Life in the Ambulance Service

A funny Job!

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:13:09 +0100

Another set of night shifts completed successfully!

One job to talk about which did make me (and the crew who backed me up) chuckle somewhat!

Having done one unsuccessful cardiac arrest in my shift (RIP), I was sent to another.

Arriving at a block of flats on my own I dragged all my kit out of the boot of the car, now on your own it is no mean feat to get all this kit inside without breaking out into a sweat!

One response bag rucksack on my back, oxygen bag in one hand, defibrillator over one shoulder, and a drugs bag in the other hand! In all I have to carry what’s got to be in the region of 20-30KG of kit… (That’s 44-66lb in old money!).

So I arrive at the front door of a block of flats (already in a sweat) and find I have to climb three flights of stairs, and no lift in the place!

Now I am a firm believer of not running anywhere at work, firstly there’s no point me falling arse over tit on the way there, and also there’s no point me turning up and having to spend two minutes recovering before being able to treat the patient!

However sometimes you kind of have to move a bit quicker than an amble… SO I’m climbing three flights of stairs as quick as my legs will carry me, to a cardiac arrest, with umpteen bags attached to various parts of my body….

I arrive in the flat to a somewhat hysterical man in his 40’s shouting at me that he can’t wake his mum up, and that she’s dead.

When the son told me he couldn’t wake his mum up I made a bit of a fatal error, I believed what the son told me!

In the room I found an elderly lady with her bed covers over her. Having made the mistake of believing the son that his mum wouldn’t wake up I threw her bed covers bake and shouted as her “WAKE UP DORRIS, CAN YOU HEAR ME”.

Well I was somewhat shocked and surprised when the lady turned round with a startle to find a stranger in her bedroom.

It transpires that the patient was merely asleep and the son had just stood in the doorway and on calling to his mum, she hadn’t woken up, so he called an ambulance and we all rushed around thinking it was a cardiac arrest!

I felt quite sorry for the gentleman who was most apologetic and embarrassed having called us out. But at least the old lady was ok! It did make us all chuckle though!

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More ill people

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 15:16:34 +0100

Well my first night shift last night out of the run of them, and a good night!

Firstly it was Friday night and I didn't see one person who's need for an ambulance resulted from the over use of ethanol! This is somewhat of an achievement for a Friday, when usually the patients are suffering from acute alcohol intoxication!

I went to a gentleman last night, who when I arrived and saw him struggling to sit up, looking white as a sheet, and sweating more than I’ve ever seen before, with crushing chest pain! My first reaction was S**T he don’t look too well, followed very quickly by phoning control to find out where my crew was, they were 20 min away!

My time is now spent for the next 20 min with a 16 odd stone gentleman who has now put himself on his knees in the middle of the floor because he felt so faint, and who is now completely stuck in this position, as he has no strength and I’m unable to get him moved on my own!

I no find out he has only got a pulse of 38 and virtually no blood pressure, my concern has increased now!

I’ve given him Oxygen, but there is very little more I can do for him until the ambulance comes. This is one of those patients that just need to be in the back of an ambulance as quickly as possible and being taken to hospital at light speed!

So a crew has arrived and we’re now in the ambulance and started giving him some drugs to speed his heart up, and having done an ECG it is glaringly obvious that he is having a massive MI!

It’s quite funny with ECG’s when a patient is clearly having an MI, everyone in the back of the ambulance just looks at each other, and without the need for anyone to be told what to do we all just find jobs and get on.

One of my colleagues is asking the questions so we can thrombolise the patient, I’m drawing up umpteen different drugs and my other colleague is checking the ECG and doing some more obs.

It’s nice to see when you get a really ill patient how everyone just gets on with their job and the team work kicks in!

So the patient is thrombolised and the crew take him to hospital, I heard later that his was doing much better, sat up and chatting!

Another good job!

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title-1664656

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 20:56:18 +0100

Well it's been some time since I've written for various reasons... Thought I should add something!

One particular job to write about that has been one to remember over the past few months... In fact the past few years!

