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I can't help myself. DD saved a life tonight on her shift & I must shamelessly brag!


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Sorry, I know I have a tendency to yammer on about dd but I just had to share because none of my IRL friends are home. They are all out seeing "Tangled" with their kids.

 

DD's last call of her shift today was for a woman in anaphalactic shock. She had already used TWO epipens and was still about to arrest. Since dd has been running calls now as a student for several shifts with great success, though this was hugely life threatening, the medic allowed her to run the call. When dd got to her, she was in "tripod" position which is a defense position that a person goes into when they can't move air or feel like they've had the wind knocked out of them. She was not moving ANY air in either of her upper lobes and only a tiny bit in her lower lobes. Her veins were very, very tiny, recessed, and apparently she's had a lot of health problems because she's pretty scarred up from blood sticks so that didnt help anything. DD ordered an albuteral (sp) treatment to be administered by the EMT while she tried for an IV. Realizing that getting an IV site was going to take time, she order two more shots of the appropriate does of epi, I think she gave it sub-cu but I'm not sure, benadryl intra-muscularly, and then announced they needed to scoop and run (the phrase that means, forget treatment on the scene if we don't get to the hospital ASAP the patient isn't going to make it). She ordered her bagged in route because her O-Sats were only 61% and falling.

 

The patient never lost consciousness but couldn't speak. DD made the radio report to the hospital and then directly to the attending and RN at the ER...this is BIG because normally, students don't give reports until they begin their externship at the end of their training. The team received immediate commendations from the doc and the nurse. After they'd signed the necessary releases or whatever they do when they hand over a patient and sign off that they are no longer responsible for treatment, they headed back to the rig to pack up and go back to the station as their shift was now over. The attending and the RN came out to the rig and walked up to the medic to again commend him for saving the woman's life and running the "perfect" call. The medic looked at the doctor and said, "I won't take any credit for this. My student ran the call and she is turning out to be one talented young lady." The doctor and nurse both asked to shake dd's hand and the doc told her that she did everything exactly right, the right drugs, the right order, the right call on not wasting time to start the iv before beginning transport, bagging, not forgetting details when calling in the report in route or face to face, etc.

 

They packed up and went back to base and as they began unloading, she heard this over the intercome, "Alpha 3 medic student please report to the office." DD said she just about stopped breathing right there. Normally, this means you've messed up big time and are about to be disciplined or that your patient died and you better get your reports filed pronto because the death is suspicious and the police basically want instant access to them, happens a lot if there is any sign at all of foul play. Quaking in her boots, she trudged to the office and there was a standing ovation in the room. The medical director told her that he called EVERYBODY in the building into the call room when they heard her voice over the radio. He just could not believe that this report was being given by a student. There was a whole round of hugs, hand shakes, slaps on the backs, and BIG GRINS! She was also commended because she arrived early today and was there before her teammates. When they arrived, at the usual time, the rig was already loaded and ready to go. The medic just had to go through the check-list and sign off. They were at their staging base before their shift was even due to start.

 

On her way to the car, the medic she rode with ran out to the parking lot and asked her who her instructor was. She told him and while she was scrapping the windshield and letting the car warm up, he called her instructor at his home and bragged her up and down.

 

I can't tell you how big my chest is! Her daddy is all teary eyed up and puffed up. I just keep thinking, "Wow. What a privilege! What aprivilege to be her mother and to have had the opportunity to homeschool her!"

 

Thanks for listening.

Faith

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Oh! Wow! Standing ovation from this mom, too!!!

 

I rarely post... But reading about your daughter's experience made me cry.

 

We spent New Year's Eve in the ER with our son. Anaphylaxis is terrifying. It was my first time giving an epi - and thank goodness that helped until the ambulance arrived. Just reading about your daughter made me so grateful - again - for everyone who helped us. We do so much to keep our kiddo safe - and this time never found the source of the allergen. It hit home how vulnerable we are, even in our safe zone. We truly depend on our emergency care helpers.

 

Please thank your daughter on our behalf. Please tell her how grateful we are for what she does!

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