Bob, I hear you. I never minded running the real calls when I was in the field. The cardiac arrests, the traumas, the unusual medical calls. I didn't even mind my first dozen or two overdose calls. But after a while, it did come to the point that I was more tempted to strangle a patient than to treat them. Literally, running code 3 responding to someone with a toothache. Or a stubbed toe. I really got sick and tired of seeing people doing things to each other. Assaults, robberies. I felt bad for the victims. But then I saw that there were times that the "victims" were just as guilty as the perps. Drug deals gone bad. Mutual combat. Gang fights.
But Bob, here's one you can appreciate. My partner was a bit of an "abrasive" type. We got along pretty well, but he could really tick you off in a hurry. Had an ER nurse that had butted heads with him earlier in the day, really pissed him off. Well, sure enough, we went on a heroin OD just a few blocks from this hospital. For those who don't know, one of the drugs in our toolbox is called Narcan. This is a NARCotic ANtagonist. It reverses the effects of true narcotics, specifically opioid narcotics. Like heroin. So if you give enough of it, it puts the person into essentially instant withdrawal. Not fun. Our protocols called for 2mg IV/IM of this medication. We, however, would do what is called titrating to effect. Basically, we gave enough narcan to reverse the effects of the OD (i.e. get them breathing again) but keep them niiiiiice and mellow. So now that this is all set up, we responded on this overdose near the same hospital. We give the guy enough narcan to make him breathe again on his own, but kept him nice and mellow.... We get to the ER, and sure enough, that same nurse is the one that's coming to take report. This guy's breathing is starting to slow down again, which means he's gonna need another dose of narcan soon. It's about this time that I notice the syringe in my partners shirt pocket. I begin to get the impression that revenge is on the way. We get the guy on their bed, and when the nurse is about 15 feet away, my partner hits this guy with the full dose of narcan in his IV. He hands her the chart, gives a quick report, and just about the time this guy starts moaning, he lets the nurse know that the patients breathing had slowed down, so he just hit the guy with a full 2mg narcan IV. Right about now, this guys moans turn into an air raid siren, and he starts trying to levitate off the bed. We practically run from the ER, amid the chaos we have just unleashed. Needless to say, both the ER supervisor and the field supervisor had a chat with my partner. Granted, he *was* following protocol so he didn't get into actual trouble, but we were told to avoid that ER for a while if possible.....
