Man awarded €25,000 after bouncers broke his arm

drkpower wrote: »

Without the above, most young men are very capable of noticing if they have serious injuries or not. Pumping adrenaline doesnt usually mask the symptoms of serious injury requiring urgent treatment and transfer to Hospital by ambulance.

You'd be suprised just how powerful a painkiller adrenaline can be. A good dose of adrenaline on top of a good feed of beer would make a crippling pain in your arm feel like a bit of an annoying pain - sore, but not too sore to use. In the past I've dislocated my kneecap (a couple of times) while drunk, walked/hobbled halfway home and then found myself crippled the next day.

On that point, a complete fracture of the arm would generally render that arm unusable, so even without the pain masked, you'd notice quickly enough that you're having difficulty using your arm. So perhaps the bouncers caused cracks along the bone, which was then compounded by the guy using it and bouncing off things on the way home, leading to complete fractures.

drkpower wrote: »

the paramedics wont give you analgesia that is any stronger than what you can get in Spar; in fact they probably wont give you any at alll.

I was under the impression that paramedics carry a small supply of opiate-based painkillers as pain relief would be a key component of calming a patient down in an emergency. Maybe I'm wrong.

Lol; what kind of 'shock' did you go into with your fractured arm.....?!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_stress_reaction I presume. The scale of the pain - if you've never felt anything like it before could easily bring on a panic attack for many people.
Not a major deal really, but the symptoms can create complications in treating the patient. It's not a pleasant thing to experience.

Scott Prickly Stone wrote: »

Fair play to him. Bouncers are thugs most of the time.

I see a few people saying things like this. I've worked in bars and any of the security I've worked with have been absolute gentlemen to the customers; even when faced with horrible crap from some arseholes, they dealt with the matter calmly and efficiently. I'm not saying there aren't bad bouncers too because I've seen a few of them, but most of the horror stories about bouncers I hear are spread by people who got kicked out of somewhere and decided to blame security because they don't want to accept that they deserved what they got! To the people saying all bouncers are on a power trip and are d1cks, you try going in to work to babysit drunken and abusive arseholes every night, many of whom would think nothing of swinging a fist or a bottle at you if you tried to calm them down. I've been refused entry to places before, whether rightly or wrongly, and the ONLY thing you can do is walk away, the decision has been made that you aren't getting in, so there's no point arguing!

tl;dr If bouncers are thugs to you most of the time, there's a very high likelihood that its YOUR fault.

Kimia wrote: »

Victim blaming nonsense. A bouncer can't blame someone else for their thuggary. Last I checked we are all responsible for our own actions.

I'm not victim blaming. If someone had an isolated story of some bouncer being an ass, chances are I'd believe it, but the people who have multiple stories of run-ins with bouncers and say they are all thugs, well then I'm sorry mate but I'm blaming you because you sound like a scumbag! I know of one bouncer in particular at a club in Galway who is a complete gob****e, but that doesn't mean they all are does it?

i think he was right to call a ambulance
they are on call anyway so they most likely respond to
the most pressin matter first
i broke 2 fingers in a fight before (my only fight)
didn t notice for about a day more of a stingin pain
my neighbour had a arm removed by a piece of equipment
before said he felt nothin but he was in shock and
quickly went unconscience but he recovered
and now contributes more to society than most
fair play to him

seamus wrote: »

You'd be suprised just how powerful a painkiller adrenaline can be. .

I have no doubt; but the mere fact that someone is in an adrenaline-fuelled situation does not mean that they need to get an ambulance to Hospital just in case they have suffered more significant injuries than they suspect. In that case, anyone young healthy man who gets in a fight and feels a twinge in their back afterwards, should be getting an ambulance just in case he has an unstable spinal fracture.

seamus wrote: »

On that point, a complete fracture of the arm would generally render that arm unusable, so even without the pain masked, you'd notice quickly enough that you're having difficulty using your arm. So perhaps the bouncers caused cracks along the bone, which was then compounded by the guy using it and bouncing off things on the way home, leading to complete fractures..

I think the terminology is causing problems here. A compound fracture is one with bones sticking through the skin. I am advocating that, in most cases, patients with a non-compound arm fracture do not need an ambulance.

seamus wrote: »

I was under the impression that paramedics carry a small supply of opiate-based painkillers as pain relief would be a key component of calming a patient down in an emergency. Maybe I'm wrong...

I am open to correction on this (it is a while since i practised) but i dont think that paramedics are entitled to prescribe/give analgesia, especially opiates. Perhaps cardiac paramedics carry them (opiates are used in the management opf heart attacks) but i didnt thik the regular ones did.

seamus wrote: »

Not a major deal really, but the symptoms can create complications in treating the patient. It's not a pleasant thing to experience.

