Sometimes, Doing Nothing IS Doing Something

With today's passing of the Stimu-Socialism package, I have to agree with the likes of Juan Williams when he says the best answer to our economic mess is to do nothing.

It made me put bring back the TrekMedic nom-de-blog for a few minutes today as I pondered the ramifications of doing nothing to accomplish a goal. Fellow medic bloggers like Ambulance Driver and Tim the Rogue Medic would understand.

Its a time-honored tradition amongst us "seasoned and experienced" (read: bourbon and Zoloft-soaked) paramedics to try and trip up "newbie" (read: piss, vinegar, and adrenaline-fueled) paramedics. This is the classic:

You're presented with a patient complaining of a splitting head, dizziness, and extremely high blood pressure. The inexperienced response is to "DO SOMETHING!" The first thing in your arsenal in Nitroglycerin. It's pharmacokinetics make your blood pressure drop (that's why its good for heart attacks - its makes your heart work less). Lower blood pressure should = less headache. Sounds like a good plan on paper, right?

WRONG!!!

In this case, causing a sudden and uncontrolled drop of the patient's blood pressure will, at worst, kill the patient and, at best, cause a massive hemorrhagic bleed in the brain (a stroke) that will most likely cripple the patient.

The best thing to do? DO NOTHING!

Well,..actually, give oxygen, monitor the patient's symptoms, and run like a bat outta hell to the ER to let the higher-trained medical people treat this patient.

Hmmm,..does the patient sound like Uncle Sam? Is that newbie-medic a guy with a funny name? You tell me,...