Listening. It seems like such a simple thing, but we’re all so busy. I had a patient the other day — an old man who has been losing weight and growing weak. He had his esophagus removed 10 years ago and has had problems ever since — diarrhea, loss of appetite. Now almost ninety, he…
Month: June 2007
“Street Cred” for EMS Physicians
I read an interesting article on Jems.com this week called “Street Cred” for EMS Physicians written by Sabina Braithwaite, an emergency physician (and paramedic) from Charlottesville, Virginia. She asks an interesting question about whether the relationship between paramedics and their medical directors is affected by the medical director’s experience or lack of experience with the prehospital environment. She asks: What…
Compelling Reasons
At our regional medical advisory committee’s meeting last week I listed a number of issues I wanted us to address when we reconvened in the fall, including changing our state’s DNR regulations to enable paramedics to accept a family’s verbal wishes not to initiate resuscitation in a patient with a terminal condition in cardiac arrest….
Triathlon
Last October I got the crazy idea* in my head that I could be a triathlete, meaning I could enter and finish one of those swim, bike and run distance races. I read an article in Men’s Health called: Anyone Can Be a Triathlete. And I met a nurse on one of my Dominican trips…
No IV
Yesterday was my last day riding with my preceptee. She rides with the chief paramedic on Friday to get cut loose. She will do great. She was a pleasure to precept. We were still checking out our equipment when we were sent for a difficulty breathing. It was an area of one of the towns…
How Doctors Think
Giving a verbal report at the hospital is an art form. You want to be able to tell a story clearly and with brevity and nuance so you can accurately convey the issues the patient presents. You want to encapsulate the entirety of your physical exam, history, treatment and thirty minutes spent with the patient…
Nut Allergy – Sneezing
There are certain calls you get that usually turn out to be nothing — baby choking, person slumped over wheel of car, fall with severe bleeding. In fact, just about every call you get, usually turns out to be nothing much. That’s good. Over time it is a great calmer. I usually say to myself,…
Katherine Howell – Frantic
I just finished reading* a great EMS-police crime/thriller written by Katherine Howell, a former Australian “ambulance officer.” One of the main characters is a woman paramedic, the other is a female detective. The paramedic’s husband, a police officer, gets shot and their baby is kidnapped. From that point on it is a nonstop rush to…
Yankees Fan
Circus atmosphere:Yankees come up big, top Red Sox in series opener Connecticut is divided in a diagonal line between Red Sox and Yankees territory. The Red Sox rule the North Eastern section, the Yankees the South Western. There is much intermixing, however, and the center of the state (where I live) is up for grabs….