Ive no doubt; but it doesnt usually warrant an ambulance.

drkpower wrote: »

I have no doubt; but the mere fact that someone is in an adrenaline-fuelled situation does not mean that they need to get an ambulance to Hospital just in case they have suffered more significant injuries than they suspect. In that case, anyone young healthy man who gets in a fight and feels a twinge in their back afterwards, should be getting an ambulance just in case he has an unstable spinal fracture.

Ah c'mon, a fracture that results in one arm shorter is gonna give off more than a "twinge". Besides, adrenaline / endorphines only last for quite a short time. So it's quite possible that he jumped up from being pinned, feeling what may have been just seemed like a strain...only to arrive home realising that it was far far worse!

in most cases, patients with a non-compound arm fracture do not need an ambulance.

I beg to differ. Working pitchside for a local rugby team over a couple of seasons would open your eyes! I've seen the biggest guys crying like babies with fractures, disclocations, sprains...and I've called many an ambulance for 'em. :P

I am open to correction on this (it is a while since i practised) but i dont think that paramedics are entitled to prescribe/give analgesia, especially opiates. Perhaps cardiac paramedics carry them (opiates are used in the management opf heart attacks) but i didnt thik the regular ones did.

Depends on who is called. There are no "Cardiac Ambulances" these days, they all have defibs...but depending if it's manned with EMT, Paramedic or Adv Paramedic will determine what drugs can be administered.

Heard about a fight in the george last weekend, got really messy, one lad ended up going down and it took 3 bouncers to pull him off :eek:

High energy wrote: »

Bouncers in general = scumbags

Legal action is the only way to sort them out, no club/pub will hire this guy again

This is what I was talking about earlier. Bouncers in general are nice guys (not all of them). Either you go to the wrong places, or you're the scumbag if that is your experience of bouncers.

And I'd be willing to bet that guy is still working as a bouncer somewhere.

Lucas Grumpy Bed wrote: »

I went there last Saturday night, I didn't know it was a gay bar - until the bouncer accused me of being too drunk and tried to block my passage :eek:

It was probably OK though when you came out?

Gotta say the standard of bouncers has improved beyond measure over the last ten years. They are much more polite, better trained and far more level headed than they have ever been.

From working in pubs to going out myself, I've met some absolute prick bouncers and seen them dish out some serious hidings, however I haven't seen anything remotely like that in a long time now and I honestly believe that most bouncers working the door these days do a good job.

Einstein wrote: »

Ah c'mon, a fracture that results in one arm shorter is gonna give off more than a "twinge". Besides, adrenaline / endorphines only last for quite a short time. So it's quite possible that he jumped up from being pinned, feeling what may have been just seemed like a strain...only to arrive home realising that it was far far worse!

I beg to differ. Working pitchside for a local rugby team over a couple of seasons would open your eyes! I've seen the biggest guys crying like babies with fractures, disclocations, sprains...and I've called many an ambulance for 'em. :P.

Whether its a twinge, or a serious pain, or whether someone is a cry-baby, they shouldnt be calling an ambulance unless they are unable to get to Hospital safely and and promptly by alternative means.

Einstein wrote: »

Depends on who is called. There are no "Cardiac Ambulances" these days, they all have defibs...but depending if it's manned with EMT, Paramedic or Adv Paramedic will determine what drugs can be administered.

Showing my age.... When I practised, they were called (or at least we called them) ambulance drivers.... But out of interest, are you sure that Paramedics, of any kind, can give opiates to people with suspected limb fractures, or anyone for that matter?

seamus wrote: »

I'm not. I'm simply pointing out that he may have had no other choice, in which case it would be appropriate. If he had no other means of getting there, would you expect him to walk to the hospital in the middle of the night instead?

Plus that there are different types of ambulance. There are ones which are specifically for non-emergency but still essential journeys. They are used to bring the elderly and infirm to appointments they can't otherwise attend or else to A&E, especially out of hours.

Einstein wrote: »

'm open to corrections, but to the best of my knowledge (as an EMT Trainee) one of the differences between, EMT, paramedic and advanced paramedic is the different drugs they can push.

In regards to what situations those drugs are pushed I can't comment

.....and you an EMT Trainee and you dont know........ hang your head in shame.

You are right though; advanced paramedics may give morphine in cetain circumstances (according to their CPGs)
http://www.phecit.ie/Documents/Clinical%20Practice%20Guidelines/P%203rd%20Edition%20CPGs/P%20Section%202%20Patient%20Assessment.pdf