For a profession that prides itself on BS detection there sure are a lot of EMTs and paramedics falling for “news” stories from Call the Cops. It has gotten so bad that EMS1.com is warning readers to not be duped by story that NY EMTs can now drink on the job.
Fake Pain? BS
If I had a fake news story for every time I have been told a patient was faking pain in order to receive pain medications I would have my own fake news site.
When I ask, “How do you know they are faking?” the answer is often, “I can tell. When you’ve been in this business as long as I have you develop a finely honed bullshit detector.”
Oh yeah? Explain to me the methodology for calibrating your bullshit detector? Where is the evidence that it works often enough to deny the people that actually have pain from being administered pain medications.
I call bullshit!
Real News
Here are some other EMS headlines that are indeed real:
Patient Complaining of Pain Really Has Pain
Motor Vehicle Collision Patient Really Has No Neck Pain Before Being Applied to Backboard
A Pseudo or Fake Seizure is a Medical Problem (sub headline, if you fake a seizure you have some sort of sickness)
Peer Pressure Medicine
Finally, if you have patient care practices that are based on that one guy that told you about that one time that one thing happened to another guy that you know so I better do this just in case you need to become a regular reader of the Rogue Medic.
