Those who do know shit about tools

[Captain Ketamine]

Feeling faint, usually a vagal episode can happen to us all. I recall as a young med student going to theatre for the first time. A child was having a closure of patent ductus arteriosis. A vessel present in the neonate that usually closes at child birth. So patient is on their side with chest open. It was very dry, nice dissection by the cardio thoracic surgeon, and as much as I tried to intellectualise what I was seeing, I came over faint. It was very embarrassing because another member of the team had to help me and not concentrate on the task at hand. But these things happen, you try not to take them to heart. Fortunately it didn’t put me off spending a life time in theatre.

 

[Point Break]

Oddly enough, one of the worst things in training for me was the dog lab. Imagine a room of stainless tables each with an anesthetized dog. There were three students per dog. We were to “practice” various invasive procedures on the dog after which they would be euthanized. It was awful. Awful. I got light headed with that narrowed vision and buzz in the ears thing. Talk about a vaso-vagal moment! Didn’t require assistance but it wasn’t far off. In all my career that only happened to me one other time.

 

[py26129]

@Point Break @veni vidi vici

I have had similar experiences. Even though I am well aware of the phenomena, it often catches me by surprise. One time I am exposed to some stimulus, no problem. The next time, the same or similar stimulus and I am an emotional wreck.

Interesting indeed.

Same here. 30 years ago our first baby passed away, in our arms, a couple of days after she was born. Sometimes I can talk think about it, no problem. Other times I'm a teary mess

 

[veni vidi vici]

Oddly enough, one of the worst things in training for me was the dog lab. Imagine a room of stainless tables each with an anesthetized dog. There were three students per dog. We were to “practice” various invasive procedures on the dog after which they would be euthanized. It was awful. Awful. I got light headed with that narrowed vision and buzz in the ears thing. Talk about a vaso-vagal moment! Didn’t require assistance but it wasn’t far off. In all my career that only happened to me one other time.

That would be horrible!
Do they still do that or are they using rubber/ plastic humanoid training dummies?

 

[Ed Lada]

Same here. 30 years ago our first baby passed away, in our arms, a couple of days after she was born. Sometimes I can talk think about it, no problem. Other times I'm a teary mess

Damn, I'm sorry to hear that.

 

[Ed Lada]

That would be horrible!
Do they still do that or are they using rubber/ plastic humanoid training dummies?

The newest story I could find on the internet is from 2017 about the goat lab at Ft Sam Houston where special forces medic students treat purposely wounded goats. Then they are euthanized afterward if the student medical treatment is successful. If the treatment isn't successful, well you don't have to euthanize a dead goat...

I would imagine it is still in operation. Training on dummies will only teach you so much. The Army always says the goats are anesthetized prior to anything happening, and they are treated humanely.

All I know is we ate a lot of cabrito in the mess hall when I was in school at Ft Sam.

 

[veni vidi vici]

The newest story I could find on the internet is from 2017 about the goat lab at Ft Sam Houston where special forces medic students treat purposely wounded goats. Then they are euthanized afterward if the student medical treatment is successful. If the treatment isn't successful, well you don't have to euthanize a dead goat...

I would imagine it is still in operation. Training on dummies will only teach you so much. The Army always says the goats are anesthetized prior to anything happening, and they are treated humanely.

All I know is we ate a lot of cabrito in the mess hall when I was in school at Ft Sam.

lol

 

[Mrleft8]

I recall my early CPR classes had plastic/rubber dummies to practice chest compressions on. At some point one of the class members suggested that we should really be practicing on live humans. (I do believe we were all between the ages of 17-25) and of course our teams were largely made up of two females and two males. The instructor agreed. And all the males got turned in to the dummies. The mouth to mouth couldn't be fixed though. Not without breaking up teams. Us guys insisted on that!
I do remember though, watching Marsha Michaelson with her hands clasped over my chest with her eyes closed counting "1 Mississippi 2 Mississippi 3 Mississippi..." And waiting for the breath....

 

[Snaggletooth]

@Point Break @veni vidi vici @Ed Lada
Mabey you three haive milde caise of PTSD

 

[Ed Lada]

@Point Break @veni vidi vici @Ed Lada
Mabey you three haive milde caise of PTSD

I have a moderate case. At least the VA gives me money for it.

