Question:
A quick little good paramedic story…….a few weeks ago, my husband and I were out to a movie with friends. These friends live in a VERY small town in Western Mass, where it is a very hard to find your way around if you don’t already know where you are going. Well, about 1/2 way through the movie my cell phone rang (shook, actually), it was my friends mother, who was baby-sitting their little 1 1/2 year old boy. The little guy, who is prone to croup, was having difficulty breathing. I told her to beat feet to the hospital and went and got everyone and we met there. The reason I didn’t tell her to call 911 is because there is no real ambulance service there…..the local police call the state police, who call a private ambulance service, who go out there……average response time is anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Too long with a baby who cant breathe. Anyway, we all got to the hospital at about the same time (we all made 40 minute drives into 15 minute drives, but that’s a whole other thread) and fortunately there was a nice woman paramedic in an ambulance by the ER entrance. I think she was restocking. She heard the baby gasping and came flying out the back of that truck like she had been shot from a cannon 
"Who’s the mom?", I pointed to my friend, she grabbed the baby and shooed Lynn and her husband to the ambulance entrance. A nurse tried to send Lynn and her husband back out to check in! The paramedic snapped "Why don’t we get some oxygen on this baby before we worry about paperwork, eh?" The nurse turned colors . We all retreated to the waiting room, so I didn’t see the rest, but Lynn told me later that the paramedic stayed until the baby was stable, and even brought him a teddy bear the next day! Now that’s a caring person! Jennifer, who hopes I get that paramedic if I ever have to call an ambulance! — http://radio.bicnet.net/users/dlandry JennyB and Bandit http://radio.bicnet.net/users/dlandry/jbandb.html
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Everything in life involves compromise. Not to belittle your experiences but I believe that EMTs are well-trained and have a high degree of professionalism. Ideally every emergency should be cared for in the field by a physician trained to treat emergencies but this is impossible for many reasons. It would be even better if a specialist (pulmonologist) could be quickly directed to the site of an emergency (asthma attack). EMTs and the 911 system represent the system that our society has decided is workable, affordable and "effective-enough". Granted some docs and EMTs are not the best in their respective disciplines but we are not living in Lake Wobegon where everyone is above average. Again, you may have actually had a poor experience but the system in general works well.
Since my message was the one that originally set off this surprisingly long-lasting thread, I feel the need to begin by stating that, in general, I couldn’t agree with you more. There have probably been a dozen occasions over the past decade when I have been promptly and efficiently treated by emergency rescue crews — both EMTs and paramedics — and delivered safely (and alive) to the admitting hospital. I should probably point out, for those who may not have followed the whole thread, that I had recently moved from a city where I had received exemplary service for a number of years. Also, in that location, there was a choice of resuce services, among whom my care-giver selected and *called* the service to come to my home. Apparently, in my new location, things operate somewhat differently. My doctor’s office directed *me* to call 911 and told me that they would notify the hospital I was on the way. I do not believe that the person in charge of the crew that came represents the "above average" paraprofessional, either in general or among the local rescue squads. And I think that his behavior here indicated some problems in his attitude toward patients and his preparation for his job. I think that the first problem was that he felt he was required to decide whether or not I *needed* to go to the emergency room. My pulmonologist had already made that decision, which had been communicated to the service when the call was placed. His second problem was that his understanding of asthma is not really sufficient to enable him to make that assessment. His third problem was that his manner toward clients is confrontational and arrogant. His question to me (after listening to my back waistline, where I wasn’t wheezing) was "What makes you think you have asthma?" This was said in a sarcastic tone. He was definitely not from Lake Wobegon. Having said this, I believe that if the system is to work the way it should, patients and doctors need to make it clear to rescue services and to their clients when things do not go well, and why. And the responses here on this forum seem to indicate that too often things do not go as well as they should. I really don’t want to continue to discuss the incident here. I have communicated with the people responsible for the training and monitoring of this individual, and am satisfied that I was heard and my opinion respected. (Probably reinforced by the fact that several weeks later and home from the hospital, I am still wearing an IV.) But I *do* want to encourage other asthmatics to insist on their right to be respected and listened to and treated with dignity by *all* medical providers — especially by those who sometimes can hold their very survival at stake. Emily Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Response:
Not only am I asthmatic but also a medical assistant. My horror story about paramedics has me baffled as to their assessment and classifications of emergencies. On one ocassion I had blacked out and hit my head, resulting in severe brusing of the face, especially around the eye in a matter of a few minutes. I was slightly confused and 911 was called. On that trip to the ER I was transported under emergency, lights sereins and all. My next experience with the same paramedics was during a severe asthma attack that was not responding to albuterol mdi. I could barely breathe at all, there was almost no air movement and I was cyanotic. The paramedics started an IV, put me on O2, and transported me to the ER as a code green which is not "emergency" conditions…my husband could have driven me to the hospital faster than the paramedics did.
