DIY near misses

[fred]

In article , Andrew Gabriel writes

Ah, I convulse corrected :-)

[Steve Walker]

You can buy lock-offs suitable for individual mcbs or kits for a whole variety of makes. Take a look at pages 119 and 120 of

SteveW

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[The Medway Handyman]

Impossible to watch Casualty when she is in the room :-)

One of her crew mates was off duty in a shopping centre & had to perform CPR on someone. Cracked 2 ribs. The bloke survived & tried to sue her.

[John Rumm]

Yup that was a while ago... ;-)

Hmm, just noticed:

think I may treat myself ;-)

[The Medway Handyman]

Karcher, best known for pressure washers, used to make stoves from artillery shells just after WW2.

[tony sayer]

Lost for words on that one;!....

Isn't she insured by the NHS even off duty?..

My eldest was in the St John and shes often had to use her skills in anger and I often wonder if she could be sued by anyone for doing just that?..

Course one would hope that any judge with a working brain cell would throw the case out..

[dom]

I believe - so far - there has not been one single case in the UK of successfully suing someone making "best endeavours" to render aid, whether layman or off-duty professional.

I can recall a judge throwing out such a case, and that a clear statement was made at the time that future attempts at that sort of thing would be viewed in the dimmest possible light.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "The Medway Handyman" saying something like:

Just reading "Braver Men Walk Away" by Peter Gurney. It deals with a bomb disposal career from the late 40s to the early 90s. Very interesting, quite funny and tragic in parts.

[Halmyre]

I've read that - a great book.

I loved the story about surreptitiously attaching an alarm clock to a trainee's helmet during an exercise..."I can hear it ticking from here!"

[Phil L]

[Phil L]

[Bill]

In message , Grimly Curmudgeon writes

It is a very good book, I've read it twice and could probably manage a

3rd time. To get back on topic have you read the part about the guy that used a welding torch to put his name on his oxy acetylene cylinders?

[dennis]

There are easier ways.. like fully turning on the valve.

[Dave Liquorice]

Quite, it's almost if you don't crack a rib you aren't doing it hard enough. Something that doesn't come across in most First Aid courses even when pounding Resusiannies chest...

[The Medway Handyman]

Dunno. They have a 'duty of care' and can't ignore stuff like that. Union stepped in & the bloke dropped the idea.

LAS are not known for backing up their staff, often they take people into A&E just for arse armour reasons.

I'll ask her 2moro when I see her.

Assuming you could find one....

[Lobster]

Certainly Dr SWMBO's employment insurance covers what's known in the business as "Samaritan" work - but specifically excludes USA and Canada.

It's worried the hell out of her whenever we've been in the USA, since as a doc she couldn't and wouldn't *not* do whatever she could in an emergency; but the prospect of being sued uninsured for millions eg because she failed to resussitate a corpse is somewhat scary. Fortunately it's never been an issue. Yet.

David

[dom]

The situation is complicated in the US, as it varies by state:

IMO it would be *highly likely* that the BMA would back a member to the hilt in such a situation, or that very great pressure would be exerted on her insurer to extend cover over situation in a one-off goodwill basis.

[fred]

In article , Lobster writes

Maybe the trick is for her to help out but make herself scarce in the crowd once the local medicos arrive.

Cover tracks by speaking in an american accent and if asked say she is a Canadian tourist (an American doctor would never help on the street of course ;-).

[JTM]

First courses I did (about 1960) it was considered likely to cause injury by many Dr.'s. However it's not actually a #requirement# to break the ribs.

Compared with a real person, Resusci Anne is pretty realistic for CPR and is about equivalent to a 12st adult.

Most folk have a fairly flexible rib-cage (try breathing right out / fully in) and as long as the pressure is #on# the breast-bone, the ribs will usually not be damaged.

John

[The Medway Handyman]

She has described a 'crunching' sound when performing CPR on elderly patients :-(