Worst Patient Legs

[DFries]

My company is also very good about dispatching us just in case or sending us somewhere to take the medcrew to help out....no charge. Were told were lucky to see 50% payment from what we actually carry but our owners do care about the patients.

And you guys are still in bussiness????

 

[TundraT]

You have to be kidding me. Not to slight the posters on this tread but as far as I see no one is a helicopter pilot. If Ghetto Sled had a disgusting patient in the back of the airplane try flying for two hours when the patient is projectile vomiting right next to you or becoming combative because of a head injury or a gut wound. I flew EMS for over 15 years both as a DUSTOFF pilot in the US Army and as a civilian. Ghetto Sled sorry man, I don’t feel for you just be glad it is not you on the stretcher.
As I used to say during interviews about EMS flying, "Where else can you do something you love (flying), save a life in the process, and plus get paid for it. They always edited the pay out of the quote.

 

[2dumb2drive]

I had a horrible flight the other day. I've never been disgusted by a patient until I tool that trip.
Anyone else have horror stories dealing with patients

As someone that isnt nearly as righteous as the remarkably uptight retard that can't hear com 1, i have too been disgusted by the typical patients that we transport in our lears. It makes very obvious to me the correlation between taking care of your self, by eating properly, and effects that it has on your need for urgent medical care. So many times we get a trip where the person is having massive cardiac problems from, you guessed it, massive obesity. Just wonder if the thousands of dollars that we spend transporting them is really going to do them any good. Can't imagine that the 320 lb woman from mid nebraska will ever have a quality life after losing both her legs to her self destructive ways. I know some have genetic issues and such but also know for a fact that it is not the case with all. It may sound like a lack of compassion, but look around this country, fat disgusting people everywhere. Something is wrong. Now, i will take a step back and say that if what was disgusting to you was a trauma patient's injury, then you better find a different facet in which to fly because that is why we do what we do.

 

[Photoflight]

And you guys are still in bussiness????

for about 30 years or so now.

 

[Nolife]

As someone that isnt nearly as righteous as the remarkably uptight retard that can't hear com 1, i have too been disgusted by the typical patients that we transport in our lears. It makes very obvious to me the correlation between taking care of your self, by eating properly, and effects that it has on your need for urgent medical care. So many times we get a trip where the person is having massive cardiac problems from, you guessed it, massive obesity. Just wonder if the thousands of dollars that we spend transporting them is really going to do them any good. Can't imagine that the 320 lb woman from mid nebraska will ever have a quality life after losing both her legs to her self destructive ways. I know some have genetic issues and such but also know for a fact that it is not the case with all. It may sound like a lack of compassion, but look around this country, fat disgusting people everywhere. Something is wrong. Now, i will take a step back and say that if what was disgusting to you was a trauma patient's injury, then you better find a different facet in which to fly because that is why we do what we do.

You need to thank fat people for providing you with customers. If everybody was healthy guess what... no med flights. Now go down to Ryan's and pay for some one's dinner.

 

[Lead Sled]

I spent 3 years flying for Life Flight. No real horror stories, plenty of sad stories and a few funny stories though. I did have one (and only one) experience that really stood out above the rest - when a patient actually dropped by to thank us for what we did. Not that we ever expected it or even thought about it, but when that man and his wife stopped by to thank us it really made you feel good.

LS

 

[Ghetto Sled]

I had no idea that so many would have a problem with my post. SAY AGAIN OVER and WINGMAN both agreed that this is not the place to talk about patients. I could not disagree more. What could possibly be more relevant in a forum specific to Air Ambulance operations. Patient transport is what we do!

First, my intent was to never make light of a patients condition and my passengers always receive the best care--their care IS my, and my crew's, only concern. However, even though I did not have a funny story to relate in my original post, funny stories are sometimes the product of a flight.

To the post concerning my violation of Patient Confidentiality -- it was and will never be violated, as I have not given any names or any other identifiable details. Know what you are talking about before you open your mouth.

My intent was to vent. When my 17 year old sister was dying of PNET cancer, a rare cancer of the lining of the spinal cord, the only reason I was able to get out of bed, during and after her death, was because I had people that I could talk to about how I felt. That was my only intent for this thread. And so, with all this in mind I will illuminate you all as to the events that transpired and made me write my post.

I took the job to fly an air ambulance not because I wanted to help sick people or even save lives, these are the jobs of nurses, doctors, and the medics in the back--I take NO credit for those deeds.

All I wanted was a left-seat job in the same town (heck, the same state) as my girlfriend that paid well enough to save money, max out my roth ira, and eat. I don't think that's too much to ask. Never in a million years did I ever think that I would fly an air ambulance. So far, however, I have truly enjoyed the job and found it more satisfying, although not nearly as fun, as the other types of flying that I have been fortunate enough to do in my short career. Mainly due to the absence of the four-day pleasure trips with the airplanes owners to hang out while they vacation. Nonetheless, I enjoy the job.

