Hot Police Back-Up Please, Officers being Assaulted!

We're unhurt, the pt is down the list a little.

89F - Prosthetic Hip Dislocation. It's the fifth time in five years that this has happened. She is a very active lady and just forgets the limitations of the hip.

85F - Post an angio transferred from the large hospital to a small one.

Unknown - a triple 000 call came from a mobile and hung up, call backs went to a default message bank. The building was a commercial eleven story with multiple business on each floor. The job was over an hour old. We called it UTL.

76F - Slipped off a chair at home. No injuries but very limited mobility really should have come to hospital but with full facilities she has the right to refuse.

60M - Hypo, BSL 1.3, easy job, twenty minutes later it was 5.9 and he left with some advise to eat something substantial.

27F - Faint at work. Elected to take the rest of the day off and rest up at home.

85M - From Air Ambulance to a hospital. Coming in for a pacemaker.

58M - IP passed out on a bus. We eventually sit him up and tell him he has to get off the bus as the driver will not accept him as a passenger. We assist him off with care and sit him on a bench seat to try and discuss options. With a sudden burst of anger and rage he remarkably launches himself at my partner with fists and feet, chasing him out onto the street and around the vehicle.
I call for the Police and a bystander ducks into the NSW Police Mounted Divisions stable that we happen to be parked outside of.

Out come four officers to our rescue and restrain this person. A cage truck soon arrives and Police radio gives us information about this persons depraved and violent past.

Luckily none of us are injured and while for some reason he wasn't interested in me at all and at one stage he walked past me without making any aggressive movements towards me, he put plenty of wind up my partners skirt.

Thank you to our brothers and sisters of the NSW Police and also the concern from other road crews.

Violence against Paramedics is now a chargeable affair with fines and goal time and we are going to pursue this matter.

64F - Unable to bear weight on her left knee. Extensive skeletal Hx.

84F - Unwell, vomiting and diarrhoea, dehydration and shingles. It was a booked transport so off we went.

812 jobs/110 shifts = 7.38 average.

See you at the big One.

Taz

Thank God for O/t shifts.

They're usually busy and today was ripe!

?20M - Fitting, well he was not very responsive, he just snarled at me every time I asked him something. Found by the public on a street I gave his pockets a quick, and luckily a safe pat down and found a syringe. Penny drops and up stands our pt and walks off. We followed for a bit but he was walking well and with a purposeful stride so we let him go. He just had violence about him.

23M - Sleeping with his eyes open, not fully alert. Sitting up talking to a City Ranger when we arrived. He had been out drinking with mates and kept drinking and was just asleep. He knew where he was and had the funds to get home so off he went too!

?M - Fitting, the caller approached us and gave a description and direction that he had walked off in but we couldn't find him.

83M - Job came down as an Arrest at the Casino!!! My experience has shown that not too many kick off while their playing the pokies. Most commonly it's just a syncope,,,, as it was this time. Transport all the same due to age and as there was a total LOC.

30F - Sudden onset abdo pain that had just as suddenly disappeared when we arrived. Her partner was really concerned and made the call. Option chosen by pt to self manage at home.

47M - Asystole Arrest. A single responder and one crew already on scene, CPR in progress prior to their arrival and we showed up at the two minute mark on the Defib. Thirteen minutes of good CPR, some adrenaline and a little atropine and there was a pulse. GCS = 3 but that pulse was still there at hospital without any more drug therapy so it's a win in my book. As we all know however the final prognosis is not good, added to the fact we don't know how long he was down before found and bystander CPR commenced, it appeared that he had aspirated.

68M - Police think he looks dead but can we come and have a look. There was a blip on the ECG but that was just the pacemaker trying to get the long dead heart to work. We got called off as we arrived.

41F - IVDU, a little on the nod but otherwise OK, again Police asked us to just check her out. Nothing I could offer her and she really didn't want to see us.

94M - ? Septic, BP in the boots and the body had ceased to compensate.

Unknown problem from a payphone, love these en route we got called off for,

77F - Two day Hx of SOB on exertion, lethargy and a Hx of anaemia. I can't test for Hb but a hospital can.

58M - Ten minutes before knock off and called to hot response backup a single responder. He re-assessed the pt and decided it was ok to wait for a night shift crew.

802 jobs/109 shifts = 7.36 average



See you at the big One.

Taz

Scored some o/t.

So that will help pay for Ambowife's birthday present.

Also a big hello to a new follower Living Life on 95.

See you at the big One.

Taz

Interesting but only just.

