Trauma or Medical

[angels.girl84]

Awesome catch

The time I sniffed out a mild organophosphate poisoning from a 3 am rash call was enough to keep me happy for a year. The lady was complaining of a mild rash on the medial side of her arms at the elbows/top of forearms. She wined and complained, and wiped her nose which was running even though it was 3 am in July. I saw a tear run out of her eye and had a flash. Asked her where she worked, and it was at the tractor supply company. Where she carries bags of fertilizer from pallet to shelf all day. With gloves and a short sleeve shirt on.

 

[crossatwood]

I agree that you should not put on blinders to medical situations just because there is a trauma like the mvc caused by the heart attack. That being said as a basic, trauma tends to allow more for me to handle in some cases with boarding, splinting, wound care, etc. and medical is sometimes limited as i can only administer a couple meds and need to contact olmc for most of them. Pts are pts tho and whatever the call you do all you can within your scope of practice.

 

[jjesusfreak01]

Trauma vs Medical? Simple enough...

If there's no trauma, it's medical. If there is trauma, then its trauma, and after you fix the trauma you can look to see if there is any medical mixed in. If its traumatic arrest, you pull out the sheets.

I might make an exception for the kid on a school field trip at the candy factory who fell 20ft into a bin of peanuts and was going into anaphylactic shock.

Anyways, general rule is whatever will kill the patient the quickest gets treated first. That may be a spurting wound, an airway obstruction, or pulmonary edema. Trauma or medical, doesn't really make a difference. How fun is each? Traumas probably more fun for a basic, and medical for a paramedic. A medic running a technical code the best way they can show off their skills, and a basic stopping hemmorhaging and bandaging a patient is the best way they can show off.

 

[subliminal1284]

Medical is so much more intriging, especially on an ALS unit where you have so much at your disposal. The 12-Lead and glucometers mean you can administer alot more treatment and see the effects.

In trauma its still basically board, collar and tx.

Glucometer is a basic skill here

 

[Shishkabob]

Talk about having my hands full...

Had a call last night where someone apparently had a seizure, fell off the top bunk, and probably had another (witnessed) seizure.


So not only did I have to worry about what caused the first seizure, but also the second one, the neck pain, the back pain, the possible broken ribs, the possible internal bleeding, the excruciating pain the pt was in, the possible head injury, the probable loss of consciousness, the rapid breathing.




Aside from the cardiac arrest I worked, this was probably the most complex call I've run in regards to the amount of things I had to think about, do, and juggle.

 

[Melclin]

The process of working on a head injured kid with three broken ribs feels different to working on a STEMI who throws a few odd rhythms, regardless of whatever the underlying pathophys may be and thats how I take the question posed in this thread.

I'll take your average medical over your average trauma call, on account of the fact that your average trauma call usually doesn't involve much more than a boo boo or an owie. Even when they are legitimately hurt, a broken arm, a bloody huge lac, its still not exactly a brain teaser. The interesting traumas that require you to think don't seem to come along that much. Interesting medical jobs at nursing homes come up about twice a day. You don't get to brake out the drug bag much, but they're still more interesting.

Dont laugh, I went to a job the other day where a psych pt had rammed another car at 60 km/h. No major injuries (minor scalp lac) but couldnt get near psych pt to assess him due to psychosis. Our medical director ended up showing up, gave him ketamine then RSI'd him. Apparently they would have done that at the hospital to CT scan his head anyway.

I thought you guys carried haloperidol for just such an occasion. RSI seems like a bit of over kill, but I'm wouldn't wanna second guess your MD. Sounds like someone needs to buy that bloke a cape. B)

 

[Seaglass]

Trauma, because I never get it, and because there's usually more I can do as a basic to help those patients. It's not contagious, either.

 

[LucidResq]

Trauma or Medical?

Traumedical, duh. It's like my other word... verbical. It's when you're taking a 911 call and they're just arguing but then all of a sudden during the call you hear punches/gunshots/etc.

I always liked the little traumas I could actually do something about and the big medicals I could help my paramedic with and ask lots of questions about afterwards.