When I went through EMT – B training, the idea of using a tourniquet was frowned upon. In fact, the answer they usually gave was something along the lines of “only as a last resort to save someone’s life…and even then be careful.” We learned that using a tourniquet was a dangerous last-ditch procedure that often did more harm then good. It made sense to me at the time, “if an EMT cut off the blood supply to a limb, the limb would quickly die.” It would be a bad day if I killed a patient’s arm just because I didn’t give my pressure dressing another few minutes to form a clot.
What we didn’t know at the time was that the instructors didn’t have any hard evidence that tourniquets were bad; they were just repeating things that they had been told. More importantly, patients have died during those “few minutes” that EMT’s have waited for the dressings to clot.
Continue reading ‘The rise of the tourniquet, or… a lot of EMS is based on myth and assumption.’
Every year, on an unsuspecting day in August, a plague descends upon the shores of New Jersey. Those who speak of it in hushed tones refer to it as…. Beatstock. The music (mostly techno) is barely acceptable. The fans are beyond obnoxious. The feeling that the EMTs get from working this (very busy) concert is priceless not worth the money.
Beatstock is taking place tomorrow, August 15th, and despite my many valiant efforts, there is no way of getting out of it. So, in preparation for the big day, I thought I’d share some pictures (and related links) from Beatstock 2007:
Continue reading ‘Latest Dispatch: Beatstock part I’
HELMUT
The 2009 Brown EMS EMT-B Summer Course is finished. Congratulations to all who stuck it out and weathered the extensive final practical exam. Good work and good luck for those taking the NREMT exam! As is the custom, we are running the annual poll now that the course is complete: Who was the meanest MOST FEARED lab instructor of 2009?” Vote after the jump!
Also of note, the teeshirt design has been finalized and we are discussing methods of notifying members of the class. It will be a individual buy option as group buys always leave one lab instructor with enormous debt and a whole collection of unclaimed teeshirts. They will be sold at cost to reduce the price. More soon.
TAKE ME TO THE POLLS:
Continue reading ‘It is done: Summer Course complete’
These past few weeks have been excellent ones for New Jersey. Out of concern that people in the other 49 were running out of reasons to make fun of New Jersey, we went and got an astounding number of public officials arrested. It was a national news scandal, to be sure. The icing on the cake was the realization that the New Jersey Attorney General’s office is so corrupt that the FBI had to conduct the investigation instead. For those of you wondering, the answer is yes, political affairs in New Jersey are more of a Charlie Foxtrot than in Rhode Island. Astonishing, yet true. Continue reading ‘Scene Safety: the importance of police in EMS’
Chubby Bunny!!
We are rounding the final corner in the 2009 EMT-B Summer course! One lab session to go, the written final on Thursday, and the final practical examination on Sunday! Take one last look at the skill station videos, medication guides and protocols. Sell personal belongings to raise funds for bribery. You can dooo it!!!
In other news, we are hard at work constructing the 2009 summer course teeshirt, the design to be announced hopefully before Sunday. If you have any ideas regarding quotes or funny sayings for each of the lab stations (Airway/EOA, Spineboarding, KED, MAST, Traction, Med Ass., Trauma Ass.,Vitals) then email megan or david.
