Interested in EMT-B, but how do i get used to the gore

[46Young]

Ah, like the guy my station got the other day (and I missed it, fortunately): A ~647 pound male, who hadn't been outside in 18 months. Who was too fat to wipe his own ***. Who doesn't bathe even that often—frankly, I can't imagine how he can bathe at all. Yeah, his legs were coated in feces and urine.

One guy who was on that call said, "It's actually more pleasant to imagine eating a bowl of vomit than remembering that call."

Call for an engine company, have them pull the forestry hose, and give him a washdown before removal

Edit: For style points, get the truck crew in on it, have them go into their salvage compartment, and set up a system to collect the runoff.

 

[46Young]

When I have to deal with bad smells, i choose to get over it and do my job.

can of man-up anyone?

I don't care how diesel you are, try riding in the back with a pt that has a perforated colostomy, in the summer heat, in stop and go traffic, with poor A/C. I choked it back numerous times for those 20 mins or so. My driver had to hang his head out of the window.

 

[abckidsmom]

I don't care how diesel you are, try riding in the back with a pt that has a perforated colostomy, in the summer heat, in stop and go traffic, with poor A/C. I choked it back numerous times for those 20 mins or so. My driver had to hang his head out of the window.

I've used many of my own puke bags over the years. Add in early pregnancy hormones, and I was just toast.

Mostly it was motion sickness, but it was always the sign that it was time to hang it up again until after the baby was born.

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

I don't care how diesel you are, try riding in the back with a pt that has a perforated colostomy, in the summer heat, in stop and go traffic, with poor A/C. I choked it back numerous times for those 20 mins or so. My driver had to hang his head out of the window.

I've done that one once, and it was admittedly the worst smell i have ever experienced.

And I dealt with it, without complaint, much like you did.

Yes, it was a bad smell, but here I am, just fine. (L4L is actually quite twisted in the head, but it is not due to 'ruptured colostomy bag smell'). It was only to be endured for a small time, and then life went on as normal.

 

[HDrol43560]

lol the perforated colostomy sounds like a good time.





How do you guys think I will do if I can look at pictures of gruesome stuff just fine(im talking decubitus ulcers, compound fractures, prolapsed rectums etc etc.)? Im really excited to take the course but i really cant say im 100 percent confident in myself. I dont think really queezy people would even be able to look at just pictures of stuff like that, but i can handle that so that gives me a little hope. Plus i see it all the time in my med terminology class.

It would be great if there was someone here in my position before and got over it who could give me their imput on what it was like.

So what do you guys think?

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

lol the perforated colostomy sounds like a good time.





How do you guys think I will do if I can look at pictures of gruesome stuff just fine(im talking decubitus ulcers, compound fractures, prolapsed rectums etc etc.)? Im really excited to take the course but i really cant say im 100 percent confident in myself. I dont think really queezy people would even be able to look at just pictures of stuff like that, but i can handle that so that gives me a little hope. Plus i see it all the time in my med terminology class.

It would be great if there was someone here in my position before and got over it who could give me their imput on what it was like.

So what do you guys think?

If you think your ability as an EMT is to be measured by your ability to look at "gruesome stuff", then you have already failed.

 

[CAO]

Kind of.

The things discussed so far in the class, not so much.

It was needles of all things for me. At the beginning of class, we were told our first IVs would be started on each other. I didn't exactly like the way that sounded.

But I decided that I wanted this, and I decided to stick D) it out. Got my line. Actually had my first IV by the guy I partnered with. Didn't help that he forgot to occlude when he took the needle out and turned me into a fountain :glare:

"Hahahahaha....uhh...I don't feel good."

 

[46Young]

lol the perforated colostomy sounds like a good time.





How do you guys think I will do if I can look at pictures of gruesome stuff just fine(im talking decubitus ulcers, compound fractures, prolapsed rectums etc etc.)? Im really excited to take the course but i really cant say im 100 percent confident in myself. I dont think really queezy people would even be able to look at just pictures of stuff like that, but i can handle that so that gives me a little hope. Plus i see it all the time in my med terminology class.

It would be great if there was someone here in my position before and got over it who could give me their imput on what it was like.

So what do you guys think?

Seeing it in person is way different than looking at pictures or video. For me personally, when I see something directly, for a second or two my mind pictures how it would feel if it happened to me. It's like watching someone do a faceplant, or seeing a guy get kicked in the nuts (if you're also a guy, obviously). You kind of "feel it" a little bit, too. It's about whether or not you can push that thought aside and do what you gotta do.

Can you schedule a clinical observation or something at a nearby level one trauma center?

Edit: Side note, during one of my ER clinicals during my medic program, one of my fellow students fainted and did a faceplant after seeing a BKA amp from a subway accident. She was already an EMT to begin with, and had planned to go pre-med after the paramedic program. WTF?

 

[HDrol43560]

If you think your ability as an EMT is to be measured by your ability to look at "gruesome stuff", then you have already failed.

No I know but its my first obstacle.

Kind of.

The things discussed so far in the class, not so much.

It was needles of all things for me. At the beginning of class, we were told our first IVs would be started on each other. I didn't exactly like the way that sounded.

But I decided that I wanted this, and I decided to stick D) it out. Got my line. Actually had my first IV by the guy I partnered with. Didn't help that he forgot to occlude when he took the needle out and turned me into a fountain :glare:

"Hahahahaha....uhh...I don't feel good."

