List Archives

Sun Jun 4 22:06:49 BST 2006

Dear List,
  Whilst I had the attention of our friendly health service lawyer I posed a few more scenarios, which i know are real:

  1) Call to an alleged assault in a pub. We are over 10 minutes from hospital and he
  strongly of alcohol, has a haematoma on the side of his head but is very aggressive and agitated. Refuses any assistance from the ambulance staff. 
  All present agree that he may have a serious head injury, but can only evac him by sedating him. However the pre-hospital doc refuses to sedate what could be a serious head injury, he suggests that the only safe option is to fully sedate him and electively intubate him.....discuss!

  2) Patient is seen walking along the road in slippers and a dressing gown at 2300hrs with a drip and a drip stand. Response vehicle stops and patient claims that she is wlaking to her daughters house. She is 800m from the hospital, where she claims that they refused to give her back her clothes.
  She refuses any offer to returnn her to the hospital. 
  A police response unit then attends following a call from the public. They fail to talk her  into returning to hospital so then attempt to put her in their van. At the door of the van she becomes a 'star-fish' and several burly officers fail miserably to get her into the side door. To avoid injury, the officer incharge requests medical assistance to sedate the lady who they believe is a danger to herself. They have no further details about the lady. 3mg of Midazolam and she is in the van and en-route to the hospital A&E in a calm uninjured state.....battery?

  Don't worry I haven't got another hundred of these...unless we discuss withdrawl of ITU level support!
  Regards
  Mark F
  UK

List Archives

For your convenience, find the Trauma List Archive Below

consent in EMS