emergencies requiring hospital visits...

[iliopsoas]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Not only do you get treated by EMTs, you also get a higher priority when you go into the ER. If you're having serious chest pains and suspect a heart attack, for example, it's worth the ambulance trip as opposed to dying in the ER waiting room.

ER's don't work on a 1st come 1st serve basis for those who walk in... Patients are supposed to be assessed as soon as they come in - anyone having chest pain is dealt with immediately. (supposedly)

I've spent plenty of time in the ER the last 2 or 3 years - kids are constantly injured (bad streak of luck) and my wife was, until 2 weeks ago, working in the ER. Now she's happily a nurse on one of the floors.

Patients are triaged and prioritized based on their presenting symptoms. However, patients arriving by ambulance will always get taken inside the ER to an empty bed or put in the hallway where medical personnel can look at them.

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: DAGTA
I'd rather be driven a hospital, if possible. Most EMTs I have met are very incompetent.

EMT does not mean Paramedic, there are different levels and I too come across a few morons every now and then. Paramedics are highly trained and go through continuing education if they want to keep their license. (we are licensed, there are state and local requirements we need to meet)

On to the main question.

We can administer the meds/support when needed. If it takes you 10 min to drive to the hospital you will need to get seen, rolled back to the ER, and then have treatment initiated. We get there quicker than 8 min (required by the county) and start treatment immediately. On the way to the ER we do a 12 lead EKG, have meds onboard, IV started, and a complete medical history taken. At that point we call the receiving hospital and give them a report so that when we arrive they know what to expect and are standing by.

Try that in your car.

 

[Lucky]

I've had to take my GF to the hospital three times in the last week for what ended up being an extremely aggresive form of cancer. Main symptoms were extreme naseau and feelings of fainting. The first time we had to wait about an hour, the second and third times we were bumped up to the front of the que and were first to get into an open bed. However, we still had to wait to see the triage nurse, deal with parking, registration, blah blah blah.

I live less than a mile away from the hospital, so calling an ambulance actually would have taken longer. BUT, if I thought I was having a heart attack and was in imminent danger of dying, I'd definitely call an ambulance. Ambulance riders get whisked RIGHT IN to the ER, regardless of an open bed or not. I wouldnt want to depend on whether the triage nurse felt my illness was imminently life-threatening.

So I guess it depends on what the illness was.