My Pet Peeve of the day: You do not shock asystole

[scottishduffy]

Though i must add, Foley's are a heck of a lot easier to put in on the guys....

I double-doggie dare you to google that, Handbag.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Though i must add, Foley's are a heck of a lot easier to put in on the guys....

I double-doggie dare you to google that, Handbag.

Not. In. This. Lifetime.


There is a reason I don't work in the medical profession and I applaud you all. I couldn't do it unless they come up with a way to do it while fainted.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Oh, where were you when I had the biggest crew of jerks in my past Foley crew? Really?

Can you buy one? Do you mean urinary drainage as in for anyone or just for males (I'm trying to get a picture with actually Googling it.

It's for males or females. Basically it's a long tube attached to a bag (the bag catches the urine as the tube drains it out). It would be a darling gift for your past Foley crew. (You could probably make a handbag out of the bag part.)

You could definitely order one from a medical supply store. They're pretty inexpensive. You can order just the catheter (tube) itself, or the tube and the drainage bag together.

 

[Handbag Lady]

It's for males or females. Basically it's a long tube attached to a bag (the bag catches the urine as the tube drains it out). It would be a darling gift for your past Foley crew. (You could probably make a handbag out of the bag part.)

You could definitely order one from a medical supply store. They're pretty inexpensive. You can order just the catheter (tube) itself, or the tube and the drainage bag together.

THANK YOU. Good to know!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Though i must add, Foley's are a heck of a lot easier to put in on the guys....

I remember early in my career once having a really tough time putting in an elderly man's foley. During one of my attempts, the urologist on call finally made it to the floor and came up behind me yelling, "Traction! Traction! Give it some traction!" I had no idea what he was talking about when he finally said (hope this doesn't get me in trouble) "Pull it up!" So I did and to my chagrin, it worked! I still think of it every time I'm placing a male foley.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

Back when Emergency and St. Elsewhere were made, we did shock aystole. There was a theory it could be "fine V-Fib". That theory went away many years ago though. We were also giving bicarb by the gallon, that was cool because we could do the dual thumb cap flips
Then there were precordial thumps.....

 

[scottishduffy]

I remember early in my career once having a really tough time putting in an elderly man's foley. During one of my attempts, the urologist on call finally made it to the floor and came up behind me yelling, "Traction! Traction! Give it some traction!" I had no idea what he was talking about when he finally said (hope this doesn't get me in trouble) "Pull it up!" So I did and to my chagrin, it worked! I still think of it every time I'm placing a male foley.

Still better then the ladies. Heck, I am a lady and I didn't know where the heck to put that thing the first time. You wouldn't think it would be so difficult to find.

Now, off to change the subject before getting in trouble.

One of my favorite memories is coming home after i spilled a bunch of betadine on myself. My hubby took one look at me and though the red color come from something else and just about passed out. Wimp...

 

[pigletliz]

I think my favorite medical silliness used to come from my soap opera.

I was watching one where they had a brain dead character. REPEAT: b-r-a-i-n d-e-a-d. Now, in the shows defense they did have a ventilator. You could see the bellows going up and down. However, all the patient had on was a little nasal cannula!. That was the most impressive little nasal cannula i've ever seen. I suppose you wouldn't want a big bulky tube and central lines interfering with the actors aesthetically pleasing face.

I used to love the medical scenes on the soap operas. Absolutely hysterical. I would love how people would just suddenly wake up from comas (never on a vent of course) and sit up right away to hug family then leave the hospital later that same episode.

.

Okay, That reminds me of the day I was changing channels and got distracted by a foreign language soap opera. Big emotional scene: They were doing CPR on a patient. 15 breaths to 2 compressions. 15 breaths 2 compressions. Needless to say, the patient didn't make it.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I remember early in my career once having a really tough time putting in an elderly man's foley. During one of my attempts, the urologist on call finally made it to the floor and came up behind me yelling, "Traction! Traction! Give it some traction!" I had no idea what he was talking about when he finally said (hope this doesn't get me in trouble) "Pull it up!" So I did and to my chagrin, it worked! I still think of it every time I'm placing a male foley.