As much as I love my job, and we make a real difference to so many people, it isn't that often that you do a job that you know you will remember and feel proud about for a long time.

It's Christmas day, and I'm on nights, on my own working on a car (horrid I know - but such is the job!), I've had an average evening so far, nothing exciting to write home about!

Until I receive my next job, a query cardiac arrest... So a few things happen rather quickly: I look at my map, acknowledge the job and make my way there as swiftly as my car will take me, and given that it's late in the evening on Xmas day it was a somewhat swift response! Getting further messages on route from the control room that CPR is in progress, it's a sure sign that this is in fact a cardiac arrest and not just a faint or other less serious problem...

On the way I think to myself how horrid for this poor family, it’s the one job I really don’t want to be doing on Xmas day…

I arrive at the scene (just over 4 minutes since the time of the call) to a country lane with no street lighting, only about 3 feet wider than my car, how's the ambulance going to get down here I think, then I realise I've got a few other things to sort out first!

In front of me on the middle of this small lane is an elderly gentleman lying on his back with 2 people doing CPR.... Ah I think, now this is going to be interesting, not only is this in a public place, but a small country lane, in the dark, with no street lights.

An arrest on your own can be somewhat manic anyway, but with these added extra problems, will just have to get on with it, that’s what the training is for!

By now my personal dose of adrenalin has been released!

Getting all of my kit out of the car I need, I shout to the bystander to carry on what they are doing for the moment until I can get myself organised. It should be noted that in a few years of doing this job I have yet to see two people doing CPR as well as these two were, it was textbook perfect! Our control room is still on the phone at this point and between them all a great job is being done.

By the time the ambulance and another response car arrives in about five minutes, I’ve shocked the patient once, unfortunately into Asystole, and continuing with CPR.

By the time we have gotten the gentleman into the ambulance not only has his heart started to beat by itself, but he is making an attempt to breath as well!
This is a very unusual occurrence, for someone’s heart to restart by itself from Asystole, without any drugs!

The gentleman goes to the nearest A&E, is transferred to ITU and I hear nothing else until last week. A colleague tells me that he recovered completely, and was at home with his family for New Years Eve!

Having done this job now for a few years, this is the first time I have been to a cardiac arrest and we have actually saved them to the point where they walk out of hospital!

So all in all a great job, for me as it was my first successful resus, but also for the family. What to them must have been the worst Xmas they could have imagined was turned around into I’m assuming the best New Year they’ve had!

The NHS gets a lot of stick, but when it comes down to it, when people really do need help it is the best!

Much as I compained about working on Xmas day, I think this made up for it!

Comments

One Saved, One not

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 18:28:25 +0100

Another day on the car and two jobs of interest, one life potentially saved, and one unfortunately not...

The first was a lovely lady, who was having an allergic reaction to a wasp sting (at this time of year!). Not being very well when I got there this was soon reversed with the use of some drugs (adrenalin) and off to hospital for a check over...

Secondly was an unfortunate elderly lady who today died at home - RIP.

She had long standing medical problems, and so it was not a complete surprise to her family. However, the sad part of it was her son, who had obviously been looking after her for some time. Today however he had left mum alone for a short while and came back to find her.

He was beating himself up because he wasn't there when mum died, despite being there 24/7 for the past few weeks. I tried to comfort him, but it's one of those situations that whatever you say it's not going to help.... Bit of a sad job... Felt sorry for him that he felt he’d failed his mum by not being there at the end.

Being a little philosophical about this sort of thing I do tend to think it is just the way of the world; the only certainty in life being death! Still doesn’t help one’s personal experiences of such things… Maybe one day I’ll share them, but not for now…

Perhaps happier events tomorrow!

On a more positive note - drivers were using their mirrors today.

It’s funny I seem to have days where everyone see’s me coming and moves out the way – the cars move each side like the sea parting and you can sail down the middle of the road without any problems.

People stop on roundabouts to block the traffic for you, nobody stops by a traffic island and people generally move out of the way for you!

