sowajj@ihuxn.UUCP (sowajj) (02/01/84)
In Reply to previous Articles about the treatment of the drowning victim in the Waters of Lake Michigan, so people posted such items to this net as: > What burns me about the treatment of the boy (Johnny) is that the > emergency medical techs (EMTs) worked on him themselves for over an > HOUR, when a hospital was only three minutes away! These EMTs get too > carried away trying to "stabilize" patients, when they should be concerned > with transporting said patients to the hospital. The boy was unconscious > when pulled out of the water (really, he was clinically dead) and they > sat there for an hour in the ambulance. Unbelievable. > > Leave medicine to medics! > > And also: > B. Walsh has stated that the underwater boy was treated for > an hour in the ambulance before being transported to the > hospital, and wonders why he wasn't transported immediately. > Well, I wonder too. But, one of the doctors involved said > that the boy was saved due to sophisticated on-site treatment AND > sophisticated hospital treatment. I wonder if the on-site ambulance > treatment was absolutely necessary to effect the final outcome. > -- I wish to take some time a defend the profession of EMTs and Paramedics. First I would like to explain the difference of categories. 1). EMT 1 or EMT A - Basic Life Support, no medication, or M.A.S.T Suit or E.K.G. Equipment. 2). EMT I - Same as EMT A with IV therapy and M.A.S.T. suit usage. 3). EMT P or Paramedic - Same as EMT I with Advance Life Support of medications and E.K.G. Equipment. When someone says EMT the connotation is usually to and "EMT A" or "EMT I", while the term Paramedic is reserved for EMT Ps. With this lesson over, I will now get on my soap box. The first term I would like to correct is the the drowning victim was not treated by Emergency Medical Technicians per se, but by Paramedics. These Paramedics were performing exactly their jobs and what their education has given them. Paramedics have the materials and training necessary to support their onsite activities. Let me remind you of a fact that if necessary a doctor would have been on the scene during the rescue and also that the onsite crew was in radio contact with their trauma hospital! If at any time the Doctors on shift at the Hospital believed that the crew couldn't handle the situation, it would be the Doctors decision to change established procedures. Currently, there are problems in the State of Illinois laws which dictate that Paramedics must stabilize on the scene before transporting. This is where your criticism should be placed, in politicians playing medic, not on the people who have to function under that law. Results of a study by the Illinois Department of Public health are proving this law ineffective. In some instances EMTs - A&I are having a higher save rate than Paramedics because of this law. This case of a boy being submersed in icy water is not new, this sort of thing happens often enough to have special research on techniques and methods developed for it. Any time prolonged submersion has occurred in water temperature below 60 degrees an attempt is made at reviving the victim. Many saves have occurred due to this established procedure used in this case. I have been an EMT A for the past three years, both State and Nationally registered, and I'm Proud of it! Chief of Field Services Village of Elmwood Park, Rescue Squad J.J. Sowa