Patient Update
"Rescue 112, what is your 10-20?"
"Rescue 112. Two minutes out."
"Rescue 112. Confirmed. Rescue 155 and 152 on scene. Proceed to white truck, South Sheridan Road, up on curb. Two victims, male and female. Male unconscious. Additional transport en route. Police on scene."
"Confirmed. Rescue 112 out."
"Rescue 112 on scene," reported EMT Stanley into his radio to the Emergency Medical Dispatcher.
"10-4, confirmed. Rescue 112 on scene MVA, intersection of South Sheridan Road and Shawnee Boulevard. Time 11:05. Rescue 121, what is your ETA to the scene?" responds the Emergency Medical Dispatcher.
"Rescue 121 ETA en route; 4 minutes out" came the reply, but it was too late for Stanley and his partner EMT Raybuck to hear, because they were already out of the ambulance. Stanley grabbed the backboard and binders, Raybuck grabbed the emergency kit, and they ran toward the white one-ton truck that had obviously run into a wooden power pole. They scanned the scene. Firefighters and police were on hand, keeping bystanders away. No power lines were down, but they'd heard Dispatch say that city workers were en route to secure the power pole, which was leaning slightly at an angle. Rescue Units 155 and 152 were attending to the victims of the second vehicle involved in the crash, which was on the other side of the intersection.
A police officer joined Stanley and Raybuck as they ran to assist the injured individuals. She updated them on the situation. "Two victims here. Male, unconscious, nonresponsive, and still in the vehicle. Didn't want to move him till you got here. Looks like multiple fractures. Bleeding from the face. Female outside of vehicle, apparently the passenger. Officer with her. Witnesses say she got out of the truck by herself and then passed out. She's alert now. Pregnant. Maybe her water broke. Bleeding from her leg. We've got three victims in the car on the other side of the intersection. We've got EMT and officers there, waiting for the next bus to arrive for transport."
"Raybuck, check the female," directed Stanley as he headed for the truck, where another police officer was attending.
As Stanley and the police officer approached the male victim, the officer said, "Unresponsive. Probably out for at least 10 minutes now. Wife says his name is Gil, Gil Loeppky."* While he listened to the officer, Stanley began trauma assessment, starting with the ABCs. He moved on to neuro, speaking aloud as he did so, "pupils sluggish but reactive" he noted and then continued the assessment. "Raybuck, status report," he called.
"Alert. Oriented. Deep laceration; bleeding controlled. Possible fracture to hand. May be going into labor.
I've called for transport to General," Raybuck replied.
"I need you here, then," said Stanley. "Bring the board. Get the stretcher, STAT. Officer, give us a hand. Let's get a collar on him first, then get him ...