A Review Of Trauma
Every year about this time, the small hamlet in which I am semi-gainfully employed swells from the wee size of 2000 to the not so wee size of 10,000. Most of these people are tourists or part time residents who enjoy the nice country summers we are famous for. There is one weekend however that brings thousands (yes, literally thousands) of motorcycle enthusiasts. Particularly Harley Davidson types, but some BMW types and even fewer Ninja types.
The lovely aforementioned hamlet lies in a state that currently does not require helmets. Need I say more? Those of you out there (if in fact there is anyone out there) who are involved with the EMS world probably know where I am going with this. But nonetheless, I feel I must continue my story.
I work weekends typically, thus it was my fate to be on duty the weekend of the infamous Harley Rally. The weekend started out nicely. I came on shift at 0600 Friday morning and by 0800 we had our first motorcycle vs. deer call (not uncommon around here). This got everyone's blood going as the last motorcycle vs. deer ended badly for the deer and the motorcyclist. Alas, this call was to end differently as the victim decided to be transported in the rear of a pick up truck.
At 1300 we were dispatch to a multi-vehicle motorcycle accident with injuries. As we arrived in the ambulance with the first due engine company, we noticed two twisted motorcycles along with two twisted bodies laying alongside the road. My boss (hereafter known as ManicMedic) went to one patient as he directed me to check out the other and report back to him. My patient was alert, oriented, quite friendly, and resting in the arms of a beautiful young woman. I asked him how he was doing while trying not to grimace at the horribly angulated lower half of his left leg. He reported that he was fine, no trouble breathing, no pain, no nothing, but... he did think that maybe his knee was dislocated (actually he had a most hideous closed spiral fracture of his distal femur). I put some o's on him, left him in the care of another EMT who came on the engine, and went to report to the ManicMedic.
As I walked over to the location of the other patient I detected that certain tone of voice in the ManicMedic that always means trouble. You may know people that are similar. Manic's voice always hits new octaves when things are going poorly (for him or his patient). I looked at the paitent, noticed his slightly greyish blue tint and asked if there was anything I could do. He asked me for the cardiac monitor and the ET intubation kit and asked how my patient was. I informed him of my findings and he directed me to intiate chest compressions while a friendly fireman was monitoring the patient's airway. I did as ordered, watched the not-so-encouraging flat line move across the monitor after it was connected and paid close attention as Manic handily intubated the young man below me.
Suddenly little blips started appearing and shortly our patient was no longer in asystole, but in a normal sinus rhythm. This was encouraging. A small army of newly arrived EMS personnel and firemen arrived and I was directed back to mister busted leg. I packaged my patient, splinted his leg in a position of comfort, initiated an IV, and off we went. Nearly text book, and I must admit, this was the first major trauma call I have worked mostly by myself, and I was very happy.
The young man who went into arrest on us ended up dying. He suffered massive internal brain injury coupled with a nasty skull fracture and several other broken things, I don't really remember all of them. I can only hope that he was made a donor, he couldn't have been more than 25. I also hope his friends and his family think about wearing helmets the next time they get on a motorcycle.
I will continue later with the rest of the weekend. Remember, above was just Friday morning.
The lovely aforementioned hamlet lies in a state that currently does not require helmets. Need I say more? Those of you out there (if in fact there is anyone out there) who are involved with the EMS world probably know where I am going with this. But nonetheless, I feel I must continue my story.
I work weekends typically, thus it was my fate to be on duty the weekend of the infamous Harley Rally. The weekend started out nicely. I came on shift at 0600 Friday morning and by 0800 we had our first motorcycle vs. deer call (not uncommon around here). This got everyone's blood going as the last motorcycle vs. deer ended badly for the deer and the motorcyclist. Alas, this call was to end differently as the victim decided to be transported in the rear of a pick up truck.
At 1300 we were dispatch to a multi-vehicle motorcycle accident with injuries. As we arrived in the ambulance with the first due engine company, we noticed two twisted motorcycles along with two twisted bodies laying alongside the road. My boss (hereafter known as ManicMedic) went to one patient as he directed me to check out the other and report back to him. My patient was alert, oriented, quite friendly, and resting in the arms of a beautiful young woman. I asked him how he was doing while trying not to grimace at the horribly angulated lower half of his left leg. He reported that he was fine, no trouble breathing, no pain, no nothing, but... he did think that maybe his knee was dislocated (actually he had a most hideous closed spiral fracture of his distal femur). I put some o's on him, left him in the care of another EMT who came on the engine, and went to report to the ManicMedic.
As I walked over to the location of the other patient I detected that certain tone of voice in the ManicMedic that always means trouble. You may know people that are similar. Manic's voice always hits new octaves when things are going poorly (for him or his patient). I looked at the paitent, noticed his slightly greyish blue tint and asked if there was anything I could do. He asked me for the cardiac monitor and the ET intubation kit and asked how my patient was. I informed him of my findings and he directed me to intiate chest compressions while a friendly fireman was monitoring the patient's airway. I did as ordered, watched the not-so-encouraging flat line move across the monitor after it was connected and paid close attention as Manic handily intubated the young man below me.
Suddenly little blips started appearing and shortly our patient was no longer in asystole, but in a normal sinus rhythm. This was encouraging. A small army of newly arrived EMS personnel and firemen arrived and I was directed back to mister busted leg. I packaged my patient, splinted his leg in a position of comfort, initiated an IV, and off we went. Nearly text book, and I must admit, this was the first major trauma call I have worked mostly by myself, and I was very happy.
The young man who went into arrest on us ended up dying. He suffered massive internal brain injury coupled with a nasty skull fracture and several other broken things, I don't really remember all of them. I can only hope that he was made a donor, he couldn't have been more than 25. I also hope his friends and his family think about wearing helmets the next time they get on a motorcycle.
I will continue later with the rest of the weekend. Remember, above was just Friday morning.
posted by Slack at 8:50 PM
4 Comments:
Hey! Cool blog, love your writing. People are reading, promise! I don't understand how you don't die of boredom sometimes..
Thanks alot. It's good to know people are out there. I do get bored sometimes, this blog is an effort at avoiding insanity. For the most part, we keep real busy with stuff tho.
Im reading your blog. Please keep posting - no matter how boring it may seem to you
Defib
:-)
Thanks defib, I appreciate it, and I will. :)
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