Date Archives: 23-Sep-2014

Category: Intravenous and Fluid Therapy   |   Date:

Question: I am a PCP-IV medic who recently transferred a patient between facilities - from county hospital to trauma centre. On arrival I was told by the attending physician that the patient was to be spinal immobilized as a precaution as instructed by the trauma centre. The physician also informed me that the trauma centre requested that the patient receive 1000ml NaCl prior to arrival at the LTC. I inquired about the patient's vitals and assessed the patient as normotensive with no indications of poor perfusion. I told the physician that my protocols did not permit me to fluid bolus the patient with up to 1000ml enroute unless the patient was hypotensive and remained hypotensive. Moreover the sending facility was not sending an escort on this long CODE 4 STAT transfer. I called my Duty Manager for advice and was told to abide by my directives and follow the BLS standard for IV monitoring - 200ml/hr max pending patient presentation enroute. This is the direction I proceeded with.

My question is - was I correct in my course of action and was it advisable to press the physician for an escort based on the requirements of the LTC?

Category: Miscellaneous, Medical Cardiac Arrest   |   Date:

Question: If a doctor is someone who can assume care of a VSA patient and decide to have resuscitative efforts ceased, then why is a doctor not someone who counts as a witness in the 'unwitnessed arrest' condition of a TOR, along with paramedics and firefighters? Thanks in advance.

Category: Miscellaneous   |   Date:

Question: I have a question about postictal patients and cardiac monitoring. I have been told two things by several other partners in past few weeks. Assume you are a regular seizure patient whom you have seen many times and he/she is in their normal postictal state and you are not suspecting brain trauma. Is there any clinical reason/need to put cardiac monitor (e.g. limb leads) on? Also assuming you have a 1 min transport time. I was told as per BLS standard you "must" but in the postictal section it mentions that the paramedic may consider enroute. Thanks.

Category: Miscellaneous   |   Date:

Question: I have recently came across a situation where an ACP/PCP crew decided to have the non-IV cert PCP attend a Stroke Protocol call, and the ACP replied that he/she did not think it was necessary. Because the protocol requests a IV be established whenever possible, should the ACP have attempted an IV and attended?