Sudden death MI
This happened when I was a Medic intern.
We get toned-out for a chest pain early on a weekend morning. Just by the time of day, it is statistically likely it will be the real thing. In the bizarre Murphy's Law of EMS, the condo is several flights up, stairs only. This also greatly increases the risk of the patient being very ill. Sure enough, my precepter and I get to the top, go all the way back in the bedroom (more bad signs), and there's this really grey man lying there. His BP is 60 and his HR is 40. We're batting 1000.
I start an IV immediately, and my precepter does a 12-lead EKG. We see what we expect-an AMI. I immediately call Med Control for Dopamine orders, which they immediately deny. F-ers.
We proceed to load the guy up on a Reeves' stretcher for ease of transport down all those stairs. I had everyone carry him down head first to try and boost his BP. It worked-he got up to a whopping 80 by the time we made it to the ER.
We hauled ass, not being able to do a whole lot besides ASA and O2. I held the man's hand all the way to the ER. It started out as keeping his arm straight for the IV to run in (I started an AC), but it ended up being emotional support. He was visibly scared. In the end, I was quite glad I did, because he was dead an hour later.
Turns out, this guy was a close friend of my Sgt.'s (who was on the call). Also turns out, he waited most of the night to call us, because he didn't want to leave his wife home alone-she was suffering from CA. Oh, the irony.
We get toned-out for a chest pain early on a weekend morning. Just by the time of day, it is statistically likely it will be the real thing. In the bizarre Murphy's Law of EMS, the condo is several flights up, stairs only. This also greatly increases the risk of the patient being very ill. Sure enough, my precepter and I get to the top, go all the way back in the bedroom (more bad signs), and there's this really grey man lying there. His BP is 60 and his HR is 40. We're batting 1000.
I start an IV immediately, and my precepter does a 12-lead EKG. We see what we expect-an AMI. I immediately call Med Control for Dopamine orders, which they immediately deny. F-ers.
We proceed to load the guy up on a Reeves' stretcher for ease of transport down all those stairs. I had everyone carry him down head first to try and boost his BP. It worked-he got up to a whopping 80 by the time we made it to the ER.
We hauled ass, not being able to do a whole lot besides ASA and O2. I held the man's hand all the way to the ER. It started out as keeping his arm straight for the IV to run in (I started an AC), but it ended up being emotional support. He was visibly scared. In the end, I was quite glad I did, because he was dead an hour later.
Turns out, this guy was a close friend of my Sgt.'s (who was on the call). Also turns out, he waited most of the night to call us, because he didn't want to leave his wife home alone-she was suffering from CA. Oh, the irony.
posted by S. @ 12:10 PM
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