NSR Week 8 (late)

Welcome to Normal Sinus Rhythm, Week 8! There is no theme for this week, so please enjoy a veritable mix of topics! Posted with each link is an excerpt of the original post; head over there and leave a comment if you have the time.

If there is a theme you would like to see in a future NSR, leave a comment here or send an email to nsrblog@gmail.com. We would really appreciate input on this project.

Gertrude reminds us that That Only Works in the Movies. Have you ever wanted to ask your patients that?

When stopped by the police and you want to get away, jumping off the overpass to the ground below is not the way to go. It looks very cool in the movies and the bad guy gets away.

Sam talks about the Lights and Siren.

I love driving with my lights and siren going. There's nothing quite like the rush I get from seeing the lights bounce back at me, ricocheting off of an infinite number of facades. The sirens scream higher as we drive under a bridge, wailing, urging me forward. Children standing with their parents look at me with smiles plastered on their faces, waving as they jump up and down.

Not So Rapidly, Rogue Medic warns.

D50W is given to people who have had their blood sugar drop and are experiencing confusion, that appears to be due to the low blood sugar. I was taught, and still use this method. I look for the largest vein that looks good for an IV site. The label recommends a small needle in a large vein. I prefer a large needle. If you have ever pushed D50W through a 20 gauge catheter, you understand part of the reason. It takes a lot of effort. If you have ever pushed D50W through a 22 gauge catheter, you are insane (or management).

Witness responds to Sam with Woo-woo Wow.

In general, there are two types of areas- rural and urban, with some mix in between. In my opinion, in both situations our timeliness in responses depend on different things. In an urban area, with many stop lights and intersections, our fast response comes from the ability to cut through stop lights we would normally wait for. In a rural area, our speed literally comes from that, the speed of our response, mostly because traffic is lower in rural areas, as are lights and intersections.

EpiJunky tells us about A Little Flutter...

We were perfectly comfortable sunning ourselves on a beautiful July day. On of those days where the sky is a gorgeous blue, dotted with puffy white clouds. One of those days where you really wish you weren't working.

NSR Week 8

See what happens when Medic 61 asks me to put the post together?

I'll be late to my own funeral, folks. The post will be up tonight. I promise :)

Epi

NSR Week 7

Welcome to Normal Sinus Rhythm, Week 7! The theme this week is "kids." Posted with each link is an excerpt of the original post; head over there and leave a comment if you have the time.

If there is a theme you would like to see in a future NSR, leave a comment here or send an email to nsrblog@gmail.com. We would really appreciate input on this project.

This week, Rogue Medic starts us off with Not Successful Resuscitation.

I have always hated the phrase, "I'm sorry for your loss." It sounds like a Hallmark card for a stranger you've never met. What happened? "Passed on," "Sorry for my loss," "No longer in pain," "No longer with us,". . . . We ask too much of the family member when we provide vague descriptions of what is going on. Unless we use the words "is dead," or "has died," we aren't helping them to recognize what has happened. These are attempts to say the right thing, but they just seems so far from adequate, at least to me.

Peter brings us a piece from his archive, I'll Be At Your Side.

What I like best about this job are the moments you observe between people, moments that show the bonds that life creates, that show the love in people's hearts, particuarly the love of a parent for a child.

Mom? Epi brings us a story of her own children.

It had been four months since I started at the Evil Green Empire. I had just started working a new schedule that gave me my nights and weekends off, but effectively kept me away from home during the day on weekdays.

Gertrude tells us about Asthma.

The engine officer meets me outside the school stating he needs a refusal form for dad to sign. I walk into the nurse’s office to see a small girl in a chair. She is crying. She is in the classic tripod position working hard to breath. Little accessory muscles at work. Before I even talk to dad I put the stethascope to her back and hear nothing but wheezes and rhonchi, everywhere.

Sam tells us about Gracie.

A tech is carrying her in. She's seizing in his giant arms, her little hands hitting his chest, her tiny feet kicking towards his neck. She can't be more than 3. He puts her down as gingerly as he can, and I realize that other than the doctor, I'm the first one in.

NSR Week 6

Welcome to Normal Sinus Rhythm, Week 6! There is no theme for this week, so we hope you enjoy a mix of ideas and stories. Posted with each link is an excerpt of the original post; head over there and leave a comment if you have the time.

If there is a theme you would like to see in a future NSR, leave a comment here or send an email to nsrblog@gmail.com. We would really appreciate input on this project.

Side Note: This week's was very belated due to the fact that we only received one entry. Apologies!

Rogue Medic brings us National Security Roulette, yet another in his fantastically titled series of posts!

"Judgment might be wrong. The only thing worse than an ineffective laughing stock of a government agency is allowing someone to make a decision without going through a bunch of committees. None of us is as dumb as all of us."