But my patients seem to be.
Today I was sitting in the office, doing some busy work when I hear the 911 line ring. It has a ringer that sounds like sirens… Usually this isn’t a problem. Most calls are not for us. Then, as I go back to my business a Deputy runs past my door. I get the chance to utter out “what the hell” and he just shouts “ROLLOVER”.
I stand up and my pager and radio both shout out tones. “Signal 1 on northbound interstate at other small town exit.”
Crap. Why me? Today I’m on with one of our “volunteers”. They are paid on call EMT-B’s that fill in for us 3 fulltimers. My volunteer today is a former career firefighter, and a damn good EMT. So that comforts my uneasy stomach a bit.
I hurry to the rig, pull it out and wait for my partner. 2 minutes later we are enroute and headed lights and sirens to the scene nearly 15 miles away. I hear some radio chatter, the local FD has arrived, the deputy, HP, and now the tow truck–all beat us there. When we are about a mile out the FD Chief gets on the horn to let us know we can tone it down–which really just means I turned off lights and sirens and continued at the same pace.
Upon arrival I cross the median, and pull in. We see a Chrysler Pacifica on its’ side, having obviously rolled atleast once. I start to grab the trauma pack and First In bag and a FF yells “save your back, you won’t need that”. So, with my cot in tow we walk up to the rescue rig and see our patients. 1 30ish woman and a 5yo girl in her lap. The mother has blood on her body, but no bleeding. FD has her left arm wrapped in gauze, apparently several small lacs there. The litter girl is not crying–nor does she appear to have been crying… AT ALL. She has a smile on her face. I poke, prod, and try to assess her and there is apparently not a thing wrong with her. Mom is a bit shook up, but complains of no pain other than the obvious source of the blood on her clothes. She denies head injury, neck pain, responds great, etc.
Apparently she and little girl were up walking when rescue got there. Still, I attempt to persuade my somehow intact patients to get on backboards. Mom refuses. She actually states little girl needs no care from us–we end up PRSing the 5 yo and I’m barely able to convince mom she should take a ride with us to the ED.
So, we take a little trip. Vitals good. Nothing else found in assessment. Drop her off, still in disbelief at how they managed to walk away from this–a 75+ mph rollover that missed two other vehicles by about 2 feet–and they have one injury to complain of between them, and mom didn’t want to even go to the ED.
So, about 1.5 hrs later I’m back to itty bitty ED with a Chest Pain and low and behold Mommy and little girl have been discharged.
Are you serious? Not a single problem? She didn’t even get stitches.
