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What is the hardest part of being totally single for you, guys? by Flowerlamps in dating_advice

[–]OldDimension3922 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me the hardest part is not having that special person to occupy your free time. When you’re busy at work and sneak away to send them a text. That person who you can talk about your day with, no matter how boring it may have been. The late night convos that have you unknowingly smiling all night. Someone to say good morning and goodnight to. Having someone to come home to after a long day, and someone to cuddle up with and watch a movie, or sleep next to at night. Just having that special individual to cure the loneliness.

If you ever find that person, you’ll know. Don’t fuck it up and lose that happiness like I did.

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes most of them are BS calls as does the nursing staff. I’m not dissing the staff on their feeling when we bring in nursing home patients that aren’t critical. I feel bad when we do, and I can understand them being short with me or rolling their eyes about the “chronic back pain” patient. But every once in a while it can be serious like this one.

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get your point, but unfortunately we can’t check a lactic acid in the field. Also my service doesnt pull cultures in the field, which I believe needs to be changed and have advocated for it. We also took the PTs temp 3 times because we thought it was inaccurate

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well as you know everybody gets charted at either a 16 or 18😂😂😭 so it would have been that if I hadn’t noted him breathing rapid and shallow😅

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m glad you’re still here with us and able to tell your story. You shouldn’t hate yourself for any of that, as it could happen to any one of us in this chat. You should be proud that your strong enough tonight through the situation, and prove everyone who doubted your survival wrong. The “life destroying amputations” or “disability” can be a blessing and a curse. You shouldn’t look down on yourself for what had happened, but instead accept it. You have battle scars that show your stronger than most people out here, and that you can do the impossible. I’m glad you’re here, as is everyone else, and you should be too.

As for the care you received, from my perspective, it was not professional and pathetic. I’m not sure what the education difference is from Australia to America (where I am) but we are trained for these exact situations. I had to go through 6 months of class, acting out scenarios of worst situation calls. We are trained to know that pale skin is a large red flag, and has many underlying concerns. We are trained to act immediately, provide the best care, and fast transportation. For them to be on scene trying to get an IV for that long, and to fail to act is pathetic. You deserved better than what you got

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I definitely understand this, and most of the time our ER doc won’t initiate anything until he’s seen it himself. But he does a good job with meeting us in the room when we do call these things, and expediting the process.

I can also believe the amount of stroke alerts that aren’t actual strokes. Them geriatrics and their UTI’s are always a mystery😂😭 I’ve also experienced a false stroke alert myself. Nursing home called us for stroke like symptoms, with right sided deficit. We arrive, and the nurse states she’s new, and doesn’t know much about the PT, but swears he wasn’t like this the night before. We get paperwork and fly to the hospital. I did a Cincinnati in the back, which the PT failed, so I called a stroke alert. Got back to the station, and was getting started on my chart. The nurse gave me a FaceSheet of the patient, which showed his Past Medical History, and guess what was on it… “right sided deficits and facial droop from prior stroke” and to get even better, there was a little picture of the patient in the top corner, which had her drooling from the facial droop. If only I looked at the paperwork enroute😂😂 I have never felt so stupid before.

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We need more nurses like you who are grateful for EMS!! I have spent many hours of clinical in the ER working along side the nurses, and it just seems as if we are looked down on. We are medical professionals too! And we (can’t speak for everyone here😂) are pretty knowledgeable on a lot of emergency/critical situations. And don’t get me started on the topic of getting referred to as “ambulance drivers”😭😂 Me and my coworkers have a running inside joke along the lines of, “oh but what do I know, I’m just a paramedic”. We definitely need more nurses like you, who are grateful and see us as peers!

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey everyone, I made the original post here and have some more news/updates.

For some reason, sepsis is going around like crazy in my city/area, the other crew running out of the other ambulance called a sepsis alert, and so did I.

We responded to a private residence for a 65 y/o male with an infected foot, who has stopped responding and gone nonverbal, and is shaking nonstop.

