For the EMTs/Paras/ER Docs...

newbaku · Jun 14, 2013

17 year old young man, takes a nasty trip and hits the sidewalk, head first, knocking himself unconscious. He sustains a pretty nasty lac on the forehead, abrasions on face, probably breaks teeth or teeth through the lip, lac on chin.

It's damp and chilly, nighttime, and he's unconscious about 20 minutes before someone finds him. He's semi-conscious, but disoriented when they get to him, slurred speech, not immediately answering questions, shivering hard, teeth chattering.

Paramedics immediately put him on a backboard and in a neckbrace, yes? What will happen in the bus? What info will they relay to the hospital? What will be the tx protocol when they get him into the hospital?

So, so, so appreciate any and all help from you experts!

asroc · Jun 15, 2013

Check vitals, rapid physical assessment plus mental status, backboard and c-collar, give oxygen, start IV, pressure dressing on laceration, correct abnormal vitals if any, keep monitoring and assessing patient, particularly for signs of skull fractures and/or brain injury (if he was out for 20 minutes he probably has one).

A call ahead to the hospital generally includes:

- unit call sign
- sex and (approximate) age of patient
- chief complaint
- level of consciousness if appropriate
- anything else noteworthy, if any
- ETA

For example: "Paramedic Two en route with a seventeen year old male patient, head trauma after a fall, conscious but disoriented, see you in five."

If you need some specifics, feel free to ask. (I'm a paramedic.)

Incidentally, is your story set in the NYC area?

Lpapercranes · Jun 15, 2013

They would check him for ID. That can provide important info to the ER. If he's entered into the hospital system, they can look up his name and find out drug allergies, pre-existing conditions, etc.
(Ditto looking for medical ID bracelet)

For the EMTs/Paras/ER Docs...

newbaku

And then what happened?

asroc

Alex

Lpapercranes