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Seizures and Restraints

Sat, 11/27/2004 - 11:25
Can someone help me out here? This past weekend, I wound up at the hands of the EMTs of my area. My ride to the ER was a literal nightmare.My question is: Is it just this area of NJ or is it nationwide that EMTs believe that it's acceptable to use restraints on the patient of a seizure call? ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME they respond they seem to think that it's not only okay, but required, even when told not to by family or friends. At least in this instance, they didn't use the police officers' handcuffs! Usually were it not for the restraints, the aches and pains would be ending by now. My back feels like it was used for a trampoline, my shoulders feel as if they were dislocated and replaced and I have bruises that cannot be explained by any stretch of the imagination as resulting from a seizure.Any suggestions on enlightening them?

Comments

RE: Seizures and Restraints

Submitted by Jared82578 on Tue, 2004-02-24 - 06:31
It's actually pretty much a nationwide thing. Most EMTs as well as hospitals, including the very doctors that are seen, seem to think it nessecary to use restraints and such for epilepsy patients. My mother has had epilepsy all my life, and two of my brothers. Everytime they've had one the EMTs didn't handle it right. It actually got to the point where my father, my brother and I would just take care of her, because no one else could. Doctors really don't know what they're doing, because it's not in their lives, just their text books.

RE: Seizures and Restraints

Submitted by busymom106us on Sat, 2004-02-28 - 09:57
Where in NJ are you? We also live in NJ. Did you bring this to anyone's attention? I would be screeming so loud everyone would hear me. the senetor, congressmen I mean everyone including the media. My daughter has seizures and she has only been with the emt's once and that was on the first one. My husband went with her and I'm not aware of anything like this. I was told by the doctors by the time you get to the hospital there usually over, so I always call the doctor no matter what time it is.

RE: Seizures and Restraints

Submitted by USMALE on Mon, 2004-06-21 - 10:09
Busymom,Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you. I just didn't expect any more responses to this so I stopped checking. I addressed it to the company first I wanted to give them a chance to handle it internally. It seems that they did. I've spoken with this EMT since and have been told that it'll never happen again. BTW Central NJ.

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