Off duty and inebriated

ExpatMedic0

ExpatMedic0

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Here is one for you all. Lets say your at home(or at the bar) enjoying a few cold ones responsibly, celebrating. Suddenly a guy outside your front window drops to the ground. As you gaze on in drunken disbelief, it appears he dropped to the ground due to a sudden cardiac arrest. No ones doing CPR or wants to help, you consider helping but your highly inebriated,your judgment is impaired, and your motor function is altered. How do you proceed(if at all)?

[Note: You don't have any whacker supplies on you, nor does anyone know your affiliated with EMS.]
 
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Hmm. I suppose this depends on how intoxicated I was. If I were still coherent enough to recognize cardiac arrest when I saw it, I suppose I would begin chest compressions only and ensure someone contacted 911. I'd certainly avoid mentioning anything about being off duty EMS and would leave the scene as soon as possible when someone else took over. I think this is a prime example of functioning as a lay person under Good Samaritan laws. No whacker gear is present, no identifying insignia, and no question if you are on duty.

Having said that, if I were actually "highly inebriated," I doubt I'd be in any condition to even attempt CPR. If someone dropped outside a bar window, I don't even think I'd have noticed it on some of my more exciting college nights...
 
I think any CPR would be better than no CPR. If this guy had a chance at all and it was due to something besides a major trauma I would avoid mentioning I was an EMT, but dang, I'd risk my license to try.
It isn't like it wasn't intentional that whoever was intoxicated and on scene and responding. It may even be a good Samaritan kinda thing
 
Call 911 - absolutely
Start CPR - if competent (stop if they push you off) :wacko:
 
Call 911 and hands only CPR.
 
Robb said:
Call 911 and hands only CPR.
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The only difference is after 30 compressions you take a shot and any party fouls are to be repaid by mouth to mouth respirations :rofl: :rofl:
 
This is a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. If it gets out in the news or to the family that you were off duty medical personnel then you are just screwed. I'd probably see if I could dial 911 and yell at people till someone else started compressions.
 
Rialaigh said:
This is a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. If it gets out in the news or to the family that you were off duty medical personnel then you are just screwed.
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Ummm why would it matter? you have no duty to act (not to open that bag of worms) but as it clearly stated nobody knew you were affiliated with EMS. This is exactly why when I got out to get "weird" I just tell people I am a blimp pilot. Many times Iv seen girls in bars have syncopal episodes and I just watched and grab some popcorn and wait for some ricky to come around and save the day, Iv even seen a guy start compressions on a girl who had a syncopal, great fun was had by all as this guy bought a round for the bar because the thought he saved her life :beerchug:
 
No damned if I don't here! I am under no obligation when I'm off duty and am not exposing my drunk a$$ to any unnecessary liability by getting involved. I also have no interest or concern with any family members perception of the situation. They should focus their time on helping their loved one, not harassing me.........

This is why I built my privacy fence and prefer to drink on my back porch, lol.
 
Flight-LP said:
No damned if I don't here! I am under no obligation when I'm off duty and am not exposing my drunk a$$ to any unnecessary liability by getting involved. I also have no interest or concern with any family members perception of the situation. They should focus their time on helping their loved one, not harassing me.........

This is why I built my privacy fence and prefer to drink on my back porch, lol.
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This.
 
Flight-LP said:
No damned if I don't here! I am under no obligation when I'm off duty and am not exposing my drunk a$$ to any unnecessary liability by getting involved. I also have no interest or concern with any family members perception of the situation. They should focus their time on helping their loved one, not harassing me.........

This is why I built my privacy fence and prefer to drink on my back porch, lol.
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While I agree my conscious wouldn't be happy with me.

If there's someone else around to do CPR I've got no problem calling 911 for them. Can't really say much to me about that in either direction.
 
mike1390 said:
Ummm why would it matter? you have no duty to act (not to open that bag of worms) but as it clearly stated nobody knew you were affiliated with EMS. This is exactly why when I got out to get "weird" I just tell people I am a blimp pilot. Many times Iv seen girls in bars have syncopal episodes and I just watched and grab some popcorn and wait for some ricky to come around and save the day, Iv even seen a guy start compressions on a girl who had a syncopal, great fun was had by all as this guy bought a round for the bar because the thought he saved her life :beerchug:
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Legally it doesn't matter, but when the news reporters are knocking on your door and calling your cell phone and work phone asking you to comment on why you, a medical professional, did nothing to help someone who was dying...well, it intereferes with your life even if you didn't do anything wrong.