Wow thats kinda worrying. Dont know how I would feel about someone inexperienced sticking me with a needle but i guess at that point we should know how to do it correctly.

Seeing it in person is way different than looking at pictures or video. For me personally, when I see something directly, for a second or two my mind pictures how it would feel if it happened to me. It's like watching someone do a faceplant, or seeing a guy get kicked in the nuts (if you're also a guy, obviously). You kind of "feel it" a little bit, too. It's about whether or not you can push that thought aside and do what you gotta do.

Can you schedule a clinical observation or something at a nearby level one trauma center?

Edit: Side note, during one of my ER clinicals during my medic program, one of my fellow students fainted and did a faceplant after seeing a BKA amp from a subway accident. She was already an EMT to begin with, and had planned to go pre-med after the paramedic program. WTF?

I actually volunteered at the ER during senior year of high school. Back then, I almost fainted when the doctor was performing arthrocentesis on someone. They noticed i was looking pale and told me to step out. I was pretty pissed at myself. Then again that was 3 years ago. Im pretty sure that wouldnt be a problem now.


Whats a BKA amp btw?

 

[46Young]

No I know but its my first obstacle.



Wow thats kinda worrying. Dont know how I would feel about someone inexperienced sticking me with a needle but i guess at that point we should know how to do it correctly.



I actually volunteered at the ER during senior year of high school. Back then, I almost fainted when the doctor was performing arthrocentesis on someone. They noticed i was looking pale and told me to step out. I was pretty pissed at myself. Then again that was 3 years ago. Im pretty sure that wouldnt be a problem now.


Whats a BKA amp btw?

Below the knee amputation. Drunk guy got his leg trapped between the car door and the platform. He got lucky. At my old post, every so often a drunk would get plowed by the 7 train (Corona Queens, 103 st station or sometimes Junction Blvd) and we'd find body parts strewn about on the street below.

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

Whats a BKA amp btw?

below knee amputation

 

[JJR512]

I've used many of my own puke bags over the years. Add in early pregnancy hormones, and I was just toast.

I'm not afraid to blame my puking in front of a patient on morning sickness...Even if it's the middle of the night...And despite being male.

 

[Pneumothorax]

Ah, like the guy my station got the other day (and I missed it, fortunately): A ~647 pound male, who hadn't been outside in 18 months. Who was too fat to wipe his own ***. Who doesn't bathe even that often—frankly, I can't imagine how he can bathe at all. Yeah, his legs were coated in feces and urine.

One guy who was on that call said, "It's actually more pleasant to imagine eating a bowl of vomit than remembering that call."

oh gahhh.

i remmeber working in ICU & saw a dude try to drink his C.Diff diarrhea from the bedpan as i was at the desk eating lunch.

the smell + the visual was less than appealing... he was a psych pt too, so hes gotta bigger problems than poop. :blink:

 

[Outbac1]

It's not so much about getting used to the gore as it is accepting that it exists. You won't really know how you will be in a situation until you are in it. Remember it's not your blood or body parts that are visable. You didn't cause the situation, you are there to help it. Most times the anticipation is worse than the actual situation. Chances are you will do fine.

The Vicks/Tigerbalm etc. doesn't go in your nose, it goes on your upper lip. And you don't need very much. Just enough to flavor the air.

If you really want to be an EMT go for it. The course isn't that long and doesn't cost that much. If you give the job a fair try and find you don't like it, you're not out that much. And you will know you tried what you wanted to do.

 

[Seaglass]

I prefer strong gum to Vick's. It won't open up your nose as much, gets rid of your bad breath, and helps wake you up in the middle of the night. Unless I actually need it, though, I keep it tucked between my gum and cheek. Chomping away during calls isn't all that professional.

The smell that tends to get me when you get vomit and diarrhea mixed together. Urine, blood, rotting stuff, and the other usual suspects somehow don't bother me as much.

Some people at my station swear by candied ginger as a way to get rid of nausea. I think that's more for motion sickness, but I imagine it could also mask smells.

 

[beandip4all]

The smell that tends to get me when you get vomit and diarrhea mixed together. Urine, blood, rotting stuff, and the other usual suspects somehow don't bother me as much.

Huh... I've found "septic g-tube" to be the worst smell I've ever encountered.

But plain old unwashed urine for a duration of a month or so is pretty rank, too...

 

[the_negro_puppy]

It all depends where you work I guess. I have been working fulltime in an ALS unit since February and have yet to see anything 'really gory'

 

[MrBrown]

Stop watching all the visual excrement on the telly, Brown has encountered relatively little gore in his time on the road

 

[firecoins]

Below the knee amputation. Drunk guy got his leg trapped between the car door and the platform. He got lucky. At my old post, every so often a drunk would get plowed by the 7 train (Corona Queens, 103 st station or sometimes Junction Blvd) and we'd find body parts strewn about on the street below.

Just because you found body parts in Corona does not mean it came from someone hit by the 7 train. Manbearpig used to ride the 7 to Shea.

 

[WARR]

While not an EMT - I could handle blood, guts and stuff. I would have to say that what gets to me is fecal matter, facial injuries (eyes, mouth), and the smell of sickness (sweat, poor hygiene and general uncleanness).