There is a story in today’s Denver Post about a new ambulance they’ve rolled out, built specifically to handle 300-1000 pound patients.
“Certainly we are seeing more morbidly obese people,” said Rick Bailey, director of emergency services for St. Anthony Central Hospital. “It does present logistical and physical problems.”
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~1641326,00.html
Pretty sad.
Good. Now I can move up to the 308’s and know that if I have a heart attack that at least they can get me into the ambulance easily.
If I were a paramedic, I would take my time with fat people. If they asked me why I was moving slowly, I would reply with, “A lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”
It must be a new cart to load patients into it, not the meat wagon itself.
I can imagine how fun that is though, those things arent that roomy.
BTW, i’ve been lucky enough to witness a true heavyweight getting hauled into the hospital. She was my cousin’s neighbor, happened in 1992 when I was in college in michigan near his place. She was running an estimated 550-700 bills, and they hauled her off on a flatbed. Seriously.
This was after they cut out a few doorways in their home to remove her.
She had been “existing” in her bedroom for the last several years with a bedpan, tv and constant food supply courtesy of her sons. She had to leave home due to being severly impacted and her sons called 911 cause she was yellowing a bit. Totally gross I know.
The real question is: Why in the hell would ANYONE bring food to someone morbidly obese?
My wife is a nurse and I’ve heard more stories about dealing with the morbidly obese in a clinical setting that you want to hear. Trust me.
Start by thinking about how on earth someone that size would take a crap…