I’ve run into the same thing. They just don’t seem to take it as seriously as other injuries. I have, however, found that if you go in with the squad instead of having your mate take you in, you get faster attention. Our local ER has been going downhill for several years. A while back, I was taken in by my husband with severe abdominal pains. He took me directly in the ER entrance. The nurse there actually put me in a wheel chair, SHOVED me back OUTSIDE and told my husband to take me around to the main entrance so I could ’sign’ in. I was in incredible pain, he had to drag me around in this wheel chair over rough concrete to the sign-in window. I just wish it wasn’t so far to the next hospital! Sue Smoke Often Die Young
Response:
Hi All, I am sorry so many of you have had such bad experience with BLS and ALS help. I for one have had a great experience with both my local volunteer fire dept. EMT’s and the local paramedics. About 2 years ago I awoke in the " astmatic time frame " about 3 AM. I coughed a couple of times and went right to the worse asthma attack of my life. Now I have had asthma for about 48 years at that time. I struggled to get to the phone and dial 911, at this time where I live it went straight to the State Police. I gasped out my name and address and told them what was happening. In about 5 minutes the Firemen arrived and in about 10 minutes the Paramedics. The Fire EMT’s did all they could to reassure me, that other help was on the way. The tried to give me o2 but I was very scared to let them put a mask over my face. So they just used the hose to spray o2 in my face. When the Paramedics arrived the also assured me that I was going to be ok and started to administer meds…….Then off to the ER. At no time was I treated with anything other then concern and kindness. They all acted in a very professional manner. I just wanted to offer another side to the coin. Regards, — " I always do what the voices in my head tell me."
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Not only am I asthmatic but also a medical assistant. My horror story about paramedics has me baffled as to their assessment and classifications of emergencies. …my husband could have driven me to the hospital faster than the paramedics did. I’ve run into the same thing. Sue Everything in life involves compromise. Not to belittle your experiences but I believe that EMTs are well-trained and have a high degree of professionalism. Ideally every emergency should be cared for in the field by a physician trained to treat emergencies but this is impossible for many reasons. It would be even better if a specialist (pulmonologist) could be quickly directed to the site of an emergency (asthma attack). EMTs and the 911 system represent the system that our society has decided is workable, affordable and "effective-enough". Granted some docs and EMTs are not the best in their respective disciplines but we are not living in Lake Wobegon where everyone is above average. Again, you may have actually had a poor experience but the system in general works well.
Response:
Not only am I asthmatic but also a medical assistant. My horror story about paramedics has me baffled as to their assessment and classifications of emergencies. On one ocassion I had blacked out and hit my head, resulting in severe brusing of the face, especially around the eye in a matter of a few minutes. I was slightly confused and 911 was called. On that trip to the ER I was transported under emergency, lights sereins and all. My next experience with the same paramedics was during a severe asthma attack that was not responding to albuterol mdi. I could barely breathe at all, there was almost no air movement and I was cyanotic. The paramedics started an IV, put me on O2, and transported me to the ER as a code green which is not "emergency" conditions…my husband could have driven me to the hospital faster than the paramedics did.
