Even collusion is unnecessary. The concept of Mutually Assured Destruction isn't limited to the threat of nuclear annihilation. If you think about it for a little while, you'll see it is actually in the providers' interests to NOT compete on price. Price wars drive profits down, everyone knows it, so no one risks sparking one.

When you're house is burning down to the ground and Fire Control is sending out its 2nd or 3rd activation because Engine 17 needs a driver, you'll be quite happy to know there's a whacker out there with an over-priced blue LED light bar burning rubber to the station. It takes all kinds. Of course, we ridicule them anyway. but terms like whacker and volley aren't entirely derogatory.

I find what you quoted particularly interesting. You would think if you call 911, you'd need immediate help and would be grateful for whoever shows up to come to your aid. Never would have thought Niners could be found even on Slashdot.

p.s. I am an EMT and do this for a living.

In the field of EMS, we're (in NYS at least) by protocol asked to hyper-oxygenate patients with suspected brain injury in trauma patients that meet a certain set of criteria. The reason for this is to cause vasoconstriction within the brain, reducing blood flow due to vascular resistance and, in theory, slow internal bleeding. As far as I know, the literature on this is uncertain as to its efficacy, but the theory behind it is sound.

Brain tissue can survive for quite a while in a state of hypoxia, compared to other tissues. What is most dangerous in a hemorrhage in the brain is compression of the tissue, as well as direct exposure to blood, both of which can cause necrosis. In fact, when the brain "detects" an injury, its usual response is to increase blood pressure, which is going to accelerate any hemorrhage and make the problem worse. Decreasing heart rate and blood pressure would be an advantage until surgical services are available to drain the blood and close off the source of bleeding.

Its not illegal to copy/forge a signature either, unless the purpose is to impersonate or defraud. Its called intent. It will llikely be more diffucult to prove intent than to prove the act itself, however. It is like the difference between copying someone's signature on a blank sheet of paper versus doing so on a check.

Almost die? Are you kidding me? Allergic reactions may be very acute and potentially life-threatening, but they can be treated very easily with a dose of epinephrine and benadryl, two drugs carried by nearly every ambulance in the US, and the treatment is definitive and nearly instantaneous. The flu, on the other hand, has no definitive treatment. If you contract the flu, you are stuck with it and can only ameliorate the symptoms. If contracted, it is still communicable even if the symptoms can be effectively managed.

Flu shots are intended for anyone. Its being pushed not just for immuno-compromised people, but anyone who has a high risk of re-transmitting the disease such as college students and health care professionals. The risk of an allergic reaction is slim and manageable. The risk of contracting and then spreading the illness to an even greater extent is quite high by comparison, while treatment options are limited.

Don't be fooled by the dramatic effects of an allergic reaction. Untreated, sure, it can kill, but the treatment is simple, effective and ubiquitous. The flu, on the other hand, can kill even under the most intensive care.

But we are in a hell of a lot more shit if we fuck up something so obvious as RESPIRATIONS. A[irway] and B[reathing] come before C[irculation].

LOL. Yeah. As soon as someone promises to pay for it. It'll be a long time before emergency services can afford it.

An allergy is not equivalent to an anaphylactic reaction. There are varying degrees and types of allergic reactions that are not anaphylactic. Allergic reactions are much more varied. Anaphylaxis refers to a systematic reaction that will lead to anaphylactic shock. Allergies range from the mundane reaction of lethargy all the way to anaphylaxis. Any adverse reaction that cannot be properly classified as a side effect (in the case of a medication) is considered an allergy.Allergies to pollen and hay are extremely common and result in non life-threatening reactions such as hyperactive tear ducts and excessive production of mucous. It is absolutely incorrect to equivocate allergies (an extremely diverse group of reactions) to anaphylaxis (an extremely narrow group of reactions).

Did you know that highways pass through cities? Guess what happens when inner-city congestion meets highway speeds?

Due to my job, I drive over a hundred miles a day on city streets every day that I work. I have special training in extremely defensive driving, and risk termination every day that I drive for what others would consider minor infractions (if the drive cam catches me not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign (or red light with lights and sirens going), I will lose my job). I am more experienced and better trained at city driving than most drivers, drive an over-sized vehicle, a highly visible vehicle, and yet I have an above average risk of being involved in an accident.

Experience and training can only mitigate the risks so much, but time spent on the road multiplies that risk by the same amount per second whether you are a NASCAR driver or a 90 year old grandma.

Its also very misleading. Ambulances are never "turned away," they are notified before they even go in route to the hospital that the facility is closed. A critical patient always goes to the nearest facility (with a radio report directly to the hospital so they can prepare). closed or not.

Aside from the fact that the inability to access medical records has nothing to do with the ability to bill a patient or their insurance carrier, your post shows you are very ignorant about how emergency medicine works.