“Rescue 1, respond to the soccer field for a twenty-one year old male laying in a silver van complaining of leg cramps.”
“Leg cramps?” I said to myself.
“Laying in a van?” I said to myself.
“Rescue 1 responding,” I said into the radio.
Our patient was indeed laying on the back seat of the college’s athletic transport van, motor idling, waiting for the “paramedics” to administer an IV and fluids to alleviate the cramping legs.
“He needs an IV right away,” said the athletic director, a tiny woman who knelt on the floor of the van massaging the players legs.
“He’s already getting what he needs.” I couldn’t help myself.
“He played 110 minutes, he’s dehydrated,” she said, rubbing his calves.
“I’ve worked 110 hours, I’m dehydrated,” again, I couldn’t help myself.
Ryan brought the stretcher over to the side door of the van, the player couldn’t move. We got a backboard to make our lives easier and got him into the rescue.
“We’re taking him to the hospital,” I told the trainer.
“He just needs IV fluids, can’t you just do it here?”
People honestly believe that the City of Providence has unlimited resources, can dispatch an advanced life support rescue to a soccer field to administer IV fluids to a soccer player while true emergencies are tended to by all the other rescues that are sitting around waiting for something to do. As I tended to our patient, the people at Fire Alarm were on the phone trying to find rescues from neighboring communities to answer the calls that keep on coming.
We started an IV and headed toward the ER. The trainer came with us, followed by the van. They were not happy with our response. Neither was I.
If the patient had done just a little pre-planning and properly hydrated and rested during this game, since this same situation had occured in the past, it could have been completely avoided. I have become more and more surprised by the citizen’s dependance on the Fire and EMS systems, not for legitimate purposes and what it was created for, but rather for the mundane problems that could easily be avoided by common sense. Then again, that is not that common anymore, is it?
the key words here are “common sense” which the world is unfortunately lacking to the extreme degree! Its a sad day indeed!
The trainer wasn’t doing her job, part of which is to prevent this sort of thing. As is so often the case when someone f**** up, they expect EMS, the FD, or the PD to make it all better.
I wouldn’t have let the trainer come with us, but that’s me.
Wait until they get the bill. Providence DOES bill, right?
“Wait until they get the bill. Providence DOES bill, right?”
Normally I don’t concern myself with the billing aspect of the job. All revenue generated by the EMS division goes directly into the general fund of the City of Providence and disapears into the abyss. If ten percent of the money we generate were redirected back to the EMS division things here would improve drastically. Our trucks are old, equipment pathetic, no computers, no c-pap, just got 12 leads last year-from a federal grant…I could go on but it is a familiar story.
I did a complete workup on this patient knowing the bill would be huge.
Was he unable to keep down PO fluids? I can drink water faster than you can put it in, even with a 14g, so the Trainer clearly has no understanding of what she’s doing. I would have done the same thing Lt. Then remind the “Director” we are not her taxi and IV service.
If this kid had to play 110 minutes, either they need a bigger bench or the team sucks. Possibly both.
“If the patient had done just a little pre-planning and properly hydrated and rested during this game, since this same situation had occured in the past, it could have been completely avoided.”
Nobody ever called 911 because they did something smart….
Brendan said,
“Nobody ever called 911 because they did something smart…”
That is sooooooo stolen.
LOL I never said I came up with it.
No – I did!
Seriously – isn’t doing what Rescue 1 did for this guy the trainer’s job? It’s obvious that what you all have said is correct about her: she doesn’t know her a** from a hole in the ground about her job. Therefore, she shouldn’t be doing it.
And I hope at the very least the bill gets someone’s attention. Whether or not it’s paid is definitely fodder for another day.
Hey, here’s an idea: he’s in pain, leg hurting, needs immobilisation on a backboard. Firstly, where I am it’s always skin-to-board, so that’s his clothes cut off and out the way. Secondly, were you sure he didn’t have a c-spine injury? Surely the top of the van needed removal, just to be safe??? That might have stopped any further idiotic calls….
Doc, I like your style! Welcome aboard.
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