Triage

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It's a rescue drill night and I am at the firehouse. I had gotten out of EMT class early, and decided to go hang out at the firehouse until rescue drills started. I sit down in front of the TV and just as I go to turn it on the call comes in. Abdominal pain.

I walk over to the ambulance bay and I hear my Captain swear under his breath. Apparently it was a busy day for our district. We drive faster then normal because the call location was farther then normal. With the lights and sirens on, I watch as cars on the highway dive out of our way.

The beach has been closed for hours. Our patient is found kneeling over a toilet in the first-aid room. She has been drinking. She is experiencing extreme abdominal pain. It's a routine call but she's in an incredible amount of pain, and we can't do anything about it. The EMT in charge asks her to rate her pain on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst pain she's ever felt. Our patient rates it as a 12. We ask her to describe the pain. Our patient says that she's never given birth, but that she imagines giving birth would be easier then this. We load her onto the stretcher and give her oxygen. We try to offer her reassurance. It's all we can do as basics.

The ride to the hospital is excruciating. Every bump causes severe pain. We tell the driver to take it easy. We go slower.

The EMT in charge radios into the hospital. The hospital, apparently, has had a busy day too. I hear the nurse on the other end tell the EMT in charge to go to triage. I feel immediate compassion for our patient. I look at her and wonder what she was doing at the beach so late, why she was there alone, and if there was anyone I could call for her?

We get to the ER and transfer our patient to a wheelchair. I get her a bucket in case she needs to be sick again. The EMT in charge delivers her oral report to the triage nurse. I always feel badly when I leave my patients alone in the hospital, but even more so when I leave them in triage knowing that they will probably have to wait hours before a nurse even takes their vitals again.

I place a hand on her shoulder and tell her to feel better. It's all I can do.