Just got home from my first full 24-hour shift as a Paramedic. Not a lot to tell, only ran 2 calls. One was a difficulty breathing and a couple of nebs fixed her right up. The other was a near-syncope. At first I was thinking cardiac because she had a stint put in about 2 weeks ago. Her vitals, blood sugar and 12 lead were all normal, so no easy fix there. I slipped an 18 in her hand and we headed down the road.
I happen to look up at the monitor and saw a big ole PVC go marching across the screen, then another and another. She was in trigiminy for a minute or so and then nothing. I stopped dead in my tracks wondering what the hell do I do now? Then I got ahold of myself and remembered there was a person attached to those wires. "Treat the patient not the monitor". I turned to her and asked her how she was feeling and she said OK, no problems. She looked OK and felt OK. So maybe the PVC's were normal for her, I kept one eye on the screen for the rest of the transport anyway. She went in and out of it the whole time, but never so much as raised an eyebrow in discomfort. Oh well, nothing to be done for it I guess...
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3 comments:
The calm before the storm, I would think...
Glad your first day is behind you, and just when you have a few more shifts under your belt, and begin to think nothing shocking/adrenaline racing will happen... It will !
Be safe out there, Blue Ridge, and blessings to you in your new career --
*smiles*
Loving Annie
Just use the "poised finger technique" to make those PVCs go away. Just ALMOST press the print button on the monitor. The closer your finger gets to the button, the more likely the arrhythmia is to go away.
You know AD, that actually worked for awhile, I only got one 12 lead with the PVC's on it and that was when we were pulling up and the ED. Glad I'm not the only on who notices that.
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