Interesting/Unusual Cases

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What have been some of your most interesting or unusual calls? Give as many details as possible and outcome, if known.

I'm interested for my own personal knowledge as well as learning possibilities for many.

Probably the most unusual case I participated in was as an EMT working for a local commercial, mainly transport, ambulance.

We were dispatched to Putnam Hospital for an ALS transport. A 60-ish female had been brought to Putnam Hosp ED after falling down approximately 14 steps. She had a left humerus fracture. Upon work-up at the ED, it was found that the shoulder socket had disintegrated (secondary to advanced osteoporosis) and the head of the humerus had penetrated the left chest wall, fracturing several ribs.

The head of the humerus then broke off the shaft and was literally resting on the diaphragm as evidenced by the CT. Pt also had a hemo/pnuemothorax. No chest tube was placed as ED staff were concerned that such would dislodge blood clots that had formed and cause massive internal bleeding.

WCMC was on diversion (so we were told) and due to heavy thunderstorm activity, she could not be flown. She was transported to Jacobi. We had a general surgeon on board the ambulance with a chest tube kit, just in case.

The pt was conscious and talking throughout the entire transport.

As soon as we got her into Jacobi, they immediately took her into a trauma room and inserted a femoral line. They were astounded at her injuries upon looking at the CD from her CT scan.

One of the doctors said this was a rare type of injury and to survive it was even rarer.

Unfortunately, I never did find out what happened to her.

[ckroll 101]

The call was for a diabetic emergency, see the officer. Leaning against the patrol car, was a 40ish male, wearing a James Dean leather jacket, hair slicked back and John Lennon sunglasses even though it was quite cloudy...very cool looking dude.... except for the blue rubber ducky pajama bottoms and fuzzy slippers. He is agitated, waiting for a film crew, when he spotted the snipers on the top of the nearby building. He is not the crazy one here and he is upset that we don't see the danger. He is diabetic, but it is no surprise that his blood sugar is fine. He wants to know where his film crew is, he is angry we won't help him. He will NOT get in an ambulance and then he pushes the officer.

This is not a moment of which I am at all proud and I am lucky that the details were lost. The words were out of my mouth before I even thought about it. I turned to the fellow and yelled back, 'Of course the film crew isn't here, it's Tuesday.' He asked me what I meant and I said that they filmed at Putnam Hospital on Tuesdays, he could find them there. He said he had no way to get there. The very nice officer offered to take him, the fellow got into the patrol car and off they went.

Weeks later I run into the officer. He was not diabetic, he was not an EDP. There was a film crew that he was waiting for. He had taken so many over the counter stimulants that he had been up for 5 days and had enough in his system to be up for several more. He was sleep deprived.

[shac 7313 0]

we had an 70 y/o male pt very very large man about 400 lbs ??. sliped coming out of his girlfriend's house at 3am.

in the small snow event we had this morning.pt rma at scene but needed an lift assit it took 7 of us to get him up

from the ground. he fell on his knees and could not get up !!!.we used an stairchair to lift him into and then from there

w/ our help .he stood up got in to his very small car and drove away.