My mum was out recently and came across someone having a seizure. Post seizure they were unconcsious for a considerable time so an ambulance was called by someone, and during the call when they said the casualty had been put into the recovery position, they were told to put them back on their back.
Is there something I dont know about here?

No – sounds odd to me – who told them to put them on their back.

I was still taught to put people in the recovery position last update I had on resusitation

A patient placed on their back is in the preferred position for advanced airway management, the ambulance control room expected your mother to have this equipment with her, they iz well stoopid innit. The recovery position allows postural drainage and an open airway.

Heard of folk being told to do that when someone’s arrested but as above, if theyre breathing and un/conscious then recovery position for airway management..
Über keen call taker perhaps? Guess it goes on the info they get though eh?

Sounds strange, not having ever worked in the control room I can’t give you a definitive answer as to why the call handler gave that advice???….the risk of aspiration on saliva, vomit etc would be high and airway obstruction from the tongue is risky too….bizarre.

Cynical mode on now, more and more telephone advice seems to be instructions for bystanders to do nothing, whether this is down to a fear of litigation or assumption that the bystander won’t or can’t follow instructions I don’t know?!

That’s the advice we have to give when using the American 999 triage system called AMPDS. Lots of ambulance trusts still use it but down here in the South West we now use a much more appropriate triage system called Pathways.

I believe the decision on laying them on their back was based on a few reasons; easier for Joe Public to do, easier to monitor their airway and finally, if the patient is to stop breathing then they are already in the best position.

Both Paramedics and control staff were always questioning this practice.

@deviant – You are right, it’s an American system which is always working around their blame and compensation culture…

Thanks for that, some interesting info there. I think I’ll stock with the recovery position on balance

Never heard of that practice I’m pretty sure that our trust still tell people to put them in the recovery position.

Edit: Ah right yeah we use Pathways, I’m not sure there’s many still use the American one now.

And that’s where I’ll leave my comments on pathways.

Another question for paramedics, visited the local hospital today a fleet of nice paramedic ambulances parked outsiide all with the engines running, no drivers on board.

Why, are they chargeing the batteries,or did they just forget, oh and im aware of the anti theft devices fitted to stop them being driven off by scumbags.

If our fleet is anything to go by, the electrical drain from the on board kit tends to flatten batteries quickly, which means you have to resort to an emergency start switch which preserves enough battery to start up. Leaving them running (on run lock, so the keys aren’t in) prevents this.

If our fleet is anything to go by, the electrical drain from the on board kit tends to flatten batteries quickly, which means you have to resort to an emergency start switch which preserves enough battery to start up. Leaving them running (on run lock, so the keys aren’t in) prevents this.

+1

It’s not because they love wasting fuel…we waste that in other ways

I don’t know if it is a national problem, but up here ambulances go flat very quickly. Aside from not being able to start, this also turns off the computer system, meaning comms can’t communicate with you, and then you get in lots of trouble. I rarely turn the car off if I’m sat in it.

Most of the ambulances switch off at hospital in my area, mainly because they tend not to be there for very long and battery run down isn’t a problem but also because some aren’t equipped with a functioning ‘run lock’. The computer might need to re-start if there is a long delay at hospital but the comms remain on.

My car is kept running pretty much all the time as I need the computer info and sat-nav immediately if a job comes in but far more important is it keeps the heating on in winter or nice and cool with aircon in the summer 😉

In fairness I keep my engine on so the TV doesn’t run down the batteries!