Amber emergency calls are those that aren't immediately life threatening, but supposedly have the potential to turn nasty. So says the goddess FREDA.
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The Call: 20 something year old female, severe abdominal pains.
The Category: Amber
The Assessment: 20 something year old female, been sick a couple of times.
The Reason for the call: "Well, if she went to the GP, he'd tell her to drink lots of water, take some paracetamol if she has pain, and give it a day or two."
"And what if YOU took her to A&E yourselves, rather than call out an ambulance?" said I.
"Well, we'd sit there for ages, they'd tell her to drink lots of water, take some paracetamol if she has pain, and give it a day or two."
Slightly exasperated, I ask "And what do you think I'm going to tell you?"
One patient, and three supposedly intelligent adult relatives all look slightly sheepish and as if by magic join in the chorus: "Drink lots of water, take some paracetamol if there's any pain, and give it a day or two..."
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This has been a public education message on behalf of frustrated ambulance staff everywhere. Thank you for taking the time to listen.
7 comments:
My A&E motto: never underestimate the stupidity of the general population. That has been reinforced by my experiences thus far.
Am I missing something? I'm assuming you forgot to mention the part where you did a urine test to rule out an ectopic pregnancy/miscarriage or a kidney problem. Or checked to see it wasn't a grumbling appendix. Please don't insult the stupidity of the general population. We aren't medically trained, but sometimes our hunches that taking a couple of paracetamol and waiting it out prove vital in saving our loved ones lives. I'm a fan, Ben, but you've upset me with this one.
Dear Anonymous (the 2nd),
Sorry I've upset you, but in this case, there is nothing that would have said to any clear-thinking adult that there was a need to call an ambulance. She'd chucked-up twice. That's it. No pain, no chance of pregnancy, no strangulated hernias, and no grumbling appendix. Just a take-away that went in and came straight back up again. You don't need to be medically trained to know that you really don't need an ambulance cos you've had a dodgy kebab. You don't need to be medically trained to use common sense, and I guess that the lack of common sense is what I'm complaining about. Too many people refuse to take care of themselves or take responsibility for their own actions, so they call an ambulance to do it for them. These are the people who need re-educating... I never said that the whole of the non-medical population is stupid. Just that there are some people who could do with a little time back in the school of real-life and need to do a little growing up.
Hope that clears it all up for you and hope you stay a fan...
Ben,
You are right on the mark from the perspective of pre-hospital services. The caller isn't following the instructions of the doctor and calling you expecting a different result. And worse, they called 999 instead of one of the clearly able folks present to take her in if they were so concerned.
Unfortunately where I am I am legally bound to take her in regardless of her condition.
In my eyes, you did the right thing.
HM
It gets very difficult not to underestimate the stupidity of the general population when you get calls for people who have scratched their arm on a piece of wood and grazed it. Or kicked a table leg and hurt their big toe. Or have been drinking all weekend and now feel sick. Or ring 999 and don't know where they are, then have a go at us. The list goes on. and on.
I have a patient of 24 who had susoected swine flu whose mother dialed 999 inorder to get an ambulance to pick her up -take her to the sugery-tocollect a prescription for tamiflu and then collect it from the local distribution centre- whilst the other crew member waited with the daughter.what i am really surptised is that the crew turned up and did as she wished.
Now these are the sort of the people who I was refering to in the first place. The people who take it as their right to abuse the ambulance service in particular and the health service in general. Normally, there's a lot to be said for a mother's instinct. In this case however, I think her instinct-radar must have been on the blink...
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