Last thursday was my first day on the ambulance for a surrounding town's volunteer service. My first call was a man stabbed eight times. He had wounds all over his chest and even a few on his back (steak knife). Upon arrival I noticed that the patient was gasping for breath and actually stopped breathing as we were moving him to the stretcher. My FTO and I frantically began CPR + bvm after loading the patient on to the ambulance and the medic began providing ALS treatment (deflating lungs + epis). The patient was pronounced dead shortly after we got him into the trauma room, I wasn't really surprised because he was gushin blood the whole time. During the call I saw the medic drill into the patient's leg, anyone know what that's called?
Stabbing
- Thread starter eastman
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Anjel
Forum Angel
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It's an IO. Intraosseous. If you can't establish an IV or in times of cardiac arrest it is a good option. Meds and fluids go into the bone and into the blood stream that way.
NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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And as a point if interest, the medic didn't "deflate the lungs", he decompressed the chest in the hope that relieving a tension pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity, which causes the lungs to collapse) would allow the lungs to reinflate.
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That is one heck of a first call.
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NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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Thanks! Fat fingers on the iPhone. ...
FltMedicRob
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Just imagine how bad it would be as a first date.......:rofl:
Ok I know I have a sick sense of humor.
TheLocalMedic
Grumpy Badger
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I routinely stab my dates with a steak knife. Doesn't everyone?
MedicOfReddit
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All the more reason to swoon them with those awesome medical skills, aye?
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Ya... Nothing like getting drilled on the first date..
Don't they teach what an IO is in Basic?
Raphamedic
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I.o
granitendirt
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My instructor touched on it but more in a conversational way, not as part of the curriculum. In fact, we didn't discuss IVs much at all except getting shown how to spike a bag.
AEMTstudent
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IO is an ALS skill. EMT B & EMT I are not allowed to perform this procedure, though as an EMT I we do learn about them in case we need to assist EMT Ps in the field.
alexandermpd
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I've had some interesting stab calls 
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You're incorrect.
AEMT/EMT-Is can most definitely place IOs.
I also believe that EMT-Bs can establish them in cardiac arrests in certain areas.
AEMTstudent
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nope. not here they can't. restricted to ALS.
Anjel
Forum Angel
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Then you need to specify that you are talking about your area, and not make a blanket statement.
VFlutter
Flight Nurse
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You're incorrect.
AEMT/EMT-Is can most definitely place IOs.
I also believe that EMT-Bs can establish them in cardiac arrests in certain areas.
I like "Critical Care Paramedic"....Same as Paramedic
CC Nurses can place Fem lines, chest tubes, and do pericardiocentesis? Where do I sign up?!?
AEMTstudent
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I like "Critical Care Paramedic"....Same as Paramedic
CC Nurses can place Fem lines, chest tubes, and do pericardiocentesis? Where do I sign up?!?
We don't have "CCP" designation here either. EMT-P is at the top of the food chain, and if you fly, most services will provide additional training/sims etc but unfortunately we don't have that designation.