Alive

Tomorrow night I'm going out for drinks with Yona and Peg to celebrate our one week graduation anniversary from EMT school. Reflecting on that experience I've realized that we've learned a lot more than stabilizing and treating patients. There's a whole new set of words we use and some behavioral issues as well.

For example:

• Call police for back-up is: "Call PD"
• FDNY is not pronounced F.D.N.Y, you say "Fidnee".
• "Peeds" means kids (pediatrics).
• Index finger = "trigger finger"
• Middle finger = "the communicator"
• Croak = to die
• Expire = to die
• Homeless people or crazy people = "EDPs" (emotionally disturbed persons)
• If a patient is alert and conscious he/she is = "AVPU"
• If a person is alert and also knows who, where and what he/she is, it's = "He's A&O times 3".
• "Eyes are pearl" means the pupils react to light normally.
• "Bag him!" means give oxygen.

Another thing we learned is that when you do chest compressions on a cardiac arrest patient, you should follow the beat of the Bee Gees' song "Staying Alive" and you'll get the exact right amount of compressions per minute.

"Sing it in your HEAD - not out loud!" was the instruction.