 

[monkey68]

Okay, That reminds me of the day I was changing channels and got distracted by a foreign language soap opera. Big emotional scene: They were doing CPR on a patient. 15 breaths to 2 compressions. 15 breaths 2 compressions. Needless to say, the patient didn't make it.

Seriously??? 15 BREATHS??? Oy vey.

Didn't the AHA just come out with some regulation that if you don't have a barrier device to administer breaths during CPR, compressions are fine. And you do the compressions to the beat of "Staying Alive". Well, yesterday was the first day of BLS certification for the first year class (they split the class up into groups so every group goes on a different day). I walked past the room where they were teaching the class, and heard a bunch of them singing "Staying Alive". The BLS instructors tend to be pretty fun people, so it didn't surprise me that they were singing.

You know what really annoys me? When they do CPR on TV, their elbows are always bent and it looks like they're doing a hoe down. I know you can't do compressions on a person with a beating heart, but can't they at least straighten out their arms and make it look real? And how come they never get tired? Maybe I'm just weak, but it's not easy to do those compressions.

 

[MichelleVW]

Ah, yes - I always got a kick out of them hanging the X-rays incorrectly (like upside-down!) They've gotten better over the years on that, though.

omg that drives me crazy! I can almost understand backwards, but upside down??!

 

[Cool-Beans]

Back when Emergency and St. Elsewhere were made, we did shock aystole. There was a theory it could be "fine V-Fib". That theory went away many years ago though. We were also giving bicarb by the gallon, that was cool because we could do the dual thumb cap flips
Then there were precordial thumps.....

Back when Emergency and St. Elsewhere were made, I was a kid. I remember St. Elsewhere well, but only saw Emergency in reruns. I was two when it started. (I think perhaps Mr. Webmaster Alex is older than me, which makes me very happy as I am feeling old these days.)

And none of that is an excuse for House. But it was my Pet Peeve yesterday. Today I'm back to just letting it go.

I've heard about all the many and wonderful uses they used to have for bicarb. I swear, if they gave me a test and asked, "How did we used to treat this?" I'd answer, "bicarb."

I have seen precordial thumps. First one I saw was in nursing school - the nurse was watching the monitor and showing me stuff and said, "That guy's going-" and she started walking and said, "C'mon. This is going to be good." It was. Well, from a student point of view...not so much from a patient's.

I always wonder about what it is we do now that they'll look back at and over. Or the things they'll be able to treat that we can't - DIC, for instance. I keep waiting for the big breakthrough on that. You just know it is coming.

 

[mickeymedic]

Back when Emergency and St. Elsewhere were made, we did shock aystole. There was a theory it could be "fine V-Fib". That theory went away many years ago though. We were also giving bicarb by the gallon, that was cool because we could do the dual thumb cap flips
Then there were precordial thumps.....

It wasn't THAT long ago...you're making me feel old.

Seriously??? 15 BREATHS??? Oy vey.

Didn't the AHA just come out with some regulation that if you don't have a barrier device to administer breaths during CPR, compressions are fine. And you do the compressions to the beat of "Staying Alive". Well, yesterday was the first day of BLS certification for the first year class (they split the class up into groups so every group goes on a different day). I walked past the room where they were teaching the class, and heard a bunch of them singing "Staying Alive". The BLS instructors tend to be pretty fun people, so it didn't surprise me that they were singing.

You know what really annoys me? When they do CPR on TV, their elbows are always bent and it looks like they're doing a hoe down. I know you can't do compressions on a person with a beating heart, but can't they at least straighten out their arms and make it look real? And how come they never get tired? Maybe I'm just weak, but it's not easy to do those compressions.

Yes...lay rescuers may opt to do "hands only" CPR. The idea is to keep the blood circulating while there is still some oxygen left in it. Once professional rescuers take over, they will provide ventilations. Also, the idea of doing mouth-to-mouth on a complete stranger was a huge deterant to performing CPR on someone you didn't know. The hope is that people will not be afraid if they just have to do chest compressions.