Response:
I’d tend to agree with what Emily just said. Although I am dealing with infant asthma (in my son). His condition is quite severe and he does NOT wheeze. In fact if I hear wheezing usually it is way tooo late to do anything at home and it is time to head off to ther ER. He generally pants and although I hear no wheezing when I press my head to his chest I do sometimes hear a sort of scraping sound which when amplified may be a wheeze….though usually when we go down to the ER it is the O2 sap that tells them he is in trouble. (As he usually pants when he has attacks.) I hope this helps…I really don’t know what it is with the wheeze bit, I think it is how you feel which should be the deciding factor…not the wheeze. Vicky – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Lisa, medical professionals and paraprofessionals *should* know that it can still be asthma if it don’t wheeze. Some asthmatics hardly ever wheeze. In fact, the lack of wheezing can indicate a very serious condition, as you suggest.Most asthmatics don’t wheeze way down below the beltline, which is where my paramedic was listening. I don’t think my lungs go all the way to my coccyx. However, some people *think* they know and need to be better educated. Emily I have one question to the ignorant medical professionals. When I have a severe asthma attack and put a stethoscope to my lungs, depnding on the severity of the attack, I either hear air passing through my lungs or don’t hear air passing through the different sections of my lungs. Whether a wheeze is present or not, air flow in the lungs should be the decicing factor, along with the other medical factors, correct? One can sometimes fake out peak flows and PFT’s, but, I’m not too sure about breathe sounds in the lungs. The lower base of my right lung, from the costophrenic (spelling) angle to the strenum area is always the first to stop passing air. The more of the lung that stops the flow of air the less of a wheeze I get. This is quite easy to hear or not hear as the case maybe (through a stethoscope). And stopping breathe sounds is something I feel can’t be faked. So why all the focus on the wheeze of the patient and not the patient’s overall situation, symptoms, and signs? O.K. 2 questions. — Lisa M. DeSavage Hinsbar Laboratories, Inc. www.hinsbarlabs.com — Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Response:
Sorry to reply to my own message, but I just discovered an attribution error. I am the one who wrote about the "jackbooted" paramedics. I inadvertently left R. Bishop’s name at the beginning instead of moving it down to precede R. Bishop’s quoted remarks. I have now moved it where it belonged. Sorry for any misunderstandings that may have occurred. By the way, we had the rescue people back this morning for a resident who had fallen. Different crew. I was sent to direct them to the victim. Wearing my fanny pack and IV, I spoke to the team leader about my experience with his co-worker who was convinced that I didn’t have asthma + pneumonia and didn’t really need to go the the emergency room. Interesting. As soon as I described the incident, he knew exactly who the person was. Seems there is a little attitude problem there. This team encouraged me to write a letter to the supervisor. I intend to do so. Emily – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A similar thing happened to me just a few months ago. It was my first encounter with the local jackbooted paramedics I described in an earlier message. I was loaded into the ambulance (wide awake) and they were told several times by several people which hospital I was headed for. A few minutes later, I realized that they were going in exactly the opposite direction and asked them what route they were taking to my hospital. They said, "Oh, we just assumed that you were going to Hospital X." Then they had to do some backtracking, which didn’t make them happy at all. Furthermore, they seemed not to know the easiest way to go to *my* hospital. I made a suggestion based on my 46 years’ experience of the neighborhood, and it was *not* a tactful thing to have done. So I left them alone to do it their way, and it took almost half an hour longer than it needed to. Worse than cab drivers. Fortunately, I wasn’t dead when we got there. Emily Many years ago, a friend was injured in a farm accident. He was from out of the area, the local hospital was just not equipped to deal with his injuries so he was to be transported to the hospital in the city where he lived. Just by chance I decided he needed a familiar face along for the ride since he was semi-conscious and climbed in the ambulance. We started out down the road and I immediately noticed they were heading SOUTH instead of north toward the city where he lived. I asked where we were going and they said to X hospital. I responded in Y city? They said NO, in Z city! They were taking him to a hospital in a city in the wrong direction! He would have ended up in a hospital over 100 miles from where he was supposed to go!!!! They hadn’t even verified WHERE they were taking him! Sue Smoke Often Die Young — Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
– Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Response:
<snip The term jackbooted is offensive, no matter how ignorant they were……
<snip But, scooby, that’s what he was actually wearing! And he stood with that swagger in the middle of the room in those big black boots and lectured us. I didn’t make that up. And HE was offensive to me and to the apartment manager who was with me, and he made derisory remarks about how doctors always tell their patients to call 911 when they really shouldn’t. I have learned since then from the regular crew that this fellow was only sent on the call because they wereout on another call and that they have had problems with him all along. Some people just have a bad attitude. And they probably shouldn’t be picking up patients. I don’t think he is in any way typical of paramedics. I think he is in the wrong job. But it is scary when you are at the mercy of someone like that. Emily Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Response:
Well I have to wade into this one as I am not only a Respiratory Therapist, I am a Paramedic. I have been teaching in both professions for 15 years. The term jackbooted is offensive, no matter how ignorant they were……that being aside, The education that both professions receive (not unlike medical or nursing school) is only as good as the quality of the instructor and the clinical surroundings in which to integrate the didactic knowlege. The rule of thumb here is that as the attack progresses, airflow diminishes and therefore a decrease in total lung sounds and wheezing in particular will be present. The best indicator is the patient themselves, a good pulse-oximeter reading and capnography which may well show an elevated CO2 level. At this point it doesn’t matter whether or not you hear wheezes, the administration of nebulizer treatments is warranted (along with toher drugs). An improvement in clinical status will result in increased airflow, and wheezing will again become audible. To those uninformed pre-hospital care providers I would suggest a little time being spent on reviewing available literature and further clinical experience. Scooby RCP, EMT-P Perinatal-Pediatric Respiratory Specialist This mail is a natural product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects.
