the only difference, or would you like a complete comparison that no one will read?

 

[Aprz]

Pain management is one example. There are many things a Paramedic can do for their patients that an EMT can't do.

 

[CAO]

He didn't say either way. That's why I was rolling my eyes.

Pain management is nothing to scoff at, but if I need an ambulance, I'm going to prefer an ALS to a BLS because of the increased scope of practice overall.

If he's really wanting to make an argument towards increasing the number of paramedic staffed ambulances he needs to at least mention some of the skills paramedics can perform when the fecal matter hits the thermal oscillator. It doesn't have to be a long article to mention an increased knowledge or cardiology, advanced airway procedures, and a few of the other drugs that you'll find only on an ALS ambulance.

 

[TransportJockey]

Pretty good article. He simplifies it down so the more retarded members of the general public might actually understand it

 

[medic417]

He didn't say either way. That's why I was rolling my eyes.

Pain management is nothing to scoff at, but if I need an ambulance, I'm going to prefer an ALS to a BLS because of the increased scope of practice overall.

If he's really wanting to make an argument towards increasing the number of paramedic staffed ambulances he needs to at least mention some of the skills paramedics can perform when the fecal matter hits the thermal oscillator. It doesn't have to be a long article to mention an increased knowledge or cardiology, advanced airway procedures, and a few of the other drugs that you'll find only on an ALS ambulance.

Thats funny as it seems to me that he ended by saying something about other differences that he would talk about later or something like that.

 

[CAO]

Touche. I missed that last sentence.

That's what I get for trying to study at the same time.

 

[usalsfyre]

What is interesting is the variation of what the public at large places importance on (pain management) vs what EMS places importance on.

 

[medic417]

Poll added.

 

[DrParasite]

What is interesting is the variation of what the public at large places importance on (pain management) vs what EMS places importance on.

I never thought it of this way, but you might be right.

When I think of paramedics, I think Advance Airways, IVs and drug therapy, cardiac monitor, and those are the calls I am going to be hoping I have a paramedic for, with pain management being an as needed basis.

According to the article/public, a paramedic is primarily to make sure you are feeling no pain during the ride to the hospital, and that is their primary job.

very interesting

 

[medic417]

According to the article/public, a paramedic is primarily to make sure you are feeling no pain during the ride to the hospital, and that is their primary job.

Interesting interpretation. Based on the last little bit I don't think that is what he was saying. Seemed he was just pointing out one major difference. Was kind of refreshing to see someone putting out something that gets used often rather than the Paramedics save lives stuff that the IAFF and even Third service Paramedics always seem to claim as the reason to exist. Yet we all know that EMS at any level actually saves few lives in reality

 

[Veneficus]

Without rehashing the discussions that have already been made in the past, I would just like to point out:

Most nonmedical people go to the doctor when something is wrong. Pain is one of the most common if not the most common complaint.

When non medical people seek medical help, they are really not all that interested in the various pathologies etc. THey want their problem solved with as little interruption in their lives as possible.

We as medical providers often forget that things like dialated cardiomyopathy to the patient means theyhave trouble breathing when doing their day to day activities. (whatever level that happens to be) they want to be able to go back to what they did before, or near enough to it. Even if you were to fix the problem (unlikely) and preserve function for another 20 years, all they would know or care about is you helped them breath better.

The same for caughing, nausea, a cold, and all the other things.

As always, very few people ever need a paramedic, but they problably want one because they are more than just a taxi ride. They start to make things "feel better."

The same goes for MIs and all the other pathologies.

 

[medic417]

Without rehashing the discussions that have already been made in the past, I would just like to point out:

Most nonmedical people go to the doctor when something is wrong. Pain is one of the most common if not the most common complaint.

When non medical people seek medical help, they are really not all that interested in the various pathologies etc. THey want their problem solved with as little interruption in their lives as possible.

We as medical providers often forget that things like dialated cardiomyopathy to the patient means theyhave trouble breathing when doing their day to day activities. (whatever level that happens to be) they want to be able to go back to what they did before, or near enough to it. Even if you were to fix the problem (unlikely) and preserve function for another 20 years, all they would know or care about is you helped them breath better.

