Oddest comment from the triage nurse today:
"I've got 5 patients in 4 beds!"
Guess it's better than 4 patients in 5 beds... >.<
Monday, 26 December 2011
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Messy
The medical orderly and I open the back doors.
Blood covered the walls, the stretcher, over the patient and over the guys inside.
We flipped out the handles and unlocked the stretcher from the floor.
"All good?" I queried.
Steve nodded, as he continued pumping on the chest.
With every compression, blood seeped from beneath a universal dressing, flowing in an intermittent stream onto the ground below.
With speed but with care, we unloaded the stretcher, ensuring the wheels were locked, and wheeled into the open doors of A&E.
Red blood trailed on the ground, intermixed with bloodied footprints.
The trauma room was well prepared; all manner of doctors, nurses, orderlies and xray techs were around, all gowned up in yellow splash aprons, goggles and red stickers proclaiming their role.
It was relatively silent.
The beds were lined up, stretcher sides down and in a few seconds, the patient was slid across from the ambulance stretcher and onto the trauma bed.
Like clockwork, a medical orderly on a stool took over compressions from Steve.
"Stop compressions" the team leader shouted authoritatively.
Eyes focused on the ECG as it displayed asystole.
Simultaneously, a trauma surgeon removed the universal dressing from the chest, revealing a 10cm open laceration slightly left of the sternum extending to the nipple. It looked rather deep, past the intercostals.
"Continue CPR" the team leader shouted authoritatively.
The room then became quite loud filled with a furry of activity.
About 30 minutes later as we were hosing out the bloodied stretcher and ambulance interior, one of the nurses came up and had a quick chat. They had, expectedly, called the patient. She also mentioned that the chest lac was indeed deep - there was a 4cm lac to the ventricle. That explained the massive amount of blood inside the ambulance!
Messy.
Blood covered the walls, the stretcher, over the patient and over the guys inside.
We flipped out the handles and unlocked the stretcher from the floor.
"All good?" I queried.
Steve nodded, as he continued pumping on the chest.
With every compression, blood seeped from beneath a universal dressing, flowing in an intermittent stream onto the ground below.
With speed but with care, we unloaded the stretcher, ensuring the wheels were locked, and wheeled into the open doors of A&E.
Red blood trailed on the ground, intermixed with bloodied footprints.
The trauma room was well prepared; all manner of doctors, nurses, orderlies and xray techs were around, all gowned up in yellow splash aprons, goggles and red stickers proclaiming their role.
It was relatively silent.
The beds were lined up, stretcher sides down and in a few seconds, the patient was slid across from the ambulance stretcher and onto the trauma bed.
Like clockwork, a medical orderly on a stool took over compressions from Steve.
"Stop compressions" the team leader shouted authoritatively.
Eyes focused on the ECG as it displayed asystole.
Simultaneously, a trauma surgeon removed the universal dressing from the chest, revealing a 10cm open laceration slightly left of the sternum extending to the nipple. It looked rather deep, past the intercostals.
"Continue CPR" the team leader shouted authoritatively.
The room then became quite loud filled with a furry of activity.
About 30 minutes later as we were hosing out the bloodied stretcher and ambulance interior, one of the nurses came up and had a quick chat. They had, expectedly, called the patient. She also mentioned that the chest lac was indeed deep - there was a 4cm lac to the ventricle. That explained the massive amount of blood inside the ambulance!
Messy.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Worse than death
She sits in the car, sheet wrapped around her.
An attempt to be human again.
With empathy and compassion, two female police officers and my female partner talks to her quietly in the back of the ambulance.
Doors shut, interior lights dimmed.
Thank God we have frosted windows!
A couple of minutes later, one female police officer comes out, holding brown paper bags.
We drive around to her house, not far, to fetch some new, clean clothes.
The police left us to transport her to hospital, but left advising her not to have a shower or wash her hands.
She nodded, knowingly.
Tears wept from behind two swollen blacked eyes.
Abrasions on her face.
She looks away as the door closes behind the police officer.
An attempt to be human again.
With empathy and compassion, two female police officers and my female partner talks to her quietly in the back of the ambulance.
Doors shut, interior lights dimmed.
Thank God we have frosted windows!
A couple of minutes later, one female police officer comes out, holding brown paper bags.
We drive around to her house, not far, to fetch some new, clean clothes.
The police left us to transport her to hospital, but left advising her not to have a shower or wash her hands.
She nodded, knowingly.
Tears wept from behind two swollen blacked eyes.
Abrasions on her face.
She looks away as the door closes behind the police officer.
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Rewind
SOB.
PR 92.
RR 32 and retractive.
BP 170/120.
GCS 15.
Poor historian.
Neglected to put on a cardiac monitor.
Neglected to put on an SpO2.
Was only just round the corner from the hospital.
Didn't cannulate.
No temperature was done.
No BGL done.
Wheelchair bound.
Polio affected; no use of legs.
140kg +.
Transported by non urgent transport with the capacity to carry / secure a wheelchair, but paramedic went with the patient.
Triaged by nurse, sent to cubicle.
Completing paperwork.
Triage nurse rushes in, ashen faced.
Patient arrest. Now in the resuscitation bay.
Wish I could rewind time and redid my treatment.
Sh#t.
PR 92.
RR 32 and retractive.
BP 170/120.
GCS 15.
Poor historian.
Neglected to put on a cardiac monitor.
Neglected to put on an SpO2.
Was only just round the corner from the hospital.
Didn't cannulate.
No temperature was done.
No BGL done.
Wheelchair bound.
Polio affected; no use of legs.
140kg +.
Transported by non urgent transport with the capacity to carry / secure a wheelchair, but paramedic went with the patient.
Triaged by nurse, sent to cubicle.
Completing paperwork.
Triage nurse rushes in, ashen faced.
Patient arrest. Now in the resuscitation bay.
Wish I could rewind time and redid my treatment.
Sh#t.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Water
Water is a source of life.
Water is a cause of death.
2 year old children have a fear of water.
2 year old children have an innate curiosity about their world.
Fences should go up around pools, and ponds.
Fences helps keep little curious 2 year olds out.
Distraught parents screaming is the worst sound in the world.
Water is a cause of death.
2 year old children have a fear of water.
2 year old children have an innate curiosity about their world.
Fences should go up around pools, and ponds.
Fences helps keep little curious 2 year olds out.
Distraught parents screaming is the worst sound in the world.
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