Doc On!!!

Haven't posted in a while hopefully this will be my new home for the next two years. Rah

Death and regrets About 3 years ago today I responded to a call that changed my life forever. It was the 3rd day of Hurricane Sandy and I was working as 1 of 4 EMTs in my local FD our fire district was cut in half due to flooding and downed trees and between both stations we responded to over 200 EMS and rescue calls while clearing roads and putting out fires. I was relaxing with my Capt and his wife and kid after a nice hot dinner (the first in days) and we got toned out to an unknown call due to language barrier. I was very reluctant to respond finally after 2 or 3 minutes I get up outta my chair and jump into the rig. Dispatch comes over the radio with an address that sounded familiar but by this point it went in one ear and out the other. We pulled up to a house that instantly clicked with me. It was the house of my 90 or so year old piano teacher that I hadn't seen in years. I knocked on the door and was greeted by a frantic woman yelling in Spanish and pointing to a locked bathroom door. I kicked in the door to find my piano teacher unresponsive without a pulse. Me and my partner instantly started coding her arriving at the hospital without any cardiac activity. Though middle school and high school I had a hard time with school and besides my mother this was the only other woman that ever believed that I could be great and telling me to do what I was good at. To have to look into her lifeless eyes and watch her die in front of me while I worked with everything I had to try and bring her back changed me forever. I replay that moment in my head quite often thinking there was something else I could've done, what if I was faster responding or moved a little faster getting up outta my chair maybe I could've saved her. This is the price I pay for being complacent. R.I.P. Anna

Tactidoc Tip of the day: I'm sure you've all had that conscious patient that you gave ketamine that has a bad trip. I know I have!!! Here is a cool little tip I learned form a PJ Doctor (Pararescuemen) called "Dreamseption" right before you give the medication talk to your patient in a calm voice telling them that you know they are in a lot of pain but to think about the best memory they can think of. The outcome has proven to be 80% better and almost guarantees a better outcome.

This year I got to help plan the hospital and EMS response and work as an enroute care tech for the annual mass casualty drill in okinawa Japan!!! "Constant Vigilance" Train like you fight and you training will never fail you!!!

Really proud of my team today stepping it up and treating these patients. Being first contact on this was intense and scary at the same time with a lot of untreated multi trauma.

The IFak or ( Individual first aid kit) is carried by everyone in country and is one of the Corpsman's / Medics most important tools in the field. It gives us increased medical supply that will make us that much more of an effective asset in the field. Some tips I have for you all: 1. Train train train. If your CLS Marines don't know how to use the Ifak it is useless and doesn't extend your medical reach at all. 2. Packaging. When your Marines receive their new ifak all of the items inside will be in 1 main package. Remove this package it will hinder treatment in the field (e.g. Getting to a TQ) 3. Organizing. Help your marines prep and package their ifak the way you want it or as with some Marine units as per unit S.O.P.. 4. It's important that you get one on one time with your Marines and explain use. Indications and contraindications for each of the items in their ifak!!! TRAINING!!!!! This applies across all branches and LE as well. Most LE now requires an IFAK which is less robust but still will get the job done.

Sometimes it’s important to believe your patient or in this case the patients mother. Mother states PT swallowed an open safety pin doctor did not believe the mother upon my exam the PT had tenderness to the lower left and right quadrants. I sent the PT to X ray after the doctor decided they would have them follow up in the morning with peds and found this. PT was in surgery in 15mins later.

The king LTD one of the best trauma airways that a corpsman carries in his Med bag. A little tip from the flight med side: if you know you're airlifting/medevacing your PT. Fill the ballon with NS instead of air. The air will be compressed and water will not. Make sure you properly secure the airway!!!

Combat life savers!!! Your CLS Marine, you should train your CLS marines as if they are an extension of you because in the end that's exactly what they are. The hands on portion of this course is the most important part make sure you make this scenario as realistic as possible. Scare them make them think make them move with speed and intensity!!!