You get portrayed as the bad guy either way when it doesn't turn out well.
 
Rialaigh said:
Legally it doesn't matter, but when the news reporters are knocking on your door and calling your cell phone and work phone asking you to comment on why you, a medical professional, did nothing to help someone who was dying...well, it intereferes with your life even if you didn't do anything wrong.


You get portrayed as the bad guy either way when it doesn't turn out well.
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How would they find out? What would be the tag line? Drunk guy at a bar who we assume to be medically trained refused CPR?
 
Rialaigh said:
Legally it doesn't matter, but when the news reporters are knocking on your door and calling your cell phone and work phone asking you to comment on why you, a medical professional, did nothing to help someone who was dying...well, it intereferes with your life even if you didn't do anything wrong.


You get portrayed as the bad guy either way when it doesn't turn out well.
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:wacko:!?!?!?! what? Rialaigh you sound a bit paranoid.

Do you go drink in uniform? Do you hand out business cards with all your info on them stating you are a medic?

But for the sake of this being the interweb lets say you answered yes to one of the questions above. Which story would you rather have the news report

"Drunk man who claims to be a medic does nothing while man dies"
or
"Drunk paramedic interferes with responding units during emergency situation ; gets arrested for disorderly conduct and state takes his license to practice"

yeah thats why I stick to my blimp pilot story... or sometimes I use the "Im in town for the circus.. I sell cotton candy" line when people ask what I do.
 
mike1390 said:
:wacko:!?!?!?! what? Rialaigh you sound a bit paranoid.

Do you go drink in uniform? Do you hand out business cards with all your info on them stating you are a medic?

But for the sake of this being the interweb lets say you answered yes to one of the questions above. Which story would you rather have the news report

"Drunk man who claims to be a medic does nothing while man dies"
or
"Drunk paramedic interferes with responding units during emergency situation ; gets arrested for disorderly conduct and state takes his license to practice"

yeah thats why I stick to my blimp pilot story... or sometimes I use the "Im in town for the circus.. I sell cotton candy" line when people ask what I do.
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I don't tell anyone. That said I could see this scenario playing out

Guy dies in front of your, your hammered. You call 911 and identify yourself as a medic and say this guy just died. Dispatcher pleads with you to start CPR and you don't...makes a great news story....

If your smashed and you call 9-1-1 I would be willing to bet a fair number of you guys would identify yourself as medics (knowingly or unknowingly).


The scenario is if you are inebriated, not drinking a bit.
 
Yet again, why would you identify yourself? Why would anyone get your number if you call 911, other than dispatch?

Are you drunk right now?
 
Rialaigh said:
I don't tell anyone. That said I could see this scenario playing out

Guy dies in front of your, your hammered. You call 911 and identify yourself as a medic and say this guy just died. Dispatcher pleads with you to start CPR and you don't...makes a great news story....

If your smashed and you call 9-1-1 I would be willing to bet a fair number of you guys would identify yourself as medics (knowingly or unknowingly).


The scenario is if you are inebriated, not drinking a bit.
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For me to admit to being an EMT over the phone to a dispatcher, I think I'd have to be so intoxicated that I couldn't even use the phone to begin with.
 
Tigger said:
For me to admit to being an EMT over the phone to a dispatcher, I think I'd have to be so intoxicated that I couldn't even use the phone to begin with.
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This. Saying I'm an off duty EMT/medic is not going to make a difference when it comes to calling 911.
 
Tigger said:
For me to admit to being an EMT over the phone to a dispatcher, I think I'd have to be so intoxicated that I couldn't even use the phone to begin with.
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Pretty much the deffinition of inebriated.

I can't remember the last time I was inebriated and able to use a phone well


I guess my point was this is the stuff that "good" news stories are made of. It's a situation I don't want to be around at all to start with.
 
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