Okay, I realize that we all get defensive about Monday Morning Quarterbacking and the CQI process in general, but for real?
You find a patient semi-conscious secondary to major trauma. Isn't one of the answers to secure the airway? I know there are multiple cases of studies that question the efficacy of ETI and I realize there are several cases where patients were intubated without provocation. Unfortunately, I am also aware of cases where patients were put down without cause and the airway was not secured either, but this just seems like one of the cases where handling the airway on the front end would have made a little bit of sense to me.
In South Carolina, apparently air medical crews do not see the need to manage an airway on the front end and prohibit potentially dangerous activity by their patients. I guess I will give them a big woopsie on this one, but this one doesn't look good and is not an example of treating those patients other EMS responders can't treat.
It will be interesting to see what the patient gets billed for and the end of this. Do they get charged for a helicopter ride by a crew that had to pass him off to someone else?
No comments:
Post a Comment