It wasn't a boring night but neither was it overly stimulating.

Called to a F shoplifter who may have been drug effected and violent. The Police called us off as we arrived.

?35M - Post Ictal, agitated, covered in faeces???. Took a swing at my partner, we know that it's not personal just hypoxic brain. Luckily he over balanced himself so we had him pinned to the road in busy Chinatown waiting for the Police backup that we needed to release and get onto the stretcher, where he fitted again. Some drugs quickly in the open street scape and a little more en route. The thing is the shit wasn't his it was just on the outside of his clothes and on his hands??

The National Heart Foundation have a campaign about recognising the signs of a Heart Attack.

It lists possible signs and symptoms of an AMI,,, problem is that by themselves they are also indicators for many other non cardiac conditions. We are expecting an increase of ' I'm worried about my heart' call-outs. Here's my first one.

62F - Hx of Pulmonary disease, SOB, Anxiety, Chronic Pain who openly stated a week of flu like symptoms and had received today an email from Nat Heart about the campaign and got worried.

Just was with H1N1 the number of calls are going to shoot up. But we won't know until we check everyone of them out.

46F - Air Ambulance to a Hotel for a medical appointment tomorrow.

32M - Classic Renal Colic, Lots of opiate to control the pain and up to see a Dr.

62M - Living rough. The general public with mobile phones decided that he needed to be taken by an EMERGENCY ambulance off the streets.

790 jobs/108 shifts = 7.32 average.


See you at the big One.

Taz

Our hospital is FULL.

And when it's full you can't unload so you can't go and get another pt!

So our first pt was really day shifts,
82M - Abdo pain, extensive surgical Hx with plenty of Hx of blockages.

Our second was from the ambulance relief team (ART) who take our pts normally to release operational crews but were now themselves trying to knock off,
39M - in custody, paranoid drug effected.

After five hours on duty our first transport was a discharge from the ED back to the nursing home,
83F - Unwitnessed fall no acute injury found but for some reason the handover given to me also included the fact that she was NFR!!!

32F - Shaking. After much discussion with this rather pretty pt we all decided that it was most likely an anxiety issue.

35M - Seizure, he was post ictal when we arrived. No epileptic bracelet or ID card in wallet so he was coming anyway as he is by himself, everything was checking out ok but the BP was looking a bit high,,,,,, lets double check that diastolic,,,,,125Hgmm,,, three times on scene I checked it twice more in the car basically it was 210/120.
As his GCS improves yes he has a HT Hx as well as seizures. Doing the job properly and always getting both pressures got him to a hospital which is what he needed.

784 jobs/107 shifts = 7.35 average

See you at the big One.

Taz

I'm a drug dispensing machine.

36M - Epigastric pain, ? reflux as he has a history, elected to stay in the cells with Corrective Services.

45M - Depressed, one of those very quiet Time Bomb ones.

81M - Hip pain, bad hip pain, ? NOF, 20mg of Morphine, 510mcg Fentanyl and the Methoxy did nothing to reduce to. An x-ray confirmed the fracture and they were going to give him a nerve block for the pain.

83F - Another ?NOF, the Methoxy however put her in a very nice comfortable place.

Called to a Police station charge-room by the mother of a person of interest how believed their child (not a junior) was/had been assaulted by the Police because they could be heard screaming. I suggested that we give the Police a courtesy call first to see if we were required,,,,,,,,,, the job was cancelled.

58M - Seizures. He was still going when we arrived but some Midazolam worked a treat.

78F - A cold response booked medical transport from home to a small hospital by a home visiting Dr service. The pt was so unwell when I examined her that that idea (which was to be truthful was her request) was dumped and off to the very nearby Big hospital.

779j jobs/106 shifts = 7.35 average

See you at the big One.

Taz

The Dog has been found!

That is the biggest news for the day.
Handed in to a local Vet.

55F - Failed a Ottowa Ankle exam and confirmed by X-ray as a fracture.

80F - One of our lovely locals who does occasionally require our assistance but remains at home because it's only a lift from the floor usually. As it was today.

62M - Generally unwell.

37M - Anterior dislocation of the shoulder during an assault.

19M - Thoracic back pain from a tackle in a football match.

50M - Very IP, fell down ten stairs, full thickness lac to forehead. Full precautions and transport.

37F - Psychotic episodes secondary to Methamphetamine use.

772 jobs/105 shifts = 7.35 average.


See you at the big One.

Taz

I've lost the dog.

