Tuesday, January 17, 2012

You suck, & I will blow

One thing I find wrong with BLS CPR class, is that they don't suck.

Yes, we are taught to use the suction unit in EMT class. But what all did your training cover?

I'm not sure that there is an standard operating procedure in the national EMT course beside:
Place catheter in mouth so the tip is visible. Always keep the tip in site and don't not suction anymore then 30 seconds at a time.

Not hard.

But when I teach BLS CPR, we have never even mentioned the suction machine or the manual suction either.

I watch over and over again the brand new EMT fumble with settings, putting together the components of the machine, or even using the machine.

One time, an EMT thought the suction was broke; because,they didn't put their finger over the hole on the catheter. I watched as they tried in vain to remove the Jello the mannequin's airway. They eventually gave up saying the machine wouldn't work properly.

Adding this machine would take an extra fifteen minutes to the class. I would willing to teach an extra fifteen minutes to streamline the chain of survival. What good is the chain; while, someone is aspirating and choking on their last meal?

2 comments:

hg said...

And why do we always forget the suction from the truck on 99's?

The Lazy House Wife said...

Yup. Good point.