 

[Point Break]

That would be horrible!
Do they still do that or are they using rubber/ plastic humanoid training dummies?

I’m not sure. I hope not. I’m not saying it wasn’t instructional but it was really hard to get through for a dog lover.

So each dog is lying on its side. It has an IV in a leg with a large syringe attached. I think it had phenobarbital in it but it was long ago. The idea was a guy helping the instructors was walking around and keeping each dog down enough to breathe but still unconscious.

It was my turn to insert a McSwain Dart. We use those to decompress a pneumothorax and/or hemothorax. (One is air outside the lung in the chest cavity, the other is blood in the chest cavity). Problem is the pressure inside the chest cavity builds till the lungs don’t fill and it can hamper cardiac function. It’s a real emergent condition. The dart is a VERY large “needle” that gets inserted between the ribs into the chest cavity (without hitting important stuff) to decompress the chest and allow the lungs to inflate. You do this by making a skin incision with a scalpel and putting the dart against the top of a rib and kinda roll it into the chest cavity pushing through the cartilage and tissue between the ribs. It kinda punches through and takes some pressure. So I roll mine in and the dog whimpers. I almost shit myself. I looked at the other two guys and down at the syringe and motioned. They nodded. I gave the syringe a push and the dog stopped breathing. The instructor came by and noticed the dog was dead. Looked at us. I shrugged and the instructor moved on. Pretty sure she knew.

It was awful. I had nightmares for some time afterwards.

 

[chester]

Same here. 30 years ago our first baby passed away, in our arms, a couple of days after she was born. Sometimes I can talk think about it, no problem. Other times I'm a teary mess

Hey, Matt sorry to hear that

 

[Point Break]

PTSD? Maybe…..I really don’t even know what that is. I’ve been to a number of Critical Incident Stress Debriefings over the years as it became trendy. I hated them. The most valuable “debriefing” occurred with my co-workers around the kitchen table at the firehouse and with my late wife who was also a FF/medic. It doesn’t “erase” the stuff……it’s always there….it doesn’t promise you’ll never cry or have sad feelings. It does help make it simply part of the background that you live with. It doesn’t change the course of my life…..it’s simply part of my life.

 

[Point Break]

McSwain Dart

 

[Ease the sheet.]

I’m not sure. I hope not. I’m not saying it wasn’t instructional but it was really hard to get through for a dog lover.

So each dog is lying on its side. It has an IV in a leg with a large syringe attached. I think it had phenobarbital in it but it was long ago. The idea was a guy helping the instructors was walking around and keeping each dog down enough to breathe but still unconscious.

It was my turn to insert a McSwain Dart. We use those to decompress a pneumothorax and/or hemothorax. (One is air outside the lung in the chest cavity, the other is blood in the chest cavity). Problem is the pressure inside the chest cavity builds till the lungs don’t fill and it can hamper cardiac function. It’s a real emergent condition. The dart is a VERY large “needle” that gets inserted between the ribs into the chest cavity (without hitting important stuff) to decompress the chest and allow the lungs to inflate. You do this by making a skin incision with a scalpel and putting the dart against the top of a rib and kinda roll it into the chest cavity pushing through the cartilage and tissue between the ribs. It kinda punches through and takes some pressure. So I roll mine in and the dog whimpers. I almost shit myself. I looked at the other two guys and down at the syringe and motioned. They nodded. I gave the syringe a push and the dog stopped breathing. The instructor came by and noticed the dog was dead. Looked at us. I shrugged and the instructor moved on. Pretty sure she knew.

It was awful. I had nightmares for some time afterwards.

No question, horrible story.

But if I was suffering from that condition, and you were about to stab me, I'd be happier for your experience

 

[Point Break]

No question, horrible story.

But if I was suffering from that condition, and you were about to stab me, I'd be happier for your experience

It was instructional…..I cannot deny that.

 

[Grande Mastere Dreade]

 

[Point Break]

Finished my understairs pantry remodel. Tore out the 30 year old shelves, patched, skim, retextured, paint, and installed a Elfa adjustable system. Happy with the outcome.

 

[chester]

Point Break is OCD, who knew?

 

[chester]

, that's sweet man.