What happens when EMS forced to bring drunks to ER

[Hawaiian]

Great article about how EMS rules in some cities are jeopardizing patient care.

http://nycrn.blogspot.com/2010/06/cant-get-cab-hail-ambulance.html

[rjflyn, ASN, RN]

You can be judgmental, my example

My FF drunk who is in at least one or two times a month was in again the other day. But on this occasion he had happened to have been missing for 3 days form his usual flopping spot. Long story short he gets admitted for ARF.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I would be perfectly happy running a medical drunk tank next to the ER. Just give me some protocols, including restraints prn, access to the ER doc, and a cop.

The police and hospitals should team up to create an appropriate unit. They are under arrest and in the drunk tank, but have all the benefits of nursing/medical supervision. Plus we get the screamers and cussers out of the main ER where they scare everyone else.

[dthfytr, ADN, LPN, RN, EMT-B, EMT-I]

Look, it's not a perfect world. B****ing about it just makes you and others more unhappy. A patient is a patient. If you're too special to take care of a certain population, then change your job, change your attitude, or work to change the system. I hate having to listen to a drunk in the ER as much as the next person. Or even worse, get serenaded by a happy drunk. What's worse is having to listen to EMT's and other staff b**ch too.