Due to a single test done by the Red Cross on my last donation I was black banned for low Ferritin levels and instructed to have it investigated if I wished to resume donations.

I do, because I believe it is as good a practise as is Organ Donation (I'm one of those too). So I've seen my GP and seen a GI specialist and yesterday had a Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy. Don't remember much about it, Midazolam is a wonderful drug and today after picking up the bike from the shop for repair to the rear hub I rode up to see the GP about my annual blood tests.

The dog followed me into the backyard and I left her there with the gate closed. An hour and a half later the gate was open and she was gone!

She doesn't go for walks so wouldn't have a regular place that she would seek, she's probably just following her nose. Ambowife and I have gone out looking but Sydney is a big place to look for one little black dog.

Our hope is that the rangers will find her or be called to her and the chip will return her home.
God I'll feel bad which is shit seeing as all my results so far have been good.

See you at the big One.

Taz

Not a quiet Sunday either.

82M - ?? Vaso Vagal syncope, elected to stay with family.

97M - SOB, Acute Pulmonary Oedema.

23M - Post Ictal, but only with a work mate so transport required so family could then come into town and collect him.

56M - Unwell and C/o mid thoracic back pain and variation in BP between arms some times only ten or twenty points or then again fifty points???? you've got to be thinking of a triple A!

23M - Got smacked in the nose, it bleed and then stopped. WHY ask the Police to call an ambulance to tell you about the pathophysiology of an epistaxis?????

25M - I'll blame his behaviour on drugs but I really think he just wasn't playing with a full deck of cards. In the cells at the Cop Shop claiming a dislocated shoulder, they were finished with him so he came with us but was just the stupidest, twat I have seen in months. Security escorted him out of the hospital almost straight away, Oh, and that arm now seems to be working fine.

84M - Assist of the floor to bed, Parkinsons.

And that was that.

765 jobs/104 shifts = 7.36 average.

See you at the big One.

Taz

Nice Day, should be a good night!

44F - Haematemisis, Transported.

90M - Assist to bed at a nursing home, single staff member on duty.

27M - IP, prat (clinical assessment), his bum was numb after being pushed over and then lying on the concrete footpath for twenty minutes. Full spinal precautions, collar, board, straps and sand bags. Made a miraculous recovery and walked himself out of hospital twenty minutes later.

28F - IP, Hen's night, legless literally, B/f called and will collect from triage at hospital.

?20M - Friends are walking assist this very drunk gent home and put him down to have a break and someone walking past called for us???? They were good friends looking after a mate well done and off they went with him.

87F - Week long cough and decreased mobility. It now hurts to breath and cough. Come with me 'My Ol' Darlin' Saturdays nights not the best time to be going to a metropolitan hospital but you need to be there, sorry.

77F - Now this was cardiac chest pain, no ECG changes or warnings but needed assessment.

22M - ?Dislocated TMJ or similar with also an injury to the trachea post assault.

48M - Small head lac but it needed glue or stitches.

20M - After watching his friends try for twenty minutes to get him into a car to get him home after a night clubbing and having to much GHB. We got a job created to allow us to take him to hospital an as we expertly grabbed him to lift onto the stretcher up he pops and looks at us all and walked to the car and got in all without assistance. Maybe he was attention seeking and realised how close he was to ending up in hospital instead if he continued to be a wally.

Heard a cardiac arrest go down and didn't hear any further scene reports for like ten minutes so we cruised by to have a look and see if we could help. Great your here can you get another Viva? More hands were needed and they hadn't called for them yet as they were all busy working on the pt in a very small room with distressed family outside.
The upshot is they really needed our help and it was lucky that we stopped by.
It was a shocking scene and even worse extrication with us stopping on each of the five stairwell landings to do more CPR and defibrillate.
He got the best Pre-Hospital Cardiac care available and with the first intervention from our station of the new randomised trial I-GEL LMA that worked like a dream.
He is 44, with a wife and kids and no cardiac history and had spontaneous return of respiration and circulation by the time he was in the hospital resus bay.
Shit job done bloody well.

758 jobs/103 shifts = 7.36 average.

See you at the big One.

Taz

Missed my first arrest.

Your saying WHAT?????
I have done quite a few cardiac arrests in the seven years I've been on road.
The Ambulance Research Institute of ASNSW is conducting a randomised control trial on a new airway adjunct for pts without gag reflex and it is being conducted on pts with a confirmed cardiac arrest status. It is an I'GEL LMA over a Smiths Soft Seal that we currently use.

