Comments on: EMS radio reports: relics like the radios they use?

By: Penicillin.G

Penicillin.G — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:16:20 +0000

Where I work (city hospital in New York, level 1 trauma), we get “notifications” on critical patients only. That means we get a land-line from (yes, really) the dispatcher, who has (if he or she is doing the job right), can give us age, sex, chief complaint, vitals, ALS vs. BLS, and pertinent info like intubated (or not), IV (or not), meds (or not), and of course ETA. Practically, we usually get 55M, GSW L chest, 60/P 150, ETA 3. Sometimes it’s even true.

But being a teaching hospital with a surfeit of residents hanging around, we go to the trauma slot, put on gloves and gowns, crack a chest tube tray and a intubation box, joke about calling the trauma team down, and when it ends up a 32F, vag bleed, 136/75 90, joke about calling them anyway.

But seriously, we get far more than our fair share of bullshit ambulance rides (The Bronx, need I say more?) and about half of our “notifications” are stable too. Nonetheless, this system works well for us. Who cares if EMS is en route with a 22M, stable vitals, chest pain for 2 weeks?

I say this as an ER resident and former paramedic (from a system where all ambulance runs were called in by radio no matter what the severity).

By: KEW

KEW — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 23:11:42 +0000

My happy little ER recently passed a protocol requesting just chief complaint and ETA from incoming EMS units. Theoretically, a HIPPA nod to thwart those folks who live to listen and gossip about EMS calls.
Short, sweet and adequate, we can ask for more info…but rarely ever do!

By: Squid

Squid — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:56:29 +0000

I’m really surprised you all can’t clear C-spine in the field. That been an EMT-B (or our local equivalent) skill for years in plenty of places. Good lord, is it useful.

So about radio reports… I guess my question is, if they’re do useless, why are we required to do them? It’s the docs that make us. It’s not actually written in our SOPs what we need to say or anything. I suspect that, like anything else, some people like them and some don’t…

By: Medic5

Medic5 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 21:28:57 +0000

Couldn’t agree more with GruntDoc and Mike – little is gained in my view by routine radio reports; save the airtime and attention for those who need non-protocol orders or prep before we arrive (we are enroute with a 24 year old female, LMP 8 weeks, abd. rigid, B/P 80/P. ETA of 8 minutes. Please alert OR…) And yes, paramedics should be able to clear backboards. Maybe someday…

By: Bad Shift

Bad Shift — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 21:10:19 +0000

I think they should still call on any unstable patient, or any patient for whom they wish to give non-protocol meds (obviously). In my joint, this is about 5% of ambulance patients. But everyone else should be quietly dropped off in the lobby to wait and be re-triaged by a triage nurse. No need to clutter up the hallways with chronic pain etc. I haven’t gotten very far with this one.

By: GruntDoc

GruntDoc — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 00:31:54 +0000

Actually, the blog is meant to be read, and is maybe entertaining. Not so much for EMS radio.

By: Scanner Guy

Scanner Guy — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:25:21 +0000

I guess shouldn’t be reading this blog for entertainment either.

By: jerry

jerry — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:51:58 +0000

Chuck,

What is the special woody with the police officer or firefighter? Sure we try to give them exceptional care but it gets carried just a little to far when half of the cities police force hangs around the ER for a comrads sprained ankle.

By: Chuck Simmins

Chuck Simmins — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:59:00 +0000

I call in for three basic reasons:
1. I have a violent MHA that you really ought to know about before I come in the door.
2. We’re working a 500, CPR call.
3. The patient is a police officer or firefighter.

By: ds

ds — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 12:51:46 +0000

The calls occasionally serve a purpose at my facility: “MBH, this is Ambulance 51, we’re bringing you a 51 year old unresponsive male with a sat. of 62%, we can’t get a line, we’re trying to intubate”, over. “A51, This is MD 35. We have no ICU beds, 3 vented patients already in our ER. I Beg of you@! Please take this patient to another facility!” “MBH, are you officially on diversion?” “No but we don’t have the resources to care for this patient” “Oh, OK, we’ll go to the CBH”