26/07/2025
“Just get ’em in the truck!”
It’s a phrase we hear all too often in EMS—but when it comes to critically ill medical patients, that mindset can be dangerous.
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Transport Isn’t Treatment
Throwing a crashing patient into the back of an ambulance without stabilizing them isn’t fast—it’s risky.
Critically ill patients don’t tolerate motion well. Movement stresses the body, and stress demands reserve… which they don’t have.
Before you load, ask yourself:
• Is the airway secure?
• Are we supporting their circulation?
• Can they survive the ride, or are they barely surviving the room?
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The Reality of the Ride
You can’t bag, start pressors, and troubleshoot a crashing rhythm while bouncing down the road with no access, no monitor, and no plan.
The back of the truck isn’t an ER. It’s a rolling compromise. And unless the scene is unsafe, your best shot at saving that patient might be right where you are.
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What Stabilization Looks Like
You’re not trying to fix everything—but you need to:
• Oxygenate the patient
• Support perfusion (fluids, pressors)
• Establish access
• Apply a monitor and recognize life threats
• Treat what’s treatable before the rig moves
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Bottom Line
Not every second counts—but the right decisions in those seconds do.
Stabilize before you move. Don’t trade minutes of care for minutes of motion. Because for your sickest patients, the wrong move might be moving too soon.