Response:
Scooby, What a breath of fresh air! So, can we call you when we need emergency medical assistance?? <smile Couldn’t resist… Ash http://www.angelfire.com/tn/Ashleigh1976/index.html Try smiling, it won’t kill you and might even brighten your day.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <snip The term jackbooted is offensive, no matter how ignorant they were…… <snip But, scooby, that’s what he was actually wearing! And he stood with that swagger in the middle of the room in those big black boots and lectured us. I didn’t make that up. And HE was offensive to me and to the apartment manager who was with me, and he made derisory remarks about how doctors always tell their patients to call 911 when they really shouldn’t. I have learned since then from the regular crew that this fellow was only sent on the call because they wereout on another call and that they have had problems with him all along. Some people just have a bad attitude. And they probably shouldn’t be picking up patients.
No ‘probably’ about it. He should be outa there. And I hope this happens very soon. Eventually, someone is going to be badly neglected. I don’t think he is in any way typical of paramedics. I think he is in the wrong job.
I totally agree. A couple of years ago, I had very serious abdominal surgery. I had extremely bad nursing care while I was in the local hospital. The elderly woman who was in the other bed in the room was neglected and I complained, trying to get the nurses to DO something. The woman was being fed through a stomach tube and the nurse would be hours late with her feeding, hours late with her medications. The woman’s family was afraid to complain because they were afraid the circumstances would get worse. I was unable to get out of my bed and I tried making verbal complaints. The only response I received was to have a nurse come raging into the room, shake her finger at me, thump her fist on my pillow and tell me to keep my nose out of the care given to my roommate. I was totally enfuriated but when at the mercy of these kind of people who control the pain medications, I decided the only sensible thing to do was keep my mouth shut and concentrate on getting better so I could Get Out Of There. I also kept being given the wrong food tray, and I had to keep a very close eye on my own medication schedule so I could make sure *I* got the right meds at the right intervals. But it is scary when you are at the mercy of someone like that.
It’s TERRIFYING. And I know it will be a cold day in Hell before ANYONE gets me back to the local surgical ward ever again. Emily Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Sue Smoke Often Die Young
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have had my share of incompetent medical personnel (not) treating me. My biggest problem is that I basically don’t wheeze during an asthma attack — if I wheeze at all it is on the way *out* of the attack, and it is minimal, maybe lasting only a couple of minutes if even that. The "you’re not wheezing so you aren’t too bad/don’t have asthma" mentality is rather common, I have found, whether on the street on the part of an EMT/paramedic, or in the ER on the part of a nurse or PA or MD… Though a PulseOx reading usually cures them of their stupidity [at least enough for them to TREAT me], it shouldn’t have to come to that to make them clue in. Some serious educaiton is obviously needed… I acutally had an allergist tell me this once. When I protested and told him that 2 other asthma/allergy specialists had diagnosed my astma, that I very rarely wheeze, and since I wasn’t currently in any distress didn’t expect to be wheezing anyhow, he allowed me to take a puff of ventolin & take the breathing test again–but said that since there wasn’t a significant change I obviously didn’t have asthma. Needless to say that was the first & last appointment with him. 4 weeks later at my appointment with the next allergist to check out (after our insurance changed & we had to find new drs w/in the plan) I got a lecutre for not taking bettercare of myself since her readings indicated that my small airway capacity was only at 85%. Lesa
I went to an allergist for years, no change in the repeated attacks. Finally, I went to a pulmonary specialist and was prescribed the proper medications. Seems the allergist hadn’t prescribed ANY theophyllyn (which helped me greatly) and the inhaler I was using wasn’t effective for me so I needed a different one. The pulmonary specialist was a partner of the allergist and he was appalled that his partner had not transferred me over to him sooner. They broke up the partnership soon afterwards. Sue Smoke Often Die Young
Response:
