Tricks of the trade/Advice

[Big Papa]

Anyone have any good tricks or advice that they would like to share with the world?
Something like flighterdocs words of wisdom in hazmat situations...

Stick out your arm, and try to cover the scene with your thumb. If you can, YOU'RE TOO DAMNED CLOSE

The other important rule is the binocular rule: If you can just barely make out the hazmat placard with a pair of binoculars, you're still to close - move back and get a bigger set of binoculars

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[beanbean]

Stay back 2 telephone poles from a broken pole at an MVA. If the wires break they can whip around to the first pole.

Use a different siren wail than other responding vehicles if you are responding close together. People hear one siren, they think one emergency vehicle.

That's all I can think of now. I am sitting in a lounge at Heathrow trying to type on a British keyboard while waiting for my delayed flight to Jo'Burg South Africa. At this point I think we will miss the connecting flight to Namibia. Hopefully, I won't need any EMS skills on the trip!

 

[InfiniumEtAl]

AMBU
If you have small hands, or get fatigued often during bagging. One hand holds the mask over the pt?s face (if your not connected to an ET tube) and the other squeezes the Ambu bag. The trick is to place your palm flat against the side of the bag and push it into your forearm this will let it empty all the way. If you are crouched on scene push the bag against your outer thigh. If you are riding the side of the cot or, on a gator, simply push into your chest.

 

[MedicCCTRN]

One thing an older medic taught me when I was just a young medic pup was how to get that rolling vein you find most often on elderly people. This sounds a little barbaric but it works. (I used to impress my nurse co-workers when I became an ER nurse) First attempt IV stick as you normally would. But when the vein slides away from your needle push it as far to one side as possible. Leave that catheter in place anchor it with the thumb of your weak hand, then select another IV needle and insert from the opposite direction. It works 90% of the time. The pt get's two sticks but it beats having the ED staff line up outside the room for the patient pin cushion event.