Complaining of?
I worked a shift on Tuesday to make up for having last Sunday off. It was interfacility transfers and we were pretty busy, but I got to work with my roommate which was good fun. I think that’s the most time we’ve spent together since I moved here. We have completely opposite schedules.
On Wednesday we were pretty busy and had a few interesting things. We started with a woman who had a TIA (transient ischemic attack = mini stroke). I’ll admit she had me a little worried, but as soon as we got her in the bus, her symptoms began to subside. It was a relief for me, but I’m so glad she called us.
Shortly after we had a lady with nothing wrong with her except for an overly concerned daughter. We did our old standby call and took yet another older lady to the hospital who thought we were all commies.
I would call the seizure in the dentists' office the most entertaining of the day. The patient on the chair had a seizure, the dentist called and we spent 10-15 minutes convincing the patient that he did, in fact, have a seizure and that he should go to the hospital. To illustrate to us the seriousness of the situation, the dentist pointed out to us that he even got the oxygen bottle out, I assume their only emergency equipment. I think this tank was circa 1970, weighed 50 lbs, and has had the same non-rebreather mask hanging off of it for at least 5 years. Once the patient could remember his last name and address, he was a pretty cool guy. For the last half hour of work, I finally got my nap out.
Yesterday I went kayaking. Yes, kayaking, the day before December, in New Hampshire, in a t-shirt. It was hella windy, but a good workout, and perhaps one of the last of the season, but you never know these days.
I started work with another seizure patient who I believe also had a little beer on board, making it impossible to distinguish between postictal behavior and drunkenness.
Then we had a couple of calls that fall into the category of “Grade D BS” or patients with no real complaint. The first was for trouble breathing. We arrived, found the patient sitting in his wheelchair talking up a storm to the fire department. (typically people with trouble breathing do not talk without signs of slowing) My partner began questioning him, and yielded nothing. First I overhead right sided weakness, then back pain, then my partner asked if he could walk outside for us. He was quite willing and jumped right up.
I began to get a little irritated. In the bus, I asked, so you’re having trouble breathing? “Well, not really.” Okay, so what is it? “I have this back pain...” Turns out he had it before, it went away, it’s not unusual, it’s not constant, sinus rhythm on the monitor. I asked which hospital, rolled my eyes at my partner, and started driving.
Around 2am we had a similar patient. The call came out as trouble breathing, we arrived and found a woman with no complaints and no obvious medical problems. She walked to the bus, we buckled her in, and I had to ask: "So, what's going on?" "Well" she explained, "I had a dream that I had shortness of breath, I woke up, and it turned out, I was short of breath." "Um...Okay. Are you still short of breath?" "No, I feel fine." I promptly pulled out all my hair.
We ended the evening/morning with an assault at the police station, and later, an assault at the local college.
On Wednesday we were pretty busy and had a few interesting things. We started with a woman who had a TIA (transient ischemic attack = mini stroke). I’ll admit she had me a little worried, but as soon as we got her in the bus, her symptoms began to subside. It was a relief for me, but I’m so glad she called us.
Shortly after we had a lady with nothing wrong with her except for an overly concerned daughter. We did our old standby call and took yet another older lady to the hospital who thought we were all commies.
I would call the seizure in the dentists' office the most entertaining of the day. The patient on the chair had a seizure, the dentist called and we spent 10-15 minutes convincing the patient that he did, in fact, have a seizure and that he should go to the hospital. To illustrate to us the seriousness of the situation, the dentist pointed out to us that he even got the oxygen bottle out, I assume their only emergency equipment. I think this tank was circa 1970, weighed 50 lbs, and has had the same non-rebreather mask hanging off of it for at least 5 years. Once the patient could remember his last name and address, he was a pretty cool guy. For the last half hour of work, I finally got my nap out.
Yesterday I went kayaking. Yes, kayaking, the day before December, in New Hampshire, in a t-shirt. It was hella windy, but a good workout, and perhaps one of the last of the season, but you never know these days.
I started work with another seizure patient who I believe also had a little beer on board, making it impossible to distinguish between postictal behavior and drunkenness.
Then we had a couple of calls that fall into the category of “Grade D BS” or patients with no real complaint. The first was for trouble breathing. We arrived, found the patient sitting in his wheelchair talking up a storm to the fire department. (typically people with trouble breathing do not talk without signs of slowing) My partner began questioning him, and yielded nothing. First I overhead right sided weakness, then back pain, then my partner asked if he could walk outside for us. He was quite willing and jumped right up.
I began to get a little irritated. In the bus, I asked, so you’re having trouble breathing? “Well, not really.” Okay, so what is it? “I have this back pain...” Turns out he had it before, it went away, it’s not unusual, it’s not constant, sinus rhythm on the monitor. I asked which hospital, rolled my eyes at my partner, and started driving.
Around 2am we had a similar patient. The call came out as trouble breathing, we arrived and found a woman with no complaints and no obvious medical problems. She walked to the bus, we buckled her in, and I had to ask: "So, what's going on?" "Well" she explained, "I had a dream that I had shortness of breath, I woke up, and it turned out, I was short of breath." "Um...Okay. Are you still short of breath?" "No, I feel fine." I promptly pulled out all my hair.
We ended the evening/morning with an assault at the police station, and later, an assault at the local college.
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