A Medical Experience

A Medical Experience

It was the end of a normal day at the station. The medics are just getting to bed after running a half a dozen calls for an assorted minor medical and trauma problems. The paperwork was finished. The reports were entered into the computer. The truck was even restocked. They were just about into dreamland but, as with most nights at this particular station, sleep was not to be. Several miles away, in a small, well kept apartment, Angie Briggs, a eighty-year-old woman awoke to the feeling that the life-giving air was being denied to her. She tried to sit up, but the feeling would not subside. Walking made it worse. She also noticed that, even though the temperature in her room was comfortable, she was dripping with sweat. The longer that she waited, the harder it became to breath. So, realizing the fact that her doctor was probably asleep, she did the next logical step, she called her daughter, who lives in another state. The daughter realized that her mother needed more help than she could give over the phone, tried to persuade the mother to call an ambulance, which, of course, the mother refused to do, stating that it wasn't necessary.

The daughter then took it upon herself to call EMS from her own house.

The medics were notified of the problem through the usual method, a series of tones over a radio that cause a loud horn to blare and all the station lights to come on, much to the annoyance of the fire lieutenant. This alarm was immediately followed by the dispatchers voice giving all the applicable information on this call.

"Med unit 2, respiratory call, 103 Royal Terrace Boulevard, apartment 7, in reference to a 80 year old woman with shortness of breath."

Not that the EMS crew were listening at this point. They are busy getting into their jumpsuits and putting their boots on. It does not matter if they are eating, sleeping, watching TV, or even taking a shower, they are required to be in the ambulance and en route to the scene within two minutes.

"Med Two's en route." Stated EMT Jennifer Meyers in a sleepy voice

" Copy med 2 is en route to 103 Royal Terrace Blvd., apartment 7." Now they are listening. "This is in reference to a 80 year-old female who is in severe respiratory distress. Received the call from her daughter that is out of state. Patient sounds very short of breath."

"Copy"

"I'm pretty sure that it is in the first entrance into the apartment