The flight started with a midnight phone call for a two hour call out. I got to the airport and met the co-pilot and we took off for the half hour flight to pick up the medical crew. It was a brokered trip and they wanted to use their own medics.

The nurse warned us that the patient had Full Blown Aids and that we were to wear gloves, masks, and face shields anywhere near the patient. After arriving at our destination the medical crew rode into the hospital for what was supposed to be a forty-five minute round trip. It turned out to be closer to three. Red eyed and tired when they returned we went out to the airplane to help load the patient.

Why they wanted to move this person . . . I have no earthly idea. The nurse told us to hurry so that the patient did not die on the ramp. The ambulance opened and the patient was unloaded. There was blood everywhere! The patient was enclosed in a bag made of what looked like one of those thin, metallic, emergency blankets. I assumed that it was to keep the patient warm but soon realized it was probably used to help prevent contamination since he/she was bleeding all over. We loaded up and I asked what altitude they needed. Sometimes a certain cabin pressure is required. The nurse's reply, "What ever altitude gets us there the quickest!"

The weather was supposed to be low, but good enough to land. The only type of approach that was available was a GPS. We got down to mins and never saw a thing. Going missed I pushed the power up. As you other air ambulance pilots know, the ambulances are coordinated for the aircraft's arrival. We didn't have time to wait for the preferred ambulance service to drive the twenty minutes to the alternate airport. The patient had been hanging on by a thread all night. Luckily, we were in fairly large city with multiple airports and the main airport for the city was right next door.

We asked for a tight turn onto the localizer and asked the approach controller to tell the Tower to call 911 and have an ambulance at the ready. The ambulance rolled up as we taxied to a stop. The patient was quickly off loaded and the ambulance took off with the sirens blaring. I don't know if the patient survived the trip to the hospital. The staff that brought back my board hinted that the person did not make it to see another bed.

Until then, I had never been disgusted by a patient, but I now think I understand the stigma attached to the aids virus. It is a horrible way to die and is nothing like what is portrayed in movies like Philadelphia. I was shaken to my very core.

Was I disgusted or disturbed? Both--and utterly so. Yes, I feel guilty for being so shocked by the patients physical appearance, by the amount of blood coming from every area of exposed skin I could see, by the fresh red blood trickling down the patients face and falling onto the pillow. Yes, I feel guilty for not feeling compassionate for this person, or the remnant of the person that once was.

I went home and took a shower, feeling very tired and dirty.

So, that's it. I don't want anyone's sympathy. I just wanted to share something that really bothered me in the hopes that I might numb the shock to my soul. And that's the way that trip made me feel. Completely rocked to my very core. It's the only day that I can remember that I didn't enjoy the flight. I'm sure some would say, "Give me a break, I've seen much worse." I'm sure they have. I've seen bad things in life too. Why this affected me so much, I'm not sure. The co-pilot didn't seem nearly as bothered.

I hope I never have to fly another aids patient again. Will I? Absolutely, and I will do so in the same professional manner.

On a much lighter note, we had a pickup in a rural town. The patient was a local minister with heart trouble being transported for surgery. When the medics got to the hospital the patient was yelling and screaming obscenities at the hospital staff and a woman in the room. The woman as it turns out, was the reverends girlfriend. Things got a lot more complicated when the preacher's wife showed up. The two, the wife and the girlfriend, got into a fist fight in the room. While the crew and the hospital staff were distracted and breaking up the flight the guy stood up in all the excitement, fainted, and crashed to the floor bringing down the wheeled bed table with him. When we finally got the +250 preacher with the mouth of satan on the plane (oh my back!) He was informed that obscenities would not be tolerated under any circumstance by the crew. It's ok to be upset, we understand the medicine can make you cranky but we are here to help and want to be treated as such. We had no problems with him until we got to the destination. He decided to walk off the plane (God, if he can walk off why didn't he walk on-Oh my aching back!) when he got on the tarmac he bee-lined for the FBO. The ambulance crew grabbed him and asked him to get on the stretcher. He started yelling and cursing saying that he had to pee. He was told the hospital was very close and the FBO would not admit him into the facility to use the restroom because he was in a hospital gown. Mind you, I don't hold much stock for an adulterous preacher, but WOW, when he pulled out his manhood and started waving it around . . .

I hope that all my naysayers will now see my intent and that I do not "need to grow up". There is absolutely nothing wrong with talking about this kind of subject matter. We do these medical trips all day long and sometimes something funny happens, sometimes we feel compassion, and sometimes we're just doing our job. And still, sometimes when it's all over and the day is done we still take the work home with us even when we don't want to. Regardless, I hope other's can relate to my story or in the least understand where I'm coming from.

-The one, the only, the Ghetto Sled