We hear this a lot. The default Chief Complaint for the ones called in by that citizen who just flew passed someone (or what looks like someone, that may or may not turn out to be a garbage bag or lump of wet blankets) while driving by. BUT! Not concerning enough to actually STOP THEIR CAR. So begins the story of our Marathon Running Smoker.
I picked up another shift with the Lone Ranger. Night shift. My favorite time to work.
Staged for our next...while we zone out to the grumble of the diesel engine. Lone Ranger sits, antsy in the passenger seat. Like Captain Gauze Roll, he sits bolt upright, waiting..."We should have already got this by now! Wonder what's taking them SO long.". *SHRUG*, "True...it was just called in as a Man down." (This type of call is the usual for folks who call 9-1-1 with no real info other than someone laying on the ground...more often than not- sleeping or heavily intoxicated.)
He's right. This crew we are waiting on usually calls before they even leave the station. We check to make sure the call is open. Sure enough, stale. No ALS (Advanced Life Support) en route or on scene. No Police. *SIGH*....I'm hungry but as everyone in this field knows, NOW is NOT the time to attempt getting anything...and at this time of night, not too many options. *ROLLING EYES* "I shoulda packed a lunch :-/ "
The Voice in the Sky is swamped tonight. Lucky to hear a few seconds of silence to let the blood running from my ears clot, from listening to tonight's screeching. This Voice in the Sky is not a field favorite. Another call goes out...another crew clearing- AGAIN...not heard like usual.
We drive another loop around the call. As we creep down the street, the flashing from 4 blocks away bounces off our dash. "GAWD!! What's going on down there?!" Lone Ranger blurts out; face pressed against the window like doing so is helping him figure it out. "Wanna do a drive by? Maybe they need some extra hands." Just an idea, I think. "Maybe this way at least we can figure out if we are gonna be needed. Then we could go get ready for the HUGE MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident) south of us on the Highway!"
*CHUCKLING* "Yeaaaah, no thanks! This one could be interesting." Lone Ranger says, garbled again from his window to face contact. I'm half tempted to roll the window down right now. I laugh thinking about the facial expressions from folks on the street watching his face smearing down the glass on the other side. Too bad it's 2am and there is no one around...my efforts would be wasted. *SIGH* I slouch back in my seat; trying to get comfortable...An impossible task being over 5'2" in the cab of an ambulance.
"Let's go you guys. You got it. They'll be out in front." Screeches the Voice in the Sky. "Finally!!", slamming his seat back and buckling up.
Lone Ranger fumbles to get the Mic out of the cradle in his excitement for the call, *GIVING UP AND YELLING* "OKAY!! SHOW US RESPONDING!!!"....I'm already on-scene, LOL! One of the guys is walking up to us. I haven't quite yet figured out how to interpret the look on his face... "Show us arriving."
Getting out of the rig, I notice a window open, on the 3rd floor. Positioned next to it, about 5' away is a fire escape with a door (also open), but the last 3/4's of the fire escape look like they've been removed. Further up the building- they ALL look like that. The bottom rung of the ones left drops down about 4' below the window-sill. "Well that's pretty useless." *POINTING UPWARDS* Lone Ranger shifts his glance up...you can see him thinking the same thing. We grab our gurney and meet eyes having noticed the same thing about the open window...that just so happens to be directly above where our "Man Down" is laying on the sidewalk.
"Soooo, uuhm. We can't get a response from her for sensation. She's not talkin', but her eyes are open. Maybe you guys can give it a try *ARM OUTSTRETCHED, HOLDING OUT TRAUMA SHEARS*". I look at his partner, crouched down next to the pt. "What happened??" Lone Ranger asks as we both see the large pool of blood surrounding her. *SNATCHING SHEARS*. I leave the stretcher and run over...Lone Ranger moving my way with a purpose as well, while more of the original call unfolds.
"It came in as a man down. Someone said they found them passed out on the sidewalk...think she might be drunk." Are you kidding me?! "I need you to tell me if you can feel this...can you feel me touching your foot?? *SCRAPING SOLE OF FOOT REPEATEDLY WITH TIP OF SHEARS*. Nothing. No reflex. No words. She isn't talking. "So, did anyone see her fall?...From that window??" *ALL LOOKING UP*..."From there?! She was found down...she didn't fall. Why, what you guys thinking??" Firefighter "Sheers" pipes back...
Now, 1+1= 2. Soooo...only open window directly above patient with massive head wound...dressed in what looks like pajamas...at 2 o'clock in the morning... (I mean, I know I went to public school but)
"I'm thinkin' ALS...like 10 minutes ago!! Lone, go grab me some gauze. (Lone Ranger Bolts to the rig) Can you guys call for ALS or do you want us to call our Voice in the Sky?" Lone comes with everything but the kitchen sink. "Stop that bleeding." Heard from a few feet away, "Yea, can we get 1- ALS to our location?"
"OK, can you blink for me??" *SLUGGISH HALF BLINK* "Good, one more time?" *REPEAT SLUGGISH BLINK* "Great. 1- Blink for YES and 2- Blinks for NO...Can you do that??" *ONE BLINK* "Did you live in this building?" *ONE BLINK* "On the 3rd floor?!" *ONE BLINK*... I look up at the guys on-scene before us..."Which one we got comin' & from where?". "Uh, from *Insert Local ER Here*, right down the hill."
I take over gauze duty while Lone Ranger runs back to grab the Backboard he couldn't carry with everything else last time. As he jogs back, it's pretty easy to see the "Oh Sh*t" look on his face. I think this is his first REAL trauma, being that he is within his first 6 months. He takes hold of the quickly soaking though mound of dressings in place on the back, left of her head.
"Do you hurt anywhere? Can you feel anything in your feet?" *TWO BLINKS* "...what about your arms?"
*TWO BLINKS*... You can hear siren's approaching in the distance. Sounds like they are a few blocks away. Perfect! More hands for back boarding.
Lone checks her pupils for a second time..."non-reactive, and they look blown bilaterally.". Awesome *INSERT SARCASM HERE*
TO BE CONTINUED......
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