Succinylcholine Chloride

85
Feb 7

If you’re thinking about becoming a paramedic because you want a job where you save lives every day

Just remember that EMS is hours of boredom interrupted by moments of terror. It’s long stretches of bullshit with a few minutes of holding an old lady’s hand. It’s about showing compassion to the little old lady who called in the middle of your dinner 5 shifts in a row because she was lonely and keeping a neutral face while explaining to a family that their child has been dead for hours, that you can’t do anything for them. Very seldom is it about saving lives but being there for people in need, emergency or not.

You want to save lives? Go to medical school. Become a better doctor than the ones we bitch about.

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34
Jan 31

I love our little EMS community

Because after posting that picture of the guy who slashed his neck the overall majority of you basically said, “I WANNA PUT THAT TUBE IN COOL!”

Most polite societies frown on that kind of behavior.

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116
Jan 30

Someone just sent this to me from facebook and I haven’t seen it on here yet.

25 year old male. Self inflicted knife wound to neck. Transacted trachea and esophagus. Missed carotid, external jugular, and internal jugulars. Cut thyroid artery.

That takes some serious skill.

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28
Jan 11

Not So Late Night Paramedic Cardiology and Crap: Pericarditis

Chest pain? Slap those leads on and run a 12 lead.

ST elevation? Lots of ST elevation? ‘Mother of God I think I just shit myself’ amounts of ST elevation?

Clean yourself up and calm yourself down before running a STEMI alert hot because there’s another possible answer for this mess of a 12 lead: Pericarditis.

Everyone is at risk for pericarditis. Everyone. But males between the ages of 20-50 are at higher risk. Looks like those of us with a vagina have the advantage once again.

So what is it? Let’s start with what it’s not. It’s not a STEMI. At all. It looks like a STEMI but then it doesn’t. With a STEMI you’re going to see the ST elevation limited to the infarct area. With pericarditis you’re going to see ST elevation everywhere. Fucking everywhere.

Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium. You know, that sac that holds the heart. Yeah, that shit can get inflamed and man is it painful. It hurts a lot. And you’re patients are going to be complaining of substernal chest pain. It may or may not hurt worse when they breath.

There’s another magical way to tell if this is a STEMI or not too! Heart sounds! You all remember heart sounds, right? Time to put on your big paramedic stethoscope and listen for pericardial rubbing. You’ll know it when you hear it. It sounds like two pieces of leather being rubbed together.

Especially when your patient is young (anything under 20), think pericarditis. Is it possible for them to be having a real STEMI? Probably. Is it likely? No.

Critical thinking is your best asset as medical provider.

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51
Dec 17

There are time when you feel so burned out that you start to hate your job. Then there’s that one moment when a little kid’s face lights up when they realize you can push a button to make the stretcher goes up and down.

Made the entire shift worth it.

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9
Dec 6

I love the smell of vomit when I open the ET bag during check off in the morning.

Thank you off-going crew for this wonderful scent blessing you’ve given us with your laziness.

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14
Nov 16

Blood and Platelet Donation and Why It Matters

I’ve written about blood donation before and just how damn important it is but I’m writing again. So, let’s start with some facts!

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day.
The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98 percent of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.
Type O-negative blood (red cells) can be transfused to patients of all blood types. It is always in great demand and often in short supply.
Type AB-positive plasma can be transfused to patients of all other blood types. AB plasma is also usually in short supply.
Share of the U.S. population eligible to give blood: Less than 38 percent.
Most donated red blood cells must be used within 42 days of collection.
Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection – new donations are constantly needed.
Two most common reasons cited by people who don’t give blood are: “Never thought about it” and “I don’t like needles.”
One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.
If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives!
In the time it took me to find and copy this information 90 people needed blood.

Maybe you never thought about it because you’ve never seen someone who’s needed blood. I have many times over throughout my career. The first time was my mother. You don’t realize just how precious a donation like that is until it hits that close to home. Whoever was the donor is a hero to me. They saved my mom’s life because they could. It would have been so easy for that donor, whoever they are, to say “I’m too busy.” or “Someone else will donate.”.

Hospitals across the country and most likely across the world are constantly hitting critical blood supply levels. When they run out people die.

We should all be donating if we’re eligible. Not only after a major storm or catastrophe. Whenever it’s possible. Every 56 days. You are saving up to three people’s lives. No fancy medical training, no degrees needed, no college loan to pay off. You are saving the life of a person you don’t know and all it takes is 30 minutes of your time.

30 minutes of your time for 3 lives.

I think that’s a fair trade.

So go be a hero to someone else.

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3
Nov 7

It’s still NOT okay to ask EMS/Fire/Police personnel to tell you horror stories

Wow. I wrote this article not even a year ago but apparently people need a reminder because yesterday I got hit with 5 (five, V, IIIII, fucking five) anonymous asks about the worst stuff I’ve seen. Not fucking cool.

