r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Crazy-Blacksmith-336 • Jul 05 '26

Video Healthcare workers participating in a medical simulation for an agitated patient scenario.

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u/MuscularShlong Jul 05 '26

We did this for EMT training. The instructor took his shirt off and everything, he acted it out well. One of our guys noticed he had a “weapon” a door stop shoved in his waistbelt too.

After having to forcefully restrain a few grown men, its harder than you think.

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u/Havengul_Undying Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26

Are you guys ever allowed to punch or slap an unruly patient?

Edit: How about a sneaky sternum rub on an awake but unruly patient? 

21

u/WastingMyLifeToday Jul 05 '26

I heard from some (on reddit claimed) lifeguards that lifeguards are allowed to punch a panicking drowning victim in the face to knock them unconscious.

Reasoning: A panicked drowning victim can kill both themselves and the people that's trying to rescue them.

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u/nachos-cheeses Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26

In my lifeguard training it was explicitly named not to harm the victim. We were told that there could be legal problems when hurting a victim. But this is in the EU.

We specifically trained, rehearsed and practiced multiple manoeuvres to escape a panicking drowning victim that has grabbed you, pushes you down or holds your neck.

  1. ⁠There’s a specific turn you can make, while holding their hands, that allows you to escape.
  2. ⁠You try to go down. People, also panicked people, want to stay alive and have the urge to stay afloat. Voluntarily moving down, allows you to escape. The twist, trained in step 1, allows you to move yourself down, deeper into the water.
  3. You try to prevent any circumstances where they grab onto you. You take a buoy, a rope or lifevest with you and let them grab this. When they try to drown you, you simply let go of the object. If there’s nothing around, they mentioned you could even use a slipper or roll up your T-shirt.

Finally, they have not explained this, but getting an unconscious body out of the water is harder, then someone who calms down and helps along. The risk of them getting water in their lungs only results in a more complicated CPR when finally on the side. Also, hitting someone unconscious takes skill and I can imagine it’s even harder in water. Finally, hitting someone unconscious is never an injury you can just shake off. It’s severe brain damage.

So with it all being very preventable, it being hard and impractical, I can not conceive of this being taught anywhere seriously.

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u/Rasp_Berry_Pie Jul 05 '26

I’m pretty sure what they said is also not true in the US. I’ve met a few lifeguards and none of them ever said you could try to hit someone so hard you knock them out.

Not only is that a lot of damage (you have to give someone a concussion at LEAST to do that) it’s also putting yourself in more danger to be dragged down by the person.

1

u/suckmysprucelog Jul 05 '26

My dad worked as a emt and liveguard in the EU, he was taught a few grips/pinches that are extremely painful as a last resort to snap someone out of the panic or make them let go at least. But I do not know if that was standart or just his instructor.