Getting Inside The Emergency Room On Wheels .
It's a view from inside that few of us are not interested to see, and that view comes with last ride you might ever want to take. Yet it's a ride which could also save your life. It's an ambulance, and it's a vital part of emergency medical service that has but one function: to keep you alive.
You might have perhaps seen the inside of an ambulance on television, the paramedics furiously rubbing metal paddles together to jolt a heart of a patient back to life. These paddles are usually part of a defibrillator, which utilizes electrodes for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and is a common piece of medical equipment upon an ambulance. You will also see a gurney, which is a single bed on wheels that can be elevated for quick transport in and out of the vehicle. A typical ambulance will contain cardiac monitors, oxygen tanks, and IV equipment, along with a seemingly unlimited supply of gauze, bandages, and sterilized surgical gloves.
Almost any ambulance will also have a two-way radio, that enables the paramedics to transmit essential information to and from the hospital and the ambulance company. A number of ambulances also have mobile data terminals, that happen to be connected wirelessly to a central computer at a control center. Also this helps an ambulance team obtain data; just like a patient's medical history. It won't be rare to see an ambulances fitted with video cameras, which are used used to record activity in and outside the vehicle. This may give medical emergency responders evidence in the instance of a medical malpractice suit filed against them.
Almost all ambulances would include a tail lift or ramp to help with loading patients, which is especially important for obese patients. These lifts may very well be linked to a winch so as to help with the loading and offloading. Further, ambulance usually are equipped with trauma lighting (blue and red) to help if a patient is photosensitive, though pretty much every ambulance is equipped with normal lighting and air conditioning. The cab will usually have a separate air conditioning system, which is filtered to safeguard the driver against airborne pathogens.
Finally, an ambulance is going to be equipped with a GPS unit to assist the driver with directions and a data recorder, which is used to record speed, braking power, as well as activation of lights and sirens. Many ambulances include four-wheel drive for emergencies over rugged terrain. An ambulance needs to be always well maintained and filled with fuel.
Think of an ambulance as an emergency room on wheels, and the crew on board the ambulance is just as important as its equipment. An ambulance team will typically consist of a first responder (who will provide CPR, etc. and is usually sent ahead of the ambulance), the driver, an ambulance care assistant, emergency medical technician (who operates the equipment), a paramedic (usually the most trained member of the team and is responsible for administering drugs), a registered nurse, and occasionally a doctor.
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Though most think of an ambulance as a white van on wheels, an ambulance also can be a boat or a helicopter, which is often referred to as an air ambulance. Air ambulance companies will have a fleet of emergency medical helicopters, which can respond much faster to an emergency than can ground transportation, especially in the event of a natural disaster, such as a flood or earthquake, where streets have been destroyed. For more information, check-out air ambulance company or air ambulance companies
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