The same for caughing, nausea, a cold, and all the other things.

As always, very few people ever need a paramedic, but they problably want one because they are more than just a taxi ride. They start to make things "feel better."The same goes for MIs and all the other pathologies.

Very good way of putting it.

 

[Journey]

Don't any of you recognize some of the comments in that article? Most are very similar to those made by members of this forum who may have EMT or Paramedic training.

Anybody remember this thread?

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=15509

When those in EMS can not agree upon proper patient care why shouldn't one expect confusion at the public level?

Of course that is just one BLS vs ALS thread on this forum and this is just one EMS forum.

Did anybody happen to notice where this article came from?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/

Associated Content from Yahoo!™ is an open publishing platform that enables anyone to earn money by sharing their knowledge with an online audience of millions.
Browse the collective knowledge of 400,000 individual Contributors

This article may have been placed by anyone including a member of this forum.

 

[Veneficus]

Don't any of you recognize some of the comments in that article? Most are very similar to those made by members of this forum who may have EMT or Paramedic training.

So?

Does it make make it any less factual? (granted the pain descriptions and the effectiveness of treatment may have been a bit extreme)

Even if it is shameless self promotion, is it somehow morally wrong?

Anybody remember this thread?

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=15509.

One of countless ones on various forums over the years. As the years progress, the arguments haven't changed.

When those in EMS can not agree upon proper patient care why shouldn't one expect confusion at the public level?

I tried to sum it up in a few words. The difference between what you want and what you need.

Very few things actually require even BLS. There are whole nations that get along without any ambulances or EMS at all.

A broken bone doesn't require an EMT or BLS or whatever you want to call it. People break bones and go to the doctor or hospital on their own all the time.

Self splinting is an inborne defense mechanism in every primate I have studied and I am willing to bet every mammal at least.

On the same note, "needing ALS" is rather tenuous as well. Undoubtably ALS as well as BLS have value. But they are not in the "need" category. Maybe since we strongly value those services we often over estimate their value?

In just my personal experience there are more greiviously ill and injured people that come through the front door of the ED via POV, or homeboy ambulance service than by EMS. As more solid stats, the last ED I was employed as a medic at, only 10% of the total patient volume of 94K patients a year came in by EMS. That number would mean the 4900 emergent surgery trauma patients came in by EMS and less than 1//2 of them did.

Of course that is just one BLS vs ALS thread on this forum and this is just one EMS forum.

they do get rather tiresome.

This article may have been placed by anyone including a member of this forum.

I did not post the article, nor do I know who did.

 

[medic417]

By the way what other name are you posting on here with as your writing style seems to match someone else very closely?

Don't any of you recognize some of the comments in that article? Most are very similar to those made by members of this forum who may have EMT or Paramedic training.

Anybody remember this thread?

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=15509

When those in EMS can not agree upon proper patient care why shouldn't one expect confusion at the public level?

Of course that is just one BLS vs ALS thread on this forum and this is just one EMS forum.

Did anybody happen to notice where this article came from?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/




This article may have been placed by anyone including a member of this forum.

Yes this is a yahoo story so anyone even someone not in EMS may have written it. I liked that they did not attack the emt's they just showed how a patient could be better treated with a Paramedic. It does not seem to be anything like the discussion you linked. That discussion had bashing both ways lower vs higher level of care.

Whats funny about your statement, "This article may have been placed by anyone including a member of this forum" is that many articles in even our trade journals come from members of this or other EMS forum groups. Many of the storys mirror discussions that were first discussed on this or other sites such as emtcity, jems connect, flightweb, allnurses, etc. Writers find hot topics in order to sell their words. If they wrote about what ever they wanted most of the time they would sell nothing. We have at least 3 people that post here that are open about being involved in various forms of the media, who knows they possibly used sites like yahoo to get their media into print. So not really sure why you threw that one into the mix.

 

[medic417]

By the way what other name are you posting on here with as your writing style seems to match someone else very closely?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[medic417]

What is interesting is the variation of what the public at large places importance on (pain management) vs what EMS places importance on.

Yes the public values instant pain relief much higher than many Paramedics it seems.