Guess what? It’s NOT okay to ask EMT’s about the worst things they’ve seen.

At all. Period. Stop. Just don’t.

It’s none of your business. Many of us suffer from varyng degrees of diagnosed and undiagnosed PTSD. You don’t ask us about the worst stuff we’ve seen like you don’t ask soldiers how many people they killed when they come home from war. If we choose to talk about it we’ll talk to other people in EMS, fire, police, or loved ones. We choose to talk to them about these things because they’ve been in the same boat. They know how we’re feeling. When we talk to them we know they aren’t getting some sick sense of enjoyment from the story. I’m not going to talk to you about stuff that I have nightmares about because you think it’s cool.

We joke. We have a horribly black sense of humor and it’s like that because of the horrors we deal with routinely. We have to laugh otherwise we’d fall apart.

So stop it.

I rarely even respond to these asks and I’m sure as shit not going to respond if you’re not willing to ask off anonymous.

I am always open for people with questions. This is a very confusing field and new comers often don’t know where to start. This is not it.

For any EMS people out there with more patience than me I give you some wise words given to me in response to the original article:

first—in-last-out

Whenever someone asks me this, I usually say, “How about I tell you the best things I’ve ever seen”

ambulancejockey

My usual response is a shark bite. I live 3 hours from any large body of water…

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New followers!!

justalittlequeer:

Talk to me. Tell me stories!!

My very very very first day as an EMT basic I was super pumped and nervous and excited. I got to the base 30 minutes early so I could help wash the truck and get to know some of the other EMT’s and paramedics. I walked up to the truck where two paramedics were talking. I was in my sweet ass button down shirt, had my brand new pants and boots. My badge and nameplate were shiny.

I walked up to the truck and leaned in through the back doors and said, “Hi, my name’s Sharki. I’m the new basic.”

The two medics stopped and looked at me. It was a calculating look but they were tired so it wasn’t as frightening as it probably would have been otherwise. The one sitting in the captains chair gave me a small nod. The other one was standing in the stairwell and he said nothing. Their silence was chilling. I asked if there was anything that needed to be done that I could help with.

The medic in the captains chair looked at me. Truly looked at me. Through my soul. I swear to you that his eyes will never leave me. I looked into them and saw the abyss. They were haunted. He said, “No. We got all the poop off the ceiling.”

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EMS/FIRE/POLICE TUMBLRS

Just a reminder that I will not add you to the list unless you send me an ask requesting it. Reblog and pass this along so everyone can see it.

freeskywarp:

If you’re in EMS/Fire/Police and want to be listed send me an ask!

http://transportjockey.tumblr.com/

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http://emergencymedicaldoll.tumblr.com/ EMT-B, Virginia

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http://ffemtsavinglives.tumblr.com/ FF/EMT-B, Pennsylvania

http://running-code-3.tumblr.com/

http://missemt251.tumblr.com/

http://firefighter26.tumblr.com/

http://thatboyranin.tumblr.com/ EMT-B, California

http://thefyrechief.tumblr.com/

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http://ambulancesandapples.tumblr.com/ EMT-I, Texas

http://freeskywarp.tumblr.com/ EMT-P, North Carolina

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http://thevolunteersfight.tumblr.com/

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http://jryanz.tumblr.com/ FF, Ohio

http://mumstheworddd.tumblr.com/ EMT, California

http://lookingtothefuture93.tumblr.com/ FF/EMT

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http://justtofollowothers.tumblr.com/ EMT

http://fireboy29.tumblr.com/ FF

http://thewinkman.tumblr.com/ EMT, Pennsylvania

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http://cardiacattack.tumblr.com/ RN

http://valerieroseee.tumblr.com/ FF/EMT

http://dirtroaddancincountrygirl.tumblr.com/ EMT, West Virginia/Pennsylvania

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http://misshaberdasher.tumblr.com/ EMT

http://hostile-oasis.tumblr.com/ FF/EMT

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http://the-strategist.tumblr.com/ Navy Police (MA), Pennsylvania

http://the-noble-steed.tumblr.com/ EMT, Florida

http://theecohummer.tumblr.com/ EMT-B, California

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http://heyladycop.tumblr.com/ Deputy Sherrif

http://sgts1mmons.tumblr.com/ FF, New York

http://medic-stories.tumblr.com/ EMT, ND

http://perfectlyimprofected.tumblr.com EMT-P, Georgia

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http://fearlessfruit.tumblr.com/ Screeched in Paramedic, Canada

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http://tallyrae-emt.tumblr.com/ EMT soon to be Paramedic, Florida

http://jackskandy.tumblr.com/ Paramedic, Texas

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Succinylcholine Chloride

200mg of shut the hell up.