Emt-d

[Febrifuge]

Where I work, there don't seem to be a great number of EMT-D's. In fact, the only people I've seen with the D on their shoulder patch have been in the EMS communications center, near the ED where I work. So until recently, I had completely forgotten the D is for Defibrillator, rather than, say, Dispatch.

Are D's getting rarer, as AED use goes up? Do most areas skip the EMT-D role, and leave defib activities to the Paramedics? I work in a hospital, where all the shocking gets done by the other members of the team, so there is no earthly reason they would pay for me to train for EMT-D. But I'm curious about how much training is available.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[raDiOnut]

All the basics in my area just carry AEDs. Is an EMT-D allowed to do manual defib?

raDiOnut

 

[OSUdoc08]

Where I work, there don't seem to be a great number of EMT-D's. In fact, the only people I've seen with the D on their shoulder patch have been in the EMS communications center, near the ED where I work. So until recently, I had completely forgotten the D is for Defibrillator, rather than, say, Dispatch.

Are D's getting rarer, as AED use goes up? Do most areas skip the EMT-D role, and leave defib activities to the Paramedics? I work in a hospital, where all the shocking gets done by the other members of the team, so there is no earthly reason they would pay for me to train for EMT-D. But I'm curious about how much training is available.

There is no such thing as an EMT-D in Texas. I don't recall there being an EMT-D option for National Registry either, which excludes Oklahoma.

I'm not sure what an EMT-D is, but:

All healthcare provider (AHA BLS) training includes AED use, which doesn't require a special certification. This card is required for any healthcare provider, EMT or not. Manual defib use would require knowledge of reading EKG's, which would require the incorporation of a cardiology course in EMS training, which currently is only found with paramedics.

Plus a monkey can use an AED. You can order them from Wal-Mart now.

 

[Febrifuge]

Yeah, I'm getting the very strong sense that EMT-D is an Old Skool type of thing. People who have it probably wear the patch as a way to indicate they've been in EMS for a while...

I imagine that back in the day, when they had to hand-crank the defibrillator, they needed to identify those EMT's who learned what V-fib looks like on a strip, and how to work the paddles. 😀

I'm "trained" on the AED too, not that I had to use any brain cells to pick it up. I think it's cool that the voice mail lady has moved up to saving lives. Good for her. Next thing we know, Mr. Moviephone will be on some piece of equipment saying "...you have selected DISRHYTHMIAS. For Tachycardia, PRESS ONE. For Bradycardia, PRESS TWO..."

 

[mshheaddoc]

Speaking of AED did anyone hear of the new product from Phillips

http://www3.medical.philips.com/res...stom/HeartstreamAEDAdvantages_textgeneric.asp

Homeuse AED?

Learned about it in my marketing class ... pretty nifty, heavy price tag though. $1500-$2000

 

[emtp2pac]

when I started working in ems in the 80's the progression was:
emt-1a( now b)
emt-d
emt-I
emt-p

I took an emt-d class in 1989 that was a 1 day course in how to use the aed. a few years later there was a transitional class to teach emt-1a or emt-d how to use a manual lifepak -5 that took about 2 weeks of classroom time learning basic ekg's and required a bunch of als ridealongs. after that we worked on als rigs with a medic partner and did the defib while they managed airway and iv access/meds.
I have been out of field ems for a while now but I imagine the emt-d cert no longer exists because all emt-b's learn aed.

 

[beanbean]

EMT-D was an extra cert for EMT-B's who had defib training. Since all EMT-B's have AED training it is no longer needed and obsolete.

The dispatchers you have seen may have EMD certification which is for those who dispatch in 911 services that give callers emergency advice over the phone until the ambulance arrives.

 

[Febrifuge]

Aha. See, that's what I'm sayin'. Thank you, 'bean. You may have just gained me my EMS cred back. Next time I'm over there, I'll clarify with one of the modern-day D's, but I think you've got it exactly: these are EMT's (-B or -P) who have training in giving instruction to laypeople over the phone for the very few minutes our EMS takes to arrive.

 

[DOrk]

In New York State it used to go like this:

CFR
EMT
EMT-D
EMT-I
EMT-CC
EMT-P

AED is now included in both the CFR and EMT curriculum. The basic level EMT is now called EMT-B.

In Vermont, however, EMT-D is a level higher than EMT-I and includes manual defib, IV's, some meds, and intubation with the EOA (at least this is how it used to be)

 

[jonb12997]

In New York State it used to go like this:

CFR
EMT
EMT-D
EMT-I
EMT-CC
EMT-P

Ahh, the good old NY State System. When I got my cert 5 years ago it was an EMT-D, when I renewed 2 years ago I'm pretty sure it was just a plain old EMT-B... I also love asking EMS people outside of NY about Critical Care Techs, just to see the wierd looks I get... oh, you mean a paramedic? It's soo much fun 😀 ok, seriously time to get back to studying anatomy...

 

[bemused]

Yeah, I'm getting the very strong sense that EMT-D is an Old Skool type of thing. People who have it probably wear the patch as a way to indicate they've been in EMS for a while...

That's why I still wear my D patch 😀

 

[EMBess]

Hmmm...I'm in VA and ten years ago when I started the system was:
EMT-A
("ambulance"; in other words, the old version of BLS where you couldn't even look at a defib or use the patient's epi pen, also when we still carried LP 10's that didn't have AED fxn)
EMT-D
(able to defib ONLY, also when there were only manual-defib type deivces, and only in the setting of VFib/pulseless VTach, but couldn't give drugs at all; mostly used in rural areas where you were lucky if you even had a life-pack on scene at all)
EMT-ST
("shock trauma"; also a rural/less-staffed squad type of thing; allowed to defib and give certain ACLS drugs, but that's it)
EMT-CT (cardiac, which still pseudo-exists but is being "bridged" to NREMT-I or P; same basic street functions as either I or P, but with less classroom hours of physiology and technical pharmacology)

Amazing how things have changed.

 

[EMT036]

Yeah, I'm getting the very strong sense that EMT-D is an Old Skool type of thing. People who have it probably wear the patch as a way to indicate they've been in EMS for a while...

That's why I still wear my D patch 😀

Yup, my uniforms still have it on there too... (well the ones I haven't changed over to advanced) 🙂