A similar thing happened to me just a few months ago. It was my first encounter with the local jackbooted paramedics I described in an earlier message. I was loaded into the ambulance (wide awake) and they were told several times by several people which hospital I was headed for. A few minutes later, I realized that they were going in exactly the opposite direction and asked them what route they were taking to my hospital. They said, "Oh, we just assumed that you were going to Hospital X." Then they had to do some backtracking, which didn’t make them happy at all. Furthermore, they seemed not to know the easiest way to go to *my* hospital. I made a suggestion based on my 46 years’ experience of the neighborhood, and it was *not* a tactful thing to have done. So I left them alone to do it their way, and it took almost half an hour longer than it needed to. Worse than cab drivers. Fortunately, I wasn’t dead when we got there. Emily – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Many years ago, a friend was injured in a farm accident. He was from out of the area, the local hospital was just not equipped to deal with his injuries so he was to be transported to the hospital in the city where he lived. Just by chance I decided he needed a familiar face along for the ride since he was semi-conscious and climbed in the ambulance. We started out down the road and I immediately noticed they were heading SOUTH instead of north toward the city where he lived. I asked where we were going and they said to X hospital. I responded in Y city? They said NO, in Z city! They were taking him to a hospital in a city in the wrong direction! He would have ended up in a hospital over 100 miles from where he was supposed to go!!!! They hadn’t even verified WHERE they were taking him! Sue Smoke Often Die Young
– Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Response:
Fellow asthmatics: I am an RN and have no idea how paramedics are trained but I do remember being taught "the asthmatic personality" I was and still am livid at this classification. I have been an asthmatic for the last 22 years of my 47 years of my life. There have been times when I have driven myself to the ER when the wheezing had subsided and I was moving almost no air AND my pulse oximetry reading would still be 93% . I would be told just t calm down. and that I was just making it worse. Bull shit- This is not a personality trait but a biological function that throws our body’s response to an allergen or evironmental stressor into Overdrive and calming down is not the problem. I know what happens to me when I suffer an attack and even tho it was terrifying the first serious attack it takes medication and knowing that it is available in an ambulance or ER will register in our brains but not affect the bronchial lining. Any paramedicic that doubts a patient is not professional and is putting a life in danger and needs to have an incident report written-he needs inservive and or sesitivity training. Hey- it’s not like we’re asking for morphine just a little epi or susprine or aersol rx maybe a aminophylline drip. I had a heated discusson with one of my hospital’s respiratory therapists concerning the "anxiety induced " attack in a newly diagnosed 22 year old pregnant woman–I made my point and hopefully changed his oppinion. Peace, Mary
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A couple of weeks ago, I was in severe respiratory distress and running a temp of 102 — relapse of pneumonia. My pulmonologist told me to call 911 NOW and he would alert the emergency room that I was on the way. Well, the jackbooted paramedics came swaggering in, and one put his stethescope on the back of my waistline and declared that I was clear as a bell. Then he said to me "Whoever told you that you have asthma???" <snip I have two stories that I’m not sure can beat that, but here goes: Many years ago, I was involved in a somewhat serious bicycle accident — since I could not transport myself and was pretty banged up, an ambulance was called. I was badly shaken up and in pretty bad pain, having slid down the road, bare legged, for quite a distance, and had pieces of road embedded in my left knee and calf. The ambulance arrived and got me settled in for the ride. I had a friend with me. My father had been called to meet us at the hospital (approximately one mile away). As I lay in the back, still a little hysterical, all of sudden I looked up and out the window, and said, "Where hospital?" (I don’t know which hospital HE thought he was going to, but it wasn’t the one he was instructed to go to, and where my father was waiting. And, it sure wasn’t the closest hospital.) My uninjured, nonhysterical friend, alerted to the problem, then instructed the driver on how to proceed to the hospital, where my father was waiting when we arrived. Story two: Fast forward quite a few years. I was home, fairly out a ways in the country, with my 14-month-old child. My husband was in an all-day seminar away from his office. I had been planning another pregnancy, and thought I was pregnant, but it was still too soon to tell. Rather suddenly, I doubled over in severe abdominal pains. With no one close by to drive me to the hospital and my husband unreachable, I called an ambulance, and then a friend of mine in town to meet me at the hospital to care for my small son. The ambulance arrived, bundled me and my small child up, and headed toward the hospital. I was in pretty severe pain, and (suspecting I was pregnant) had a lot of fear and worry. Yet, in my pain and fear, I somehow noticed that the ambulance driver had taken the wrong fork in the road. I put my head up and mentioned to the driver that he had taken a wrong turn. He insisted that the way we were going was quicker. No amount of argument would persuade him — even tho I knew both routes like the back of my hand. To make a long story short (and I am NOT exaggerating), he took a route which was 17 MILES LONGER than the other one to get me to the hospital! SEVENTEEN MILES!!!!! There were other irregularities in the ride, but when I got the bill, I called up the ambulance service and gave them a piece of my mind and said I wasn’t paying. BTW, I was pregnant, and everything turned out well in the end.
