The very first job we went to yesterday was a cardiac arrest.

It came down as Red 2, “fainting” with a post scriptum stating “patient making gurgling sounds”.  That was enough to set off some warning bells at least.

So, we quickly arrived, and along with an FRU, another ambulance crew and a [tippy title=”PRU” URL=””] Physician Response Unit.  We have this in East London where an advanced A&E Doctor goes out with an advanced paramenace in one of the HEMS cars.  They are there as a sort of “nomad GP” if you like.  But with lots of other skills and toys to bring to the ‘party’.  Amongst them is the “auto-pulse” which is an automatic CPR machine.  So, having these guys turn up at a cardiac arrest can significantly improve outcomes. [/tippy], we spent the next hour dragging an old gentleman back from the proverbial “light”.  Continue reading →

The classic attack from an ambulance crew to a woman in normal labour (sometimes out of ear shot, sometimes not) is to gripe that they’ve had nine months to plan for this event – so why are they calling for an ambulance now!  The most common retort from the patient is to say that the midwives told them to call for one when their contractions get to a certain duration.

Now, this could be true in some instances but I don’t believe it in most.  For when we enter the maternity department of a hospital with our patient in tow – sometimes walking, sometimes in a chair or sometimes on a trolley bed.  Sometimes even, in the throws of spitting out a new born baby from between their legs . . . Continue reading →

If someone is to survive a cardiac arrest then certain interventions need to happen as quickly as possible.  The two main procedures in this instance are early CPR and defibrillation.  Of course, actually being able to get to your patient in the first place is probably just as important . . .

We were just helping our patient move across to the hospital bed at the [tippy title=”London Chest” URL=””] The London Chest Hospital is a Cath Lab.  A specific hospital specialising in cardiology.  Some hospitals have Cath Labs attached to them.  Either way, if our patients are confirmed having a heart attack or we are able to get them back from a cardiac arrest and they are still presenting with a heart attack then this is where we take them.  Even if we have to pass several hospitals en route to get there this is where we go – as this is where their best chances of survival lie. [/tippy].  He was fully alert and had been talking with us all the way to hospital.  As he hopped across, his face winced and he clutched at his ribs.

“Oh-oh-ouch!  My chest really hurts” Continue reading →

We were sat in the ambulance on the edge of the main road.  I’d just pressed the green button on our MDT which meant we were now available for our next job.  It was then that I noticed something happening further up ahead.

I didn’t catch on to what it was at first.  It was as if I was in a day dream, blissfully unaware of the events unfurling in front of me.  I seemed to stare but just not register.  My brain didn’t take on the fact that a large group of passer-bys were closing slowly in round one man – all pointing, staring and smiling at him.  And as I sat watching this one man, my eyes glazed phlegmatically over, my brain just failed to click into gear that he was stood in the middle of the road.  Dancing.  Wildly.  Wearing a grey three piece suit from his waste up.  Naked from his waste down. Continue reading →