I use the song "Staying Alive" when I teach CPR. In fact, there just might be a youtube video of a bunch of my city firefighter students dancing, sining and doing CPR. Another song that is 100 beats per minute is "Another One Bites the Dust." EMS folks usually find this quite amusing. Laypersons...not so much.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Then there were precordial thumps.....

Yes. Just as I was priding myself on how well I was getting them down!

I remembered seeing one of our cardiologists one day thump a patient so hard, his body jumped off the bed. He told us all, "That's how you thump someone!"

 

[CajunDixie]

Just for that.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVxJJ2DBPiQ

I'm sending that link to my old teacher, she loves showing videos in class to break up the monotony.

Since we're throwing around pet peeves why are there so many medical shows and not one show in primetime about the fast-paced and sexually tense life of an in-house electrician???

Because some of us prefer to think we have our electricians on a short leash!

Seriously??? 15 BREATHS??? Oy vey.

Didn't the AHA just come out with some regulation that if you don't have a barrier device to administer breaths during CPR, compressions are fine. And you do the compressions to the beat of "Staying Alive". Well, yesterday was the first day of BLS certification for the first year class (they split the class up into groups so every group goes on a different day). I walked past the room where they were teaching the class, and heard a bunch of them singing "Staying Alive". The BLS instructors tend to be pretty fun people, so it didn't surprise me that they were singing.

You know what really annoys me? When they do CPR on TV, their elbows are always bent and it looks like they're doing a hoe down. I know you can't do compressions on a person with a beating heart, but can't they at least straighten out their arms and make it look real? And how come they never get tired? Maybe I'm just weak, but it's not easy to do those compressions.

We prefer "Another One Bites the Dust"
Actually our county has changed our protocols and no longer follow the AHA CPR protocols. We now have CCR protocols, cardiocerebral resuscitation. CCR technique requires 200 chest compressions first, then a single shock followed by 200 more chest compressions, with delayed ventilation and we also start cooling the patients body temperature by placing 5 ice packs on the patient.

And for the person that asked about paddles, on our ambulance we use the pads but they do cost us $76. And if we use the Auto-pulse (it does the chest compressions for us) the disposable life bands for those are $100. But with the Auto Pulse you get consistent compressions, you don't have to worry about a fireman/medic/EMT getting tired and performing shallower compressions. And it leaves our hands free to ventilate, start IVs, take blood samples, administer meds, call the ER to give them a report......

 

[Disney Doll]

Yeah, my husband refuses to watch medical dramas because he hates hearing me point out all the mistakes.

Mine too. He says I ruin the show by every 5 minutes saying "They don't do that" and .

 

[mickeymedic]

I'm sending that link to my old teacher, she loves showing videos in class to break up the monotony.



Because some of us prefer to think we have our electricians on a short leash!



We prefer "Another One Bites the Dust"
Actually our county has changed our protocols and no longer follow the AHA CPR protocols. We now have CCR protocols, cardiocerebral resuscitation. CCR technique requires 200 chest compressions first, then a single shock followed by 200 more chest compressions, with delayed ventilation and we also start cooling the patients body temperature by placing 5 ice packs on the patient.

And for the person that asked about paddles, on our ambulance we use the pads but they do cost us $76. And if we use the Auto-pulse (it does the chest compressions for us) the disposable life bands for those are $100. But with the Auto Pulse you get consistent compressions, you don't have to worry about a fireman/medic/EMT getting tired and performing shallower compressions. And it leaves our hands free to ventilate, start IVs, take blood samples, administer meds, call the ER to give them a report......

Yes, the pads are definitely costly. I remember when we first switched over to the Quick Combo pads we were told "don't open the package unless you are sure you are going to use them." (Apparently they were afraid we were going to slap them on everyone just for fun?)

It sounds like you work in a very progressive EMS system! Where are you located?

 

[Straitlover]

And you do the compressions to the beat of "Staying Alive".

Did you watch The Office the other week? If not, you need to watch it online for the scene w/ the CPR dummy!!!!

 

[monkey68]

Since there seems to be a lot of medical people on this particular thread, I thought you all might appreciate this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX_g78F2K1Q

Never forget how to do CPR again. Our ACLS instructor showed it to us the other day, since it started with a BLS review, including proper CPR technique.