We receive a call while the primary crew is out for a patient who is turning blue we run hot and hard! The call is nearly 20 minutes driving the speedlimit, due to the roads, traffic, and construction. The dispatch has sent the fire department because they have first responders. They Sheriff's Dept has a deputy on scene and another en route. We arrive on scene and find them in a confusion and we find ourselves in a screwed up situation. The wife comes to the truck door as CPR is being performed, we are waiting to transport because the Fire Dept has been told by her she doesn't want anything done, but we will still need medical control to okay it. We are doing CPR and bagging the patient when the wife comes up and says "Don't you think that is a waste?" We all look at each other, we all see it in each others eyes.... HMMMMMMMMMM what is up with this. This woman seems awful calm and doesn't really act upset. Seems the guy has been having alot of pain and the pain meds weren't working, she was taking him to the hospital where is doctor was to have him admitted. She had drove some time with him looking blue before she pulled over to allow help to be called. WIERD! Then to find out he wasn't really alert when they left home, she walked him to the car she said pretty much dragging him. So then she hadn't heard him breathing much she thought he was short of breath so she put on his oxygen tank, she said she heard him take a few breaths as this is one of those tanks that makes a swoosh when oxygen is breathed in through the nose from the machine. That was it she didn't remember hearing it while she was driving. Hmmmm really wierd....... We end up getting med control to give us permission to call it, we call it and cease our efforts, we upset the first responders but they will learn of our reasoning, the coroner had already been requested by one of the deputies and he has arrived on scene to hear the story. We transport to the funeral home and the pieces start to fit together. We meet the coroner later and get a copy of the medication list and then it starts to fit even more. Some of his medications has been subbed out with stronger meds which in high doses can suppress respiratory drives.
A few days later and blurring, I get called in around noon for a BLS transport. An 8 year old girl with abdominal pain that needs to go to the Children's Hospital. I have never transported kids before and actually done patient care. I was a little scared, I asked her if she was and she said no, although she wasn't as talkative as the normal 8 year old. During the transport she asked about my sleep patterns, the job, the hours, the normal 8 year old came out. She talked about knowing the hospital was good because it had treated her brother. I just sat there waiting I wasn't going to pry to find out what was going on. She explained to me the sad story of her brother being hit by a garbage truck, she said the truck was supposed to be driven by 2 guys, but the told the driver if he would work faster they would pay him overtime. (I assume this means that one guy was working alone and rushing for pay instead of paying the full crew) She said the driver said he saw the kid but when he went to hit the brakes they just didn't seem to work. He really was sorry she said. It wasn't totally his fault. She said she had to go to court and spend the night with an aunt. I felt so sad for the young girl. I wanted to give her a hug and tell her I was so sorry and cry. I could almost see a tear in her eye. Every once in a while she would sit up on the cot and look out the back of ambulance and make sure her parents were still there. This kid knew things! I could only hope they found a solution to her problem. She had been through CT's and other exams incluing an EGD and they had found nothing. I hope the find something to help her. We dropped her off and I find myself relieved that she is alright and in great care. I found myself not feeling so burdened with the fact that she had a brother die. I felt bad and it wasn't my fault! I didn't even know the kid! Going home was almost uneventful until we had a blowout, we got it repaired and were back on the way. I made it back in time to start my shift. I started my shift and stuck it out a while then decided to take a nap, which lasted about 4 hours. I had my paperwork finished up and charges and was ready to head home to sleep at 7 AM!
A few days later and blurring, I get called in around noon for a BLS transport. An 8 year old girl with abdominal pain that needs to go to the Children's Hospital. I have never transported kids before and actually done patient care. I was a little scared, I asked her if she was and she said no, although she wasn't as talkative as the normal 8 year old. During the transport she asked about my sleep patterns, the job, the hours, the normal 8 year old came out. She talked about knowing the hospital was good because it had treated her brother. I just sat there waiting I wasn't going to pry to find out what was going on. She explained to me the sad story of her brother being hit by a garbage truck, she said the truck was supposed to be driven by 2 guys, but the told the driver if he would work faster they would pay him overtime. (I assume this means that one guy was working alone and rushing for pay instead of paying the full crew) She said the driver said he saw the kid but when he went to hit the brakes they just didn't seem to work. He really was sorry she said. It wasn't totally his fault. She said she had to go to court and spend the night with an aunt. I felt so sad for the young girl. I wanted to give her a hug and tell her I was so sorry and cry. I could almost see a tear in her eye. Every once in a while she would sit up on the cot and look out the back of ambulance and make sure her parents were still there. This kid knew things! I could only hope they found a solution to her problem. She had been through CT's and other exams incluing an EGD and they had found nothing. I hope the find something to help her. We dropped her off and I find myself relieved that she is alright and in great care. I found myself not feeling so burdened with the fact that she had a brother die. I felt bad and it wasn't my fault! I didn't even know the kid! Going home was almost uneventful until we had a blowout, we got it repaired and were back on the way. I made it back in time to start my shift. I started my shift and stuck it out a while then decided to take a nap, which lasted about 4 hours. I had my paperwork finished up and charges and was ready to head home to sleep at 7 AM!