Pulse ox

[Aprz]

Bummer. I just got to policy 808 in our protocols in Santa Clara County. Pulse Oximetry is not within the scope of practice of an EMT. Well, that's the end of that. If I had only read this part of the policies and protocol last week before we had that discussion at work.

http://www.sccgov.org/SCC/docs/Emer...P)/attachments/9.1.11 SNF Handbook 090111.pdf

 

[Akulahawk]

That document was last updated in 9/11. It's certainly possible that the scope of practice has been slightly updated since then. Generally speaking though, that document is a pretty good summary of the scope of practice for SCC EMS since I first saw it about 10 years ago.

There is a possible conflict between that document and the other one in the protocols that defines what the basic vital signs are... so that may have to be clarified somehow.

 

[Aprz]

True that, there are a couple of mistakes I've found in the protocols e.g. they mispelled Lucile Packard Children's Hospital as Louise Packard Children Hospital in policy 101 provider codes, in policy 501 hospital ring down under trauma they say refer to 606, which is transfer of care, for the list of mechanisms for activating trauma, but likely meant policy 605 prehospital trauma triage. They have little mistakes like in policy 600 field pronouncement of death they list criterias as II and Action as II, skip III, and go to IV. It makes me wonder they tell us not to make mistakes like this on our PCRs and to follow protocols, but there are mistakes like this all over the place.

I also considered that in that policy, 808, it says the scope is the same for 911, and EMTs are trained to place electrodes and pulse ox for the paramedics and do it so perhaps this is intended to say they cannot interpret is value unless our exclusive operating agency (EOA) that does 9-1-1 has an approve class to expand the scope of practice for EMTs to do that (cause I'm sure they have to take a class within the agency), and I mean this is an approve class by the medical director, not just a class like my company is suppose to make sure are on the same page if you know what I mean.