EMT Chronicles: Scariest Moments

EMT Chronicles: Scariest Moments

Episode 1: Featuring Bridget (BG)

Being a paramedic has been a roller coaster of emotions. I have had highs and I have had my lows countless times.

My scariest moment?

That must be the transfer of an oxygen-dependent 3-year-old boy with cerebral malaria and cerebral abscess. I was dispatched to pick up from a hospital, take to a diagnostic center and then the move to another hospital.

Note: The only information we had about this child was that he had cerebral malaria with seizures which were under control and on room air.

On pickup, we discovered the child was oxygen dependent (Oxygen saturation of 75%) but I wasn’t worried! I had 2 full tanks of oxygen and 1 portable tank.

The first leg of the journey that was to last about 30 minutes ended up being about 90 minutes due to traffic and commuters not making way (story for another day).

We eventually got to the diagnostic center and had to wait for about 45 minutes before the child was taken in. I used my portable tank at this point and the investigation took about an hour. From registration to positioning to wheeling out and all. 

We finally got back into the ambulance and were ready to move to the drop off hospital which was about 30-35 minutes.

On getting back into the ambulance, we had exhausted 1 full tank, the portable tank and used about ¼ of the 2nd tank. 

It is just a 25-minute trip, I thought to myself.

Hahahahaha! Boy was I wrong!!!!

I connected the second tank and informed the dispatch that we were leaving and I had about 75% of oxygen left. We agreed that it should be enough but a backup tank was being prepared to meet us along the way if need be.

Now, the journey begins!

3km after starting, boom! Traffic!!!!

Immediately, I tell the Pilot to use the siren and try to navigate. I wasn’t about to spend another 90 minutes