Consesnt vs. Responsibility;

[Forrest Robleto]

Yes the EMT-B's should make every attempt to get the victim to go.  EMT-B's
particularly in my state (NJ) have very little liability exposure and
statutory immunnity for most.  But the one area which is more likely than
any other to get them into court and for which they have no immunity is "the
refusal." We teach EMT's to make every attempt to get patients to go.   They
are much safer that way.


Forrest Robleto
EMT-Instructor


On 11/4/06, oded private <tangentcarrot at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Young Man (mid 20's),thin and healthy appearing, working in night club,
> crashes at the club. He is unressponsive to voice or pain (GCS score=3),
> but
> has a patent airway, is breathing Spontaneuosly and has a strong pulse at
> around 70 bpm. According to friends, he didn't take drugs or drink
> excessive
> alcohol, but might have been hurt by another clubber. I order the
> activation
> of the EMS. within ~1 min. he starts waking up and vomits. We take him
> outside, where I learn his boss canceled the bus since "his Ok now". He
> keeps on vomiting, has a thready pulse, is shivering, and has retrograde
> and
> antegrade amnesia. Claims are he had been stuck in the head. Finaly,I
> manage
> to convience him to take the bus to hospital. When the bus comes, the
> boss,
> once again, insissts that the owner will take him to the hospital.
> Ambulance
> personnel don't even argue and get away, inspite of my attempts. Finaly,
> we
> get to the hospital by car, at least 40 min post injury (?).
>
> The first dillema is- should EMS personnel (EMT-B'S, in this case) insist
> with such pateints? I tried conviencing them to "talk some sense" into
> him,
> but they refused,despite my description of coma and amnesia, saying they
> couldn't force him and that "he looks fine now", and left the scene.
>
> What are your thoughts?
>
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-- 
V/R

Forrest Robleto
R House Health & Safety
www.RHouseTraining.com
FRobleto at RhouseTraining.com
609-792-9047