I know you got some stories about these types of situations, do tell.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/737412.html

10/15/2007 1:15:06 PM

hahaha ohhhh yes i do

Quote :

"Wake County's new dispatch system "flags" addresses where EMTs have needed extra help to move someone. If a second call goes to that address, extra help is sent automatically. Durham has a similar system. On normal medical calls, an ambulance and firetruck are sent, said Jeff Hammerstein, Wake EMS district chief. The response for a bariatric patient adds a ladder truck, an EMS supervisor and a technical rescue truck with tools and a tarp to move patients. That level of response puts 10 to 12 people on the scene, and it's not too many, he said."

this is true, and it is nice

one time we had this woman on an upper floor of an apartment complex that must have weighed over 500 lbs, i dont think she had left the apartment in quite some time, she was having a little trouble breathing... nothing major, we put her on some albuterol and that helped her o2 a lot. she didn't really NEED to go to the hospital... but she wanted to go anyway, so we took her. then she said she didn't think she could get down the stairs... so i told cary fire (they are first responders on just about every call) to stay and help me out, she got a little embarrassed

got her on the stretcher (yeah, it'll hold 500 lbs... although she draped over the side quite a bit) and rolled her out... the stairway was one of those that has like 219280359 turns in it... so that was fun

after like an hour we finally got her downstairs, took 4 of us to lift her into the truck, and on the way there, i could barely move around in the truck because of her

this was at like 2am mind you... went back to bed, slept through the night (yayyy) and woke up the next morning, my ankle hurt like a motherfucker and i could barely walk on it, best i can figure i sprained it carrying her down the stairs... it STILL hurts to this day, and that was a couple of months ago. i don't think it'll ever work like it used to.

so yeah.

no fatties. but, technically speaking

Quote :

"Smith said his EMTs treat bariatric patients with the same sensitivity as they would anyone else. "Everybody has an opinion. Ours is, we have a job to do, that's why we're in this business, to treat patients no matter who they are," he said."

this is true.. i will treat anyone and everyone i encounter without passing judgement, it's my job.

10/15/2007 1:23:09 PM

Quote :

"so yeah. no fatties. "

10/15/2007 1:24:19 PM

in the hospital we have special beds, special lifts, and it takes 4-6 people to TURN these patients in bed.


lap band surgery ftw

10/15/2007 1:33:36 PM