So since completing the training, examination and receiving a letter of authority to participate the only cardiac arrest near me occurred yesterday and we were on the way to a cold back-up of another crew.

Assist with extrication of an elderly M with a #NOF from the fourth floor, in an elevator(lift) that will only hold six thin people. Scoop stretcher lots of velcro straps and a little muscle, oh and some drugs, too easy.

90F - Dementia pt who really needs to be reassessed for assisted living, she can't stay at home. Community carer called and we agreed with it.

91M - Lower back pain, ??? compression # maybe, let's go and get some x-rays.

70F - an Ex nurse,,, not nearly as bad as a retired Dr. Ground rule set, I'm in charge, (no really she was lovely) simple stumble and fall but with a confirmed LOC for thiry seconds by her G/f who is also an ex nurse. A contusion on the eye lid that came up way too quick and a constant nasal drip of blood. Full spinal precautions and x-ray confirmed a #maxilla.

81F - Constipated.

73M - Generally unwell, His local social services group requesting a medical assessment that could have very easily been handled by the local medical centre, I even suggested this as a better and quicker option. Fat lot of good it did me Oy Vey!

28F - Known allergy to nuts, accidental exposure two days ago, treated at another hospital.
Return of symptoms today without the gross angio oedema.
There has been no possible exposure today it's just the mediators reacting after the initially treatment has worn off. Off to our local hospital for treatment and follow-up this time.

90F - Full recall of the event and a good lac lateral of the eyebrow that will need sutures before she can go on tonight to a dinner party.

747 jobs/102 shifts = 7.32 average.


You be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.


Taz

More followers.

G'day Australian Satirist and JasonB

You be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

What a mixed up day.

Started the day with my regular crew mate.
An incident on another car required them to split up as well as us so we could regroup with someone from the other car. Fine I got my cycling mate for the day.
Further cock ups occur and we end up with my original crew mate third up on the car!!!! who's going to treat.

93M - Thoracic back pain, after ruling out AAA's looks like it is most likely skeletal.

76F - Simple trip on uneven paving that resulted in some nasty facial trauma.

86F - Syncope with vomiting, now there may have been some ST elevation on the old three lead machine in the other stations car we were using but she had no cardiac history,,,, treat it cardiac. It may have been food poisoning or it might not!

86M - LMO thought he should go home and ring for an ambulance for dark stool. Unknown for how long, Pt showing no signs of hypovolaemic shock or stress to really warrant an emergency ambulance.

63M - SOB, Weak, gross ascites.

70F - CVA, started showing symptoms last night, by 0800hrs this morning the haemorrhage was huge.

739 jobs/ 101 shifts = 7.32 average.



You be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

What'sup or however you spell it.

Well I appear to have some new followers.
Cristy Ann,
Faking Patience &
Mommy Rizzoblogger.

These are on top of,

Just Jayne,
Jamie's,
Kaycee,
Rory,
Skeye,
Blossom & John,
Cryd,
Flobach,
Tracy,
Tazambo (being an Ambulance Tasmania employee),
Outback Ambo,
Nursewannabe,
Girl in Green.

Welcome all, some have communicated with me over one or other of the posts most have not but as always I welcome any comment.

Ambowife reminded me yesterday that it had been seven years since I had popped the question on the stage of the Hobart Conservatorium Recital Hall after the Annual Concert by the Hobart City Band.

I have also completed another year of my life in a very quiet manner. The night before we had a Station Meeting to which I brought chocolate cake and that was it.

And that has been what's up.

You be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz

Not a bad night.

Not saying it was a brilliant one either.

1mthM - Got knocked out of his capsule while it was being carried by Dad in a crowd. Bumped his forehead that looked nasty but I think that was more to do with how cute and new he was.

51M - Requesting transport because he doesn't care any more. Well known alcoholic who for some reason after hundreds of presentations still rings from home sometimes wanting just this, then all the way there he's telling you to stop and let him out.

30M - IP at a work function, I mean for someone who could and would open his eyes and talk he was absolutely maggoted.

33F - simple slip with a drinks glass in her hand and it shattered. Finger lac, not deep, no tendon involvement but needed some stitches.

35M - Got into some kind of push and shove with another fellow got a very minor head lac. He declined transport and he didn't need it.

20M - Assault/Robbery deep lac to his nose needing glue or sutures.

62M - SOB, had run out of his Lasix (diuretic) come on APO on this chilly morning.

70M - Seen out on street in a hospital gown. Detained and returned.

81F - SOB, palpitations with AF.

