Grim New Rules for NYC Paramedics: Don’t Bring Cardiac Arrests to ER for Revival

originally posted by: TheRedneck
a reply to: tanstaafl

Pretty much all EMTs have advanced equipment capable of resuscitating people, do they not?

Not on the level of a hospital ER, no. Think about it... if that were true, why not just treat them where they are? Why take anyone to a hospital?

I have had 7 heart attacks. 4 of them, I went to a hospital; the EMTs coudn't handle it here. The job of the EMTs is not to fix the problem, but to try and maintain life until they can get you there (and we have some great EMTs here). Then doctors try to fix the problem in a stable environment with equipment that sometimes won't even fit in an ambulance.

And to think I was bragging about Cuomo's attitude earlier. Now we find out that New York has stockpiles of equipment already that they are begging for but won't transport to the hospitals, and now they decide to ignore those who are in need of healthcare. They have a freakin' US Navy hospital ship parked in the harbor, for crying out loud, and it's not enough? It's good enough for our boys overseas getting themselves shot up, but apparently not for New York!

I'm on the verge of saying block all traffic in and out of New York, bring the ship home (or send it to somewhere that appreciates it), and let them handle their own issues. They caused their own shortages, they aren't even remotely grateful for anything, and they were encouraging people to not take any actions to protect themselves only a month ago; they said they were ready for anything! If I didn't like New York City, I would be past that verge.

So much for universal healthcare being a thing. We need to concentrate on having healthcare first. I don't want to even hear about "first-world healthcare" until then.

TheRedneck

Excellent points!

Governor Cuomo caught in another big lie.

twitter.com...

Maybe he's gunning for the "Cry Wolf" award?

He will resign when the class action lawsuits start being filed.

a reply to: TheRedneck

I don’t know if you read my post, but this has actually been standard procedure for years with us.

The Docs of course are better in curing or healing you, they have a decade more school than most of us. We are the meat heads that do far more CPR (usually better) than the hospitals. What this is about, is full arrest with no return rhythm or pulse. If some has an arrest we do CPR, drugs, and defibrillation. If a pulse comes back then we rush the transport, if no pulse returns then we/they phone in orders to transport or call it. If we do 30 minutes of CPR, shock 3 times, push Epi, and there is no return of a pulse, then there is 0 possibility at the hospital.
I would say less than 1% actually regain consciousness with an actual cardiac arrest before the hospital, and under 20% even get a pulse back.

I’m really glad you made it though, and stay healthy. Everybody on a fire truck or ambulance remembers the ones that make it.

In April of 1985 I had a cardiac arrest and was revived about 12 minutes later, in the ER, after having been transported there by ambulance.

I can't speak to how rare or common this happens to be. I can only say that if such a rule or mind set were in place back then I would have died at 18 years of age.

originally posted by: 20Eyes74
Just left Boston Medical center and the ER is dead. I was the only person there. Sad part is all the homeless out on the streets. It's still pretty busy if you are there to get your vice on. Glad as hell I dont mess with that #. I would have taken photos or video but didn't want to get the boot. I actually needed to be seen. Be safe everyone.

Why did you go to the "ER" for a doctors appointment

Im either calling BS or you dont know the difference between the regular hospital and the emergency area

a reply to: TheRedneck

Not on the level of a hospital ER, no. Think about it... if that were true, why not just treat them where they are? Why take anyone to a hospital?

Because that poster youre responding to thinks they know everything, and trust me he will argue with you about it.


You are correct tho, no EMTs and Paramedics dont have everything the ERs have

I speak to this as a retired Navy Corpsman who also started and sold his own medical supply company specifically to outfit Paramedics.

a reply to: Hefficide

Load and go was the protocol until ALS became more prevalent on the ambulance. Several factors can factor into it, like age, opiates, history of cardiac, etc.
I personally have overridden a medic and told them to load and go on a 15 year old girl. An ER gives the exact same meds and treatment we do. The difference is stopping the CPR to strap them to a backboard, carry them downstairs, out to the ambulance, and then doing CPR in an ambulance, starting an IV with an 18 year old taking corners like a race car driver, and then unloading at the hospital doing CPR jogging down the hall.
All that said, I would rather have a full arrest in an operating room if I had the choice. And I would rather load and go to pass them off rather than do CPR 30-45 minutes and have to tell the family there. But I’ll happily do it if the studies are right and show this the best method.

I was just trying to point out that this isn’t the “death squad” order it sounds like.

a reply to: TexasTruth

We are the meat heads that do far more CPR (usually better) than the hospitals.

Meatheads? Hardly. The EMTs around here are some of the most resourceful and capable people I know. Their lone disadvantage is that you simply cannot carry everything in a vehicle... or apparently get an IV ready without blowing out the veins on these bumpy roads (groan).

I also have no doubt an EMT can do better CPR than a hospital ER. You guys get all the practice.

If some has an arrest we do CPR, drugs, and defibrillation. If a pulse comes back then we rush the transport, if no pulse returns then we/they phone in orders to transport or call it.

That is understandable; I know every time I have made that trip, there was a doctor on the line getting information in real time (they even electronically transmit the EEG reading). That's fine. But as I am understanding this, the call is now being made without the benefit of a doctor, as standard operating procedure. That's what scares me.

It should scare you. Doctors have malpractice insurance in case they make a bad call. Do you? Because the call is now on the EMT, not the doctor. Those wrongful death lawsuits can run into the millions of dollars, and just because you're following standard procedure is no assurance you won't get hit with one.

I’m really glad you made it though, and stay healthy. Everybody on a fire truck or ambulance remembers the ones that make it.

Yeah, I got a couple of EMTs here that remember me. That first trip to the hospital, they were planning on taking me out in a stretcher... with the front stoop I had at that time, there wasn't any way that was going to work. So I just got up and (unsteadily) walked to the ambulance. They seemed amazed that I was able to do that... they don't know rednecks very well.

TheRedneck