Other days are not so good – nobody gets out of your way, people stop next to traffic islands, people think it’s a good idea to just stop in the middle of the road and the list goes on!

But I shall not moan about the great British public today – Thank you for getting out of my way! Why do I say thank you, well because the 2 jobs today needed me there as quickly as possible and so it makes the difference.

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Nothing to report!

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 18:27:59 +0100

Well a couple of unexciting days at work, and now had two days off for rest and recouperation - very pleasant!

Maybee the next few days will bring something worthy of blogging about!

And from December I have some new challenges ahead of me, am off on a RRV (working on a car) for a few months, so fingers crossed might see some genuine patients!

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And another day at the mill....

Sat, 04 Nov 2006 23:43:55 +0100

Well now today was as usual as it gets in our job, the normal jobs that require no real description, as they offer no amount of interest or worthiness of writing!

Until that is I was called to a cardiac arrest for a 40 year old gentleman: firstly being on my own on the car in the middle of nowhere I thought - "S**T" - cardiac arrest at 40, that's not a good job....

For me if I go to an elderly patient has a cardiac arrest I don't feel to bad about it because they have had their life and most of the time there time has just come.

However to have to go to a 40 year old is a bit different, especially on your own on the car, when the job is aprox 30 min from the nearest ambulance in the deepest darkest depths of a forest in the arse end of nowhere!

So anyway I make good time (having a nice car that goes like s**t off a stick, and me driving it!) and I get to this guy who to add to the difficult nature of the job is in a somewhat odd place!

He's a hunter out for the weekend and has unfortunately passed away in a hutch no bigger than him!

So negotiating a very small ladder - with my very heavy kit, and nearly falling down this 12’ ladder in the process (adrenalin has been delivered to my body now on multiple occasions!) I reach the patient.

Unfortunately he had been dead for a little while and there was nothing I could do for him. RIP!

A bit of a sad job all in all, I felt really sorry for his friends who'd done what they could before I arrived – yet unfortunately we were all too late.

I also felt really saddened for his poor wife who lives elsewhere in the country and is going to have what must be the worst experiences you can, to have a police officer knock on your door and tell you a loved one has died! I hope the family are ok!

Anyway, enough today I think, hopefully tomorrow will bring some happier jobs!

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Odd day!

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 23:29:39 +0100

Well an odd day today - another day on the car, did a few jobs...

Q: Why an odd day?

1. Everyone today needed an ambulance (or half an ambulance - aka me on the car!)

2. My first patient was actually quite ill.. a novelty for me - I usually go to patients who either:
a) don't need an ambulance or
b) have so little wrong with them I don't actually haveto do anything for them!

3. One very unfortunate patient I went to, a guy involved in an RTA who was riding a motorbike that ended up driving into the back of another car.

Now the odd thing (or most unfortunate thing for the guy) is if u can imagine a man riding a motorbike that has driven into the back of a car, now think about which part of his anatomy was injured.....

oh yes that's right - his *manly bits* were dragged up the fuel tank and into the handle bars! OUCH I hear all you men cry out - and rightly so - imagine banging them at 40mph into a piece of metal!

Anyways saw him alter and besides being a bi *caugh* *swollen* he was fine! POOR guy - had +++++sympathy+++++ for him!!

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Nothing new

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:28:52 +0100

Well I'm stuck in the country for a while so I doubt I'll have anything interesting to report - But I'm sure you'll be the first to know if I do!

On a different subject a funny youtube clip I thought I'd share with you all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etrBoxY48nE

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Rest Time

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 13:17:40 +0100

Well have certainly enjoyed a couple of days off work, but back to it tomorrow!

Have done absoulutly naff all with my days off which has been very nice!

Just realied I hadn't mentioned that I recently became an uncle! My sister had a beautiful baby girl! So am full of smiles at the moment!

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A "Proper" Job with a twist!

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 20:35:21 +0200

For any of you who work or the ambulance service, or read blogs about our days at work, you will have come to grips with the phrase "proper" job!