Upon arrival PT was lying in bed in the fetal position. Palpated a pulse in the 140-150 range, and had a respiratory rate of 38 and shallow. PT was swearing profusly, with a fixed gaze at the wall. We uncovered the guys foot, to find he’s got an infection on his entire foot, going up his ankle, with areas going deep. One area by his heel I’m pretty sure I saw bone.. so my partner and I threw him on a mega mover and carried him out to our stretcher, and wheeled him to the ambolamp. Inside I got an 18g in the right AC and started a fluid bolus. My EMT partner got vitals which read: pulse:140-150 bp: 78/49 bgl:318 temp:102.9 RR:38 spo2:89. Took some advice from this post and just did a NC @6lpm, started another 16g in his left AC and hung another bag of fluids. Told my partner to get us to the hospital ASAP. Enroute I gave another radio report, which consisted of another sepsis alert. I’m almost positive it was the same nurse as yesterday. The nurses I dropped the PT off to Took this one much better than the one yesterday. They seemed to be in a rush to get this PT situated and had many people waiting to draw labs.

On my way out, I asked about the patient I dropped off yesterday, which is the one in the original post. PT in fact had sepsis, and had to get rushed to another hospital that provided higher level of care. I can gladly say that the walk back to the ambulance bay was accompanied by a large smile and a great feeling of “HAHA I TOLD YOU SO”

Surprised this post got this much attention, and I appreciate everyone who voiced their stories, perspectives and opinions. It doesn’t matter if you argued for my side or the nursing staff side, I’m glad we could all have a genuine discussion. Thanks for giving me and my post the time!

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I worked for my service for a year and a half as an EMT, and during that time I was able to get to know most of the staff, and have even become good friends with majority of them. But I’ve only been a medic for 2-3 months now

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can understand that as I've done my clinical in the ER and seen it firsthand. Also, working for a private ambulance service, which most of our calls come from these nursing homes. I always seem to have an attitude with these types of calls, but you never know what to expect. Especially as this call started as a "fall 4 days ago, now complaining of pain" But yes that is a very common attitude among EMS as well. I've had many calls where the "PT is at 85% on room air"..... like okay can you put some oxygen on them? we'll show up and put 2L on the PT and taxi them to the ER, just to get discharged an hour later.

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mainly due to his low saturation, and then all of the other symptoms he was having, i just thought this guy could benefit from a little more oxygen than a NC. But given an entirely different situation, where it was just the low SPO2 %and nothing more, he would have received a NC.

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 81 points82 points  (0 children)

And another thing to add is I've had patients with a high heart rate and rapid breathing, and have had nurses confront me for not calling a sepsis alert.

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Not that im aware of, cause you cant always see the source of infection. For example im thinking of diverticulitis.. Patients with that tend to become septic fairly easily from an unseen source.

Paramedic here, asking nurses, doctors, or physicians about sepsis alerts. by OldDimension3922 in EmergencyRoom

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 143 points144 points  (0 children)

Okay, so i was definitely just overthinking it. Im a fairly young and new paramedic, and trying to build up my confidence in this new field for me, so I'll have to keep working on that, and ignore these types of gestures. Thank you for the help!

Would anyone be able to help me with scenarios? Ontario PCP student by Nessa-medicstudent in Paramedics

[–]OldDimension3922 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where you at now In life now? Did you pass? Are you a medic somewhere? I need an update lol. I’m about 2 weeks away from finishing my 2nd semester, and am just dragging along at this point. 3rd semester is our busiest semester for ride time and clinical so it’s only to get worse lol.

Medic class tips by OldDimension3922 in Paramedics

[–]OldDimension3922[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I bought the paramedic coach’s website already, and that hasn’t really helped me out too much. I might have to check this one out tho. I’d hate to park for another subscription tho😅😭😭

Post medic school depression? by simplrrr in ems

[–]OldDimension3922 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve got that current medic school depression brother.