I’ve got no problem with using a non- transport vehicle in a true life or death. But...most of my kids have had seizure disorders and nearly every kids has a fever related seizure. Parents just don’t know it cause it happens at night.
The general treatment for a seizure is to let it run it’s course. A seizure concludes them the patient goes into a catatonic state. They are so exhausted from the seizure that they cannot wake up. Scary as can be but perfectly natural.
I’ve had kids seize indoors, outdoors and even at a hospital. Treatment is the same. Do nothing and let it run.
Of course there are exceptions but in reading the story, this little girl is in the situation my kids were in. She was examined and released.
The firefighters inclination was correct but their first aid training is lackng. They should appeal based on that.
I’m a volunteer firefighter and volly EMT. If I were in the same situation I would ask for permission from medical command before transporting a patient in a fire truck. If command said no, wait for EMS then I would wait for EMS. One time I came within 30 seconds of asking for permission when EMS became available. This was a critical patient involved in an MVA that needed to be transported to an aero-medical landing zone.
In the meantime I would treat the patient and prepare the patient for transport. A fire truck is not set up to transport patients and my fire company is not insured to do so. Protocols are there for a reason. I don’t expect that my views are going to be praised but the liability is not worth it without permission.
From what I read this wasn’t a life threatening situation. Sounds to me like the guys didn’t have enough EMT experience.......and that opinion comes from the wife of a certed EMT firefighter with 33 years.
Sounds like these were volunteers. A lot of the smaller/volunteer fire department personnel don’t have the proper EMT cents. Not sure why.
When it comes to medicine stick to your day job Yes most seizures are not life threatening but no most kids do not have them The post ictal state is not due to exhaustion but is a neurologic sequela of the seizure
However seizures can also be due to a head injury, a toxic ingestion, a brain tumor, meningitis, or lack of oxygen to the brain to name a few In that situation they are very much life threatening. A qualified medical professional needs to sort it out ASAP. In addition if the individual has several seizures in a row the condition is called status epilepticus and is very life threatening if not broken