For those of you new to it let me explain: In the ambulance service we go to a vast amount of varying jobs, from the simplest medical problems like a cold to those life threatening problems: heart attacks and the like.

A "proper" job for us is one in which a patient firstly actually needs an emergency ambulance and secondly is actually unwell/ill and we have to treat them for something.

The other day I had a "proper" job, yet with a twist! Working with a trainee EMT we went to a job out in the countryside for an elderly gentleman who had fallen at home (AKA a "Granny down") - sounded like a simple run of the mill job to us, until we got there.

The patients pulse was slightly slow at 54bpm (normally 70-90), but the patient’s wife told us he was suffering with this and was due to see a cardiologist this week so we didn't worry too much about this as his blood pressure was within normal limits.

We got him up off of the floor and in getting him into bed he collapsed and began to have a seizure, only lasting 10 seconds or so. We noted to ourselves at this point that the patient was actually seriously unwell and needed to go to hospital ASAP!

We explained this to the patient (now recovered from the seizure and lying on the floor for where he ended up).

However the patient was adamant he was not going to come to hospital with us as he had a bad experience with our local hospital some time ago in the past.

To cut a very long story short we spent over an hour on scene with the patient trying to convince him to go to hospital with us, getting his GP on the phone who also told him to go to hospital, yet the patient was still adamant was not going to come with us!

Can you see our dilemma – given that the patient had a further 2 seizures and his pulse had slowed again slightly. This job was now becoming imminently dangerous for the patient!

We all tried our best to convince the patient to come with us (my crew mate, the patients wife, 2 doctors on the phone, the patients son and myself!) yet he persisted in his refusal of treatment.

You will appreciate we cannot touch someone, nor take them from their home without their permission – that’s assault and kidnapping! The patient was recovering so quickly after the seizures that he said straight away each time that he wanted to stay at home. The patient on questioning was also sound of mind and so capable of making that decision.

I am all for patient choice and freedom in deciding on treatment that they choose to receive or not to. However here we had a patient who was deteriorating in front of us, and becoming critical, yet wouldn’t come with us. What to do?

My crewmate and I pondered for a few moments and I decided to have one last attempt with the patient. As I said before I am all for patient choice, however the patient was making the decision based on a previous bad experience of the hospital and was not I feel appreciating the severity of his current situation.

I explained to him in a fairly frank (yet understanding and supportive way of course) what the situation was and how seriously ill he had become. With the support of his wife we eventually encouraged him to come to hospital with us!

It’s jobs like this that make our job interesting, difficult, stressful, pleasing and most of all rewarding!

We got the patient to hospital alive (with the help of some drugs from a Paramedic on the way), and he went pretty swiftly for a temporary passing wire in the cardiac care unit, hopefully to have a happy future with his caring wife.

As I said at the start: a “proper” job for us as the patient was actually genuinely ill, yet somewhat of a twist. A good job all round, I actually felt like I had made a difference, which makes me smile!

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Thanks

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 18:08:23 +0200

Well I started the blog today - and already recieved some welcoming messages - So I just wanted to say cheers!

And for those of you that are worried about the two old grannies I went to today - One of them hadn't broken her hip, so she'll be home later today! Lucky for her - though I suspect I will see her again (probably as a "grannie down"!)

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My First Blog

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 14:59:10 +0200

Welcome, wel this is my first blog!

Why have I started? Well everyone else is doing it so I thought I'd share my thoughts too!

Firstly I am another ambulance technician working for a service not too far from London.

So today I'm working on a car, out in the sticks and it's been a somewhat quiet day today, only 2 jobs, both of which have been "grannies down". This isn't meant to be an offensive term, just one which we all use for these jobs, basicly the elderly population have a tendancy to fall over, and it lies with us (the ambulance service) to go and rescue them!

Both of the lovely ladies I have met today have had to go to hospital (which is unusual, as most of the "grannies down" just need picking up) but today unfortunatly they had both broken their hips..

An easy job for us these, but not so nice for these poor patients, hoefully they'll both be back on their feet in no time!

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