and we transported patients who needed extensive medical support to the ER. It was in Mexico, but the stories have been shared to me from American providers These stories, regardless of the law, were not that rare,
We were called to a home due to breathing problems. Ok, those breathing problems were due to advanced antibiotic resistant TB, in a patient who was emaciated (a skeleton, barely walking), and had carcinoma. He had advanced AIDS.
So after doing a physical, getting him on Oxygen, starting an IV, he was also dehydrated, we transported to the ER. This was to the General Hospital, where the fun started. You see, the medical resident, in whispers, told us he could not accept this patient.. why? the devil disease. So to make a long story short, and we had to jump over his head, all the way to the director of the hospital we got him admitted. It was a three hour fight, when an EMS crew became the ONLY patient advocate that man had ever had.
He was also terminal and he died overnight. We knew he was likely terminal due to the EKG, and by law we could not leave him behind either.
As I said, I heard similar stories. The fear among medical providers, especially early on was such, that doctors and nurses refused to take care of patients. After he died, the family invited us to the funeral. They said that we were the only medical providers that showed any humanity, to a brother, a son and yes a lover. So yes, this is the other side. The horror that many families had to endure. Doctors avoided these patients, so did nurses, and at times EMS crews.
I am proud to say that though my efforts we started universal precautions... earlier than most. Yes, those gloves cost money, but damn they reduced some of the very real fear medical providers had. And myself, I did stick myself with a needle once. It was not deep... and I had the fear of catching a slew of blood born diseases, not just AIDS, but thankfully that never happened. In ten years EMS providers can average 3 of these.
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