Many years ago, a friend was injured in a farm accident. He was from out of the area, the local hospital was just not equipped to deal with his injuries so he was to be transported to the hospital in the city where he lived. Just by chance I decided he needed a familiar face along for the ride since he was semi-conscious and climbed in the ambulance. We started out down the road and I immediately noticed they were heading SOUTH instead of north toward the city where he lived. I asked where we were going and they said to X hospital. I responded in Y city? They said NO, in Z city! They were taking him to a hospital in a city in the wrong direction! He would have ended up in a hospital over 100 miles from where he was supposed to go!!!! They hadn’t even verified WHERE they were taking him! Sue Smoke Often Die Young
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have had my share of incompetent medical personnel (not) treating me. My biggest problem is that I basically don’t wheeze during an asthma attack — if I wheeze at all it is on the way *out* of the attack, and it is minimal, maybe lasting only a couple of minutes if even that. The "you’re not wheezing so you aren’t too bad/don’t have asthma" mentality is rather common, I have found, whether on the street on the part of an EMT/paramedic, or in the ER on the part of a nurse or PA or MD… Though a PulseOx reading usually cures them of their stupidity [at least enough for them to TREAT me], it shouldn’t have to come to that to make them clue in. Some serious educaiton is obviously needed… I acutally had an allergist tell me this once. When I protested and told
him that 2 other asthma/allergy specialists had diagnosed my astma, that I very rarely wheeze, and since I wasn’t currently in any distress didn’t expect to be wheezing anyhow, he allowed me to take a puff of ventolin & take the breathing test again–but said that since there wasn’t a significant change I obviously didn’t have asthma. Needless to say that was the first & last appointment with him. 4 weeks later at my appointment with the next allergist to check out (after our insurance changed & we had to find new drs w/in the plan) I got a lecutre for not taking bettercare of myself since her readings indicated that my small airway capacity was only at 85%. Lesa
Response:
A couple of weeks ago, I was in severe respiratory distress and running a temp of 102 — relapse of pneumonia. My pulmonologist told me to call 911 NOW and he would alert the emergency room that I was on the way. Well, the jackbooted paramedics came swaggering in, and one put his stethescope on the back of my waistline and declared that I was clear as a bell. Then he said to me "Whoever told you that you have asthma???"
<snip I have two stories that I’m not sure can beat that, but here goes: Many years ago, I was involved in a somewhat serious bicycle accident — since I could not transport myself and was pretty banged up, an ambulance was called. I was badly shaken up and in pretty bad pain, having slid down the road, bare legged, for quite a distance, and had pieces of road embedded in my left knee and calf. The ambulance arrived and got me settled in for the ride. I had a friend with me. My father had been called to meet us at the hospital (approximately one mile away). As I lay in the back, still a little hysterical, all of sudden I looked up and out the window, and said, "Where hospital?" (I don’t know which hospital HE thought he was going to, but it wasn’t the one he was instructed to go to, and where my father was waiting. And, it sure wasn’t the closest hospital.) My uninjured, nonhysterical friend, alerted to the problem, then instructed the driver on how to proceed to the hospital, where my father was waiting when we arrived. Story two: Fast forward quite a few years. I was home, fairly out a ways in the country, with my 14-month-old child. My husband was in an all-day seminar away from his office. I had been planning another pregnancy, and thought I was pregnant, but it was still too soon to tell. Rather suddenly, I doubled over in severe abdominal pains. With no one close by to drive me to the hospital and my husband unreachable, I called an ambulance, and then a friend of mine in town to meet me at the hospital to care for my small son. The ambulance arrived, bundled me and my small child up, and headed toward the hospital. I was in pretty severe pain, and (suspecting I was pregnant) had a lot of fear and worry. Yet, in my pain and fear, I somehow noticed that the ambulance driver had taken the wrong fork in the road. I put my head up and mentioned to the driver that he had taken a wrong turn. He insisted that the way we were going was quicker. No amount of argument would persuade him — even tho I knew both routes like the back of my hand. To make a long story short (and I am NOT exaggerating), he took a route which was 17 MILES LONGER than the other one to get me to the hospital! SEVENTEEN MILES!!!!! There were other irregularities in the ride, but when I got the bill, I called up the ambulance service and gave them a piece of my mind and said I wasn’t paying. BTW, I was pregnant, and everything turned out well in the end.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have one question to the ignorant medical professionals. When I have a severe asthma attack and put a stethoscope to my lungs, depnding on the severity of the attack, I either hear air passing through my lungs or don’t hear air passing through the different sections of my lungs. Whether a wheeze is present or not, air flow in the lungs should be the decicing factor, along with the other medical factors, correct? One can sometimes fake out peak flows and PFT’s, but, I’m not too sure about breathe sounds in the lungs. The lower base of my right lung, from the costophrenic (spelling) angle to the strenum area is always the first to stop passing air. The more of the lung that stops the flow of air the less of a wheeze I get. This is quite easy to hear or not hear as the case maybe (through a stethoscope). And stopping breathe sounds is something I feel can’t be faked. So why all the focus on the wheeze of the patient and not the patient’s overall situation, symptoms, and signs?