733 jobs/100 shifts = 7.33 average



See you at the Big One and you be careful out there.

Taz

A cold night didn't keep them inside!

47M - Anaphylaxis, points to him, the wife was driving him to hospital but they became concerned that they wouldn't make it so stopped at a local Cop Shop and called us. Adrenaline and a antihistamine and transport.

29F - From a medical centre, ??? Pneumonia.

23M - IP found asleep in the foyer of a building that he didn't live in, a drunk twit whom I left with the Police.

88F - Four weeks of being unwell, has seen her Dr and taken all the antibiotics and the chest infection has returned. Took her up for X-rays and maybe some IV drugs.

21F - Sad story, PTSD from an event six years ago and now throws pseudo seizures. Had to transport.

28M - Sitting in a Mcdonald's with a cut lip, Police asked us to have a look at him, I did and left him with them.

25F - Small hospital to Maternity hospital.

41M - IP, 'King Hit', got aggressive with us but he didn't have the capacity to refuse treatment with the description of the fall and LOC. Signed himself out from hospital an hour later against strong advice.

20M - Also IP but very apologetic for being so and that he couldn't scratch anything on his body. Just vomit that's it. Anti-emetics, fluids and a warm blanket or two.

724 jobs/99 shifts = 7.31 average.

What am I trying to show with these figures,

365 days per year less six weeks holidays = 323
323 divided by 9 (4 on & 5 off our roster pattern) = 35.89 rosters,
35.89 multiply by 4 = 143.56 or say 144 shifts per year.

Now I post O/t as well so when I get to 144 shift that will give an annual average?

Have I got the maths right?


See you at the Big One and you be careful out there.

Taz

Things you can do before your first job.

Have a coffee and talk to other staff.
Tidy station.
Wash ambulance.
Have another coffee.

Then when the work comes,

95F - Came down as choking, she has a chest infection and should be seen by a Dr, the family decide that their LMO would be better than the A & E, who am I to argue.

77F - Leg pain,,,, she's walking on them,,, what can I do to help you today? 'Take me to the hospital'

Assist load/extrication. Two general duties crew, one intensive care paramedic crew, one general duties police crew and police rescue to get this guy out of his apartment. He was too long, too heavy and the halls were too narrow, an hour and a half we were there!

40M - Fitting. Midazolam and transport.

35M - Had some wisdom teeth out in the morning and was fainting in the afternoon. Everything checked out fine with me and I noted that the analgesia was Panadeine Forte, I suggested that as his wife was now home maybe he might reduce the dose to half, they thought it was a good idea. I myself can't take more than one tablet of those things.

4M - fell from the top of some play equipment, about three meters, C/o lower back pain and stomach pain. Full spinal precautions and transport.

70M - transfer from the Air Ambulance to a hospital for a procedure.

715 jobs/ 98 shifts = 7.30 average.


See you at the Big One and you be careful out there.

Taz

What a cocked up day.

The weather here has been shocking and the wind and rain this morning was dangerous so I snoozed before driving in.
Would have been better if I hadn't over slept and was an hour later than I wanted to be.
I'm a very organised person and so don't like to rush but I had to this morning to not be late for sign-on.

82F - Found by N/h staff on the floor, she says that she had been there for five hours. Ininjuried but she had a nasty chest rattle so we transported to get that looked at.

66F - Recent abdo surgery and vomiting a lot at work. Transport to have it checked out in case it needs a surgical review.

88F - Fall without injury but very confused, lets take her to to be assessed.

26F - 27/40 gestation, had leaked some amniotic fluid, no antenatal beds here we transported to a hospital that did. General transfer.

?40M - Witnessed to fall and then fit. Still going when we arrived at the same time as one of our swift motorcycle units (proud of that in peak hour traffic) stabilised and transported.

I've been party to the creation of a monster with the workmate I have been riding with on the days off.
He wants to go for a ride on the morning before our night shifts????

708 jobs/ 97 shifts = 7.30 average.


See you at the Big One and you be careful out there.

Taz

Where the bloody hell have I been?

I'm sure you've been asking,,,,, haven't you?

I was restricted to how much O/t I could nominate for because of other commitments.

One ride with a friend I'm trying to get enthused about the bike he has and am trying to provide all the support I can.

Ambowife and I have travelled over the mountain range to present one of the traffic offenders programs.

I think I'm going for another ride tomorrow if he doesn't call it off because it's forecast to be cold and maybe wet.

And no calls for O/t.



See you at the Big One and you be careful out there.

Taz