WE SHOULD ALL KNOW THIS...

Devoted to all that represent Medics etc..

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RZM
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 12:40 am
Location: Irgendwo an der Ostfront...

Re: WE SHOULD ALL KNOW THIS...

Post by RZM »

Ive got my medic equip. coming soon. In short,i am not certified in anything. But know basic and some more serious first aid. Ive stitched my own leg after being stabbed in the leg with a steak knife at a drunken party..stitches arent hard,and i plan on having sutures in my kit. I could perform an in field treacheotomy even though i probably just mispelled it lol! I was an Eagle Scout in the BSA. First aide was stressed. And we had to use it from time to time. As far as samaritan laws..your damned if you do and damned if you dont. On one hand,you can be sued for botched first aide in first response. On the other you can be sued and or tried in court for doing nothing. I see some one in need I help .Damn concequence.
"Was ist das?"
"Ihr gefrorenesfleisch medaille. Rot,weiss und schwarz,fur blut,schnee und tod."
Pyotr
Posts: 63
Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 12:09 am

Re: WE SHOULD ALL KNOW THIS...

Post by Pyotr »

Depending on the state your liabilityl may vary. In Massachusetts, there is a good Samaritan law. HOWEVER- it depends on you following your scope of practice. If a person has a BSA first aid badge, and sutures a wound, that would definitely in this state open you up for a lawsuit. Why? because you have exceeded your scope of practice. You could end up having closed a wound a Dr would leave open. You may have failed to clean and irrigate it properly. Even giving glucose to a diabetic, if you are only a first responder trained, you have exceeded your scope of practice.

Personally of course, one does what one can to save a life or stop a bad thing, but I would in the state of Massachusetts, urge people to know their limits,and that a web site or a 24 hour course is not always enough to assess. I have had about 1400 patient contacts, and I still have to be careful to assess, evaluate, and not to fail to have a high index of suspicion, as well as have a very conservative attitude about an injury.

Saying that, I carry a large amount of medical gear, and offer it to any reenactor. I stress that I am only an EMT-b, that he/she should seriously consider a hospital, that there are many issues that mimic others far more serious. If at an airshow, I would advise a pt to activate 911, and while I would make sure the airway and bleeding, deadly were taken care of, I would never exceed my scope of practice. Why? because in court, the fact that you meat well , may not alter the fact that you did something very wrong,and due to the fact that you had some training, you should have known better. (In some cases, you actually are better off being totally ignorant. Then you can claim you didn't know that doing brain surgery with a jack knife in the open air, without training was wrong. At least, that was what one attorney told me- let your wife do it, she has no formal training, you on the other hand, he said, I will sue you till you bleed.
Peter
RZM
Posts: 251
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 12:40 am
Location: Irgendwo an der Ostfront...

Re: WE SHOULD ALL KNOW THIS...

Post by RZM »

Good advice. I mean life and death. Someone cuts a finger and needs sutures,not really an issue...take a ride to the ER,heres a bandage,you'll live. Somthing drastic,such as an accidental bayonet runthrough(im pretty sure no one is runnung around with bayonets at events but you never know) then it would be up to your judgement. Quite simply if no one was available,its life threatening and the proffesionals cant get there,you do what you must.
"Was ist das?"
"Ihr gefrorenesfleisch medaille. Rot,weiss und schwarz,fur blut,schnee und tod."
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