MTB Dirt Mountain Bike Forums

Ex-QAS dispatcher here....loved the job but it sure had it's moments. As what has been stated...use a bit of common sense. If you think you can help the person by transporting them yourself, consider it. If you are at all in doubt, and they need medical attention, call the ambulance. I always just keep in mind that by having the crew attend, they are less likely to be able to attend the CPR down the road, major car accident around the corner...etc etc. I only say that for the people who demand that it's their right to have the abulance because they pay for it in their electricity bill and it may only be a stubbed toe, but they want the crew to attend.

The number of jobs I had for stubbed toes and splinters were ridiculous!! Seriously, I had a person call because their partner had a splinter in their thumb...they were in a car, but can meet the ambulance at *address* in 20mins, would that be OK??? Um....if you are in a freaken car....how about getting yourself to the local medical centre.

Having said that, call takers are unable to assess over the phone, so the job must be taken with the information given to them as the people are entitled to request an ambulance. I did have to explain that we cannot time for a crew to attend at a particular time as such and fortunately this person just said not to worry about it.

Since leaving QAS, they do have qualified paramedics in the call centre to assist with prioritising and assessing jobs when necessary.

And if you call because you believe you will be seen quicker at the hospital, you won't. You are just holding up the crews from attending other jobs while you wait to be seen.

Oh...my other pet peeve....people who abuse the call taker because there is an ambulance station down the road...why aren't they here yet??? Probably because they are out on the road attending jobs...not sitting at the station like an endless packet of Tim Tams...one leaves another grows...

Paramedics have a tough job!!!

Quote: DrGeoff

Quote: Mondog

Just to add to earthworm's advice...or I guess highlight what can easily go wrong, I was at a recent marathon event and a bloke had hit a jump and ejected on his back. He was knocked out and by the time I rode around had just roused, several minutes after the impact. I'm only a student paramedic, but have a pretty good idea about assessing patients. There were no skilled medical assistants there at that stage so noone knew quite what to do, so asked if I could assist. It was clear very early that this guy was confused and was in fact making inappropriate answers to questions I was asking and not quite understanding what I was talking about (if you're asking them the year or where they are it's quite a worry if they say "Paul" or 'pineapple' as an answer!).

I did some quick neuro assessments (as much as you can when you're standing there in lycra and your HR is 180 yourself from racing!) and had a look at the site the fellow was indicating there was pain (lumbar region), which had no evidence of external injury. He did not become orientated throughout these assessments. I asked the other event-type people on scene about ambulance access and asked if they had called the QAS, and they said someone was coming.

I stated that this guy can't be moved due to his symptoms and mechanism, and that if need be due to access issues he may need to be choppered out, but most importantly immobilised!!

Then...help (!) arrived in the form of a first-aider hired by the event. He asked 'are you alright?', poked the fellows C-spine and then said "OK, we're gonna get you up and move you" and before anyone could do anything he was moving this guy with potentially critical injuries. I said to him " you can't move this guy, he is still confused and has a severe mechanism of injury" to which he replied "he has no neck pain, he'll be fine".

Considering 60% spinal injuries are ASYMPTOMATIC, I really didn't want to be involved henceforth, but stated to a few of the event officials which were looking at the first aider a little dubiously that this fellow needed to be immobilised and seen by the QAS. I rode off, very very mad at the fact that what I was trying to help was potentially exacerbated by the carelessness of someone thinking that a first aid certificate gives you x-ray vision. The rest of the lap I was riding with my partner, having random outbursts about spinal injuries, I was quite crantankerous about the potential damage this patient could have suffered from the actions of another...but what can you do?

My final lap, or even before then, I heard the whirrrrrr of the chopper, and riding past the location of the accident the fellow was collared and immobilised on a scoop stretcher. Thank god the QAS and the careflight chopper had arrived.

Anyway, just goes to show thatyou need to take care, even as a layperson, with an injured patient. If something doesn't seem right (as in this case) it probably isn't, and you should probably seek medical assistance.

Gee Whiz, I am glad I got that off my chest. Sorry for the rant guys, it's just a situation that was quite concerning. You don't know who's a doctor, nurse or paramedic when you're in lycra! IF in doubt at all call 000, you don't want your buddies in wheelchairs!

As an Anaesthetist, I find this story extremely distressing.

From the description of the speed, mechanism of injury, post-crash confusion and presence of distracting injuries, there is no way this rider should have been moved before being put in a hard collar and on a spine board.

I had difficulties rendering medical assistance at Boonah Marathon finish line last year - paramedic available but very basic knowledge and equipment.

I think all event organisers need to start taking this issue more seriously and provide better medical care at events. Ambulance care on site would be a good start. I would definitely feel happy paying for that in my entry fee.

And as a intensive/high dependency care nurse, this also sends chills down my spine.

It is scary how little knowledge that these, so called, 'first-aiders' for events actually have. Often they have just done the standard first aid course or an advanced first aid course, but in sports such as ours, more is really needed. Unfortunetly some of the experience required to understand what is going on requires seeing it first hand, obviously on top of theoretical knowledge.

I'm not trying to have a go at first aiders, I also first aid for a local junior AFL club and the number of head knocks in that sport is ridiculous, I take no chances when it come to head injuries. Lets just all remember that if there is even the slightest suspicion of head or back injury to leave them on the ground flat and assess them from there, call an ambulance if in doubt.

And I agree, we definetly need ambulance care at events.

My remote area first aid has lapsed now, but I was always told that if you don't need to move someone with supected spinal injuries (or who has crashed in such a way that they might have sustained such an injury) - you don't. You call an ambulance. Don't worry if they are "on the trail", as long as they are safe then you leave them right where they are.

Al..

Hey Earthworm,

Yeah I know, they are at the end of the day good peeps at QUT!

OSCE today=awesome. The other one not so good but hey, gotta practice this stuff if I want to be a good operator and be helpful in these situations!

Why can't the Ambos just bust open the fence with bolt cutters?? Or ram it open??

This liabitly BS is beyond a joke.........

Quote: Smythie

I'm thinking I might keep a set of bolt cutters in my car. If I have to go back to meet an ambo for one of my mates and they can't get past a bl**dy padlock I'll cut if for them. Who care about liability.

P.

Aren't the locks on the gates covered so you can't get at them with bolt cutters anyway?

Quote: OzCableguy

Quote: Smythie

I'm thinking I might keep a set of bolt cutters in my car. If I have to go back to meet an ambo for one of my mates and they can't get past a bl**dy padlock I'll cut if for them. Who care about liability.

P.

Aren't the locks on the gates covered so you can't get at them with bolt cutters anyway?

Maybe we need to start keeping a portable angle-grinder in the car then?

Side cutters for the fencing wire......