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emt0229

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Well this is not that exciting, but maybe you will find it funny. So I just completed EMT-B and I am now on with a little mountain agency. This place only gets about 400 calls a year so we are talking pretty small. The calls we do get can be pretty good as they cover a large portion of I-70 just west of Denver.

So it is my first day on and most of it was pretty uneventful. Aside from the occasional Worlds Deadliest Police chases on TV, we had not seen much…This did not surprise me, because I would have to say I am a white cloud. I have about an hour left on my 12hr and am anxious to go home. And then, what happens? A tone of course. The call is an irritant in patient’s eye. I thought to myself “this should be interesting”. Never had to deal with an eye injury on any of my clinical.

So we go code 3 down I-70 and roll up with police on seen. The officer informed me that the Pt has superglue in her eye. I asked the officer why they were pulled over. “For suspicion of DUI.” I walked up to the Pt, took a look at her eye and it looked pretty bad. Were talking a total grey glob of superglue all around.

I decided to load and go as she seemed to be in A LOT of pain. I had the other EMT take vitals while I flushed the eye with saline. (They have 3 person rigs)

We finally got her to the hospital after sitting in traffic for 30 minutes. The doctor was able to save the eye, because this lucky woman was wearing contact lenses. The reason why she had superglue in her eye?...She had just smoked a joint and thought that is was Visine. All and all, I would say it was a pretty good first call.
 
emt0229 said:
She had just smoked a joint and thought that is was Visine.
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welcome to colorado! jk:P
poor girl, i'm glad her eye ended up being okay!

ps. i don't do drugs, but one time i mistook athletes foot cream for toothpaste. it was right before i was going to bed, and i was dead tired. it was so...ew.:rolleyes:
 
Thank goodness, it was just superglue... it is pretty harmless and can be diluted down. The worst thing I have ever seen and thought would not be so bad was Preparation H. hemorrhoid cream. An elderly woman thought it was her eye cream..

Preparation H is really shark oil in a cream base. It causes vasoconstriction (this reduces hemorrhoids) and many women place it under the their eyes (bags under the eyes) because causes the skin to become taut; but in the eyes can cause blindness, which this poor women received in one of her eyes, because of the delay.

R/r 911
 
Was really tired one night(my second baby and no sleep for a few(ha!ha!) days. So I went to brush my teeth, instead of toothpaste, it was diaper rash cream!! Zinc oxide is not pretty!:P ^_^ :P
 
I thought I would add that many may "spazz" with a patient with superglue to the eyes.

We have had several children that for some reason or another have received the glue to the eyes. Reassure the parents and patients they will be okay.

Saline, wash will help start to dissolve the solvent, and as well if possible warm compresses.

I have seen two treatments from physicians such as Ophthalmic Neosporin and a weak 3% HcO3 bicarbonate solution (NOT sodium bicarbonate!!!) that dissolves it and along with a flush.

(The same reason one should never use Neosporin on wounds sealed with Dermabond (medical superglue)

Lips, oral area... saliva is acidic that it will dissolve it in time, fingers and adhesion's of appendages one can use acetone type removal.

Here is a link for more info: http://www.supergluecorp.com/removingsuperglue.html
R/r 911
 
Rid: Good stuff, especially since Superglue tends to incite a chicken-with-it's-head-cut-off response in many people. The stuff you mentioned was new to me, and I now have a new tool for the old Box of Knowledge.

Doll: Came in from an all night call with the vollie FD and was rushing to get ready for work. I got a little shower soap in the eyes and was still bleary eyed from no sleep when I applied my wife's Vagisil to the toothbrush. "Class, would anyone like to guess how much you can hurl on an empty stomach before 7 am?" True Story...:blush:
 
Good stuff, Rid.

Working at the hospital, we actually watched a video during orientation that showed a maintence guy leaving a bottle of superglue on a counter during a repair, when he went to get another part...some old lady found it and was going to use it as eye drops - it was to illistrate several points:

Confusing containers can cause problems
Unnatended products can present a great hazard to patients.
It is EVERYONE's duty to watch out for those in the Hospital's care.
 
Summit said:
i think i know your agency. are you guys volly?



pretty much!
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No...Highland Rescue Team...They are pretty much a joke of an EMS service...so if you are up in that area, try not to get hurt. lol
 
Post Removed: re-read the thread and answered my own question.
 
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you waited in traffic ? you have an ambulance and waited in traffic ? sorry i would have had lights all the time and sirens only at intersections. i never go without my lights.
 
Mercy4Angels said:
you waited in traffic ? you have an ambulance and waited in traffic ? sorry i would have had lights all the time and sirens only at intersections. i never go without my lights.
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Just curious why you would have used L&S on this one. There does't appear to be anything life-threatening going on, and the increased risk that comes with running hot doesn't seem justifiable here.

Rid, thanks again for some great info!
 
i always run hot it gets me home faster. im a volly. However with my paid service i still would have went hot. eye sight isnt something to fool with. i want to know i did everything i could to save that person sight. and sitting in traffic to me sounds irresponsible.

the bottom line is if your a safe driver even while going hot you will be fine. dont drive like a moron and obey the traffic laws as much as you possibly can. go easy take your time but dont sit there for 30 minutes in traffic. turn your lights on and ride the shoulder. then on the way back to base sure sit in the traffic after the patient is at the hospital.
 
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Mercy4Angels said:
i always run hot it gets me home faster. im a volly. However with my paid service i still would have went hot. eye sight isnt something to fool with. i want to know i did everything i could to save that person sight. and sitting in traffic to me sounds irresponsible.

the bottom line is if your a safe driver even while going hot you will be fine. dont drive like a moron and obey the traffic laws as much as you possibly can. go easy take your time but dont sit there for 30 minutes in traffic. turn your lights on and ride the shoulder. then on the way back to base sure sit in the traffic after the patient is at the hospital.
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I am assured your are joking about running hot going home? Running hot if done safely, does not save anyone more than an additional minute or two. Plus placing multiple lives in jeopardy. In my state lights without sirens is illegal, as well we do not allow volunteers to display L & S.

R/r 911
 
Running hot to go home for convenience is unprofessional and dangerous.

I do know agencies that will have their rigs run hot to get home if coverage is depleted. This seems fairly acceptable.

Epi-do said:
Just curious why you would have used L&S on this one. There does't appear to be anything life-threatening going on, and the increased risk that comes with running hot doesn't seem justifiable here.
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Not knowing if there was further damage occurring to the eye, I very well might have lit up if stuck in traffic.

It's not just life that is important. Life and limb!
 
i think when he said "it gets me home faster" it means like if he gets there quicker it can in the long run get him home faster. like only going to the pt.
 
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