Because most physicians aren’t properly trained in treatment of asthma. Even ER specialists get only a brief training module. And, both of those types of training emphasize wheezing. Chris Owens
Response:
Lisa, medical professionals and paraprofessionals *should* know that it can still be asthma if it don’t wheeze. Some asthmatics hardly ever wheeze. In fact, the lack of wheezing can indicate a very serious condition, as you suggest.Most asthmatics don’t wheeze way down below the beltline, which is where my paramedic was listening. I don’t think my lungs go all the way to my coccyx. However, some people *think* they know and need to be better educated.
I also generally don’t wheeze. But I get Very Tight and the EMTs around here know what to listen for. I’d suggest that the EMT in question needs a bit more training. Sue – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Emily I have one question to the ignorant medical professionals. When I have a severe asthma attack and put a stethoscope to my lungs, depnding on the severity of the attack, I either hear air passing through my lungs or don’t hear air passing through the different sections of my lungs. Whether a wheeze is present or not, air flow in the lungs should be the decicing factor, along with the other medical factors, correct? One can sometimes fake out peak flows and PFT’s, but, I’m not too sure about breathe sounds in the lungs. The lower base of my right lung, from the costophrenic (spelling) angle to the strenum area is always the first to stop passing air. The more of the lung that stops the flow of air the less of a wheeze I get. This is quite easy to hear or not hear as the case maybe (through a stethoscope). And stopping breathe sounds is something I feel can’t be faked. So why all the focus on the wheeze of the patient and not the patient’s overall situation, symptoms, and signs? O.K. 2 questions. — Lisa M. DeSavage Hinsbar Laboratories, Inc. www.hinsbarlabs.com — Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Smoke Often Die Young
Response:
I have one question to the ignorant medical professionals. When I have a severe asthma attack and put a stethoscope to my lungs, depnding on the severity of the attack, I either hear air passing through my lungs or don’t hear air passing through the different sections of my lungs. Whether a wheeze is present or not, air flow in the lungs should be the decicing factor, along with the other medical factors, correct? One can sometimes fake out peak flows and PFT’s, but, I’m not too sure about breathe sounds in the lungs. The lower base of my right lung, from the costophrenic (spelling) angle to the strenum area is always the first to stop passing air. The more of the lung that stops the flow of air the less of a wheeze I get. This is quite easy to hear or not hear as the case maybe (through a stethoscope). And stopping breathe sounds is something I feel can’t be faked. So why all the focus on the wheeze of the patient and not the patient’s overall situation, symptoms, and signs? O.K. 2 questions. — Lisa M. DeSavage Hinsbar Laboratories, Inc. www.hinsbarlabs.com
Response:
Lisa, medical professionals and paraprofessionals *should* know that it can still be asthma if it don’t wheeze. Some asthmatics hardly ever wheeze. In fact, the lack of wheezing can indicate a very serious condition, as you suggest.Most asthmatics don’t wheeze way down below the beltline, which is where my paramedic was listening. I don’t think my lungs go all the way to my coccyx. However, some people *think* they know and need to be better educated. Emily – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have one question to the ignorant medical professionals. When I have a severe asthma attack and put a stethoscope to my lungs, depnding on the severity of the attack, I either hear air passing through my lungs or don’t hear air passing through the different sections of my lungs. Whether a wheeze is present or not, air flow in the lungs should be the decicing factor, along with the other medical factors, correct? One can sometimes fake out peak flows and PFT’s, but, I’m not too sure about breathe sounds in the lungs. The lower base of my right lung, from the costophrenic (spelling) angle to the strenum area is always the first to stop passing air. The more of the lung that stops the flow of air the less of a wheeze I get. This is quite easy to hear or not hear as the case maybe (through a stethoscope). And stopping breathe sounds is something I feel can’t be faked. So why all the focus on the wheeze of the patient and not the patient’s overall situation, symptoms, and signs? O.K. 2 questions. — Lisa M. DeSavage Hinsbar Laboratories, Inc. www.hinsbarlabs.com
– Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have had my share of incompetent medical personnel (not) treating me. <snip Some serious educaiton is obviously needed… That said, I have also had some truely awesome care by some REALLY GOOD medical personnel, from EMTs to MDs. <snip, again So have I. But the thing that makes this sort of scary is that I have now moved in retirement to a different part of the country, and based on my two experiences since coming here, this is typical of the particular emergency service that I will now have to deal with. There is not, unfortunately, a choice of emergency ambulance services — we get the city Fire Dept. rescue or nothing. And they really ARE jerks. However, my friends who live just across the line in the next town have had nothing but good experiences with their crews. I think it’s an attitude problem here. And, in all fairness, I’ll have to say that many years ago in this same city members of the same fire department put in heroic efforts to save my mother’s life in a similar situation. There ARE good people out there. And for those who aren’t good, a letter in the very least is well-deserved, and even needed — one day it might just save someone’s life… SW. I thoroughly agree, and that is why I plan to write a well-thought-out letter to the heads of the service. I may even see to what extent I can get my wonderful pulmonological group involved to raise consciousness a bit.
You could also ask the service head to consider updating the squad’s knowledge on asthma. Unfortunate experience on your part. I’ve generally had great luck with my local squad, but then I live in an area where asthma is quite common. Sometimes our local ER will have several of us in there at the same time! When you are on first name basis with the ER nurses, you know you are there too often! Sue Emily Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
"It was said she held a grudge until it died of old age and then had it stuffed and mounted." David Weber (ten points to anyone who remembers the title of the book)
Response:
I have had my share of incompetent medical personnel (not) treating me.
<snip Some serious educaiton is obviously needed… That said, I have also had some truely awesome care by some REALLY GOOD medical personnel, from EMTs to MDs.
<snip, again So have I. But the thing that makes this sort of scary is that I have now moved in retirement to a different part of the country, and based on my two experiences since coming here, this is typical of the particular emergency service that I will now have to deal with. There is not, unfortunately, a choice of emergency ambulance services — we get the city Fire Dept. rescue or nothing. And they really ARE jerks. However, my friends who live just across the line in the next town have had nothing but good experiences with their crews. I think it’s an attitude problem here. And, in all fairness, I’ll have to say that many years ago in this same city members of the same fire department put in heroic efforts to save my mother’s life in a similar situation. There ARE good people out there. And for those who aren’t good, a letter in the very least is well-deserved, and even needed — one day it might just save someone’s life… SW.
I thoroughly agree, and that is why I plan to write a well-thought-out letter to the heads of the service. I may even see to what extent I can get my wonderful pulmonological group involved to raise consciousness a bit. Emily Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Response:
I have had my share of incompetent medical personnel (not) treating me. My biggest problem is that I basically don’t wheeze during an asthma attack — if I wheeze at all it is on the way *out* of the attack, and it is minimal, maybe lasting only a couple of minutes if even that. The "you’re not wheezing so you aren’t too bad/don’t have asthma" mentality is rather common, I have found, whether on the street on the part of an EMT/paramedic, or in the ER on the part of a nurse or PA or MD… Though a PulseOx reading usually cures them of their stupidity [at least enough for them to TREAT me], it shouldn’t have to come to that to make them clue in. Some serious educaiton is obviously needed… That said, I have also had some truely awesome care by some REALLY GOOD medical personnel, from EMTs to MDs. From my current MD who actually *listens* to me and fully acknowledges that I know what is going on with my body better than anyone else, to the paramedic [who was also my instructor for the course I was taking at the time] that came to my assistance last week during a stubborn asthma attack, and who began with "I know you don’t wheeze, but I want to listen to your lungs anyway"… There ARE good people out there. And for those who aren’t good, a letter in the very least is well-deserved, and even needed — one day it might just save someone’s life… SW.
Response:
A couple of weeks ago, I was in severe respiratory distress and running a temp of 102 — relapse of pneumonia. My pulmonologist told me to call 911 NOW and he would alert the emergency room that I was on the way. Well, the jackbooted paramedics came swaggering in, and one put his stethescope on the back of my waistline and declared that I was clear as a bell. Then he said to me "Whoever told you that you have asthma???" I was tempted to ask him who told him he was a paramedic, but I was afraid he’d just take longer to get me where I needed to go. Fortunately, my apartment manager, who had more breath than I did at the time, called his boss and put a flea in his ear. This is the second bad experience I’ve had with this group. I think they believe all gray-haired patients to be suffering from senile dementia. Anyhow, now that I am finally home again, they are going to get a really scathing letter. There’s no excuse for this. Knit a hug, crochet a cuddle, sew a smile. http://www.newbornsinneed.org
Response:
Categories: severe asthma attack treatment | 
No Comments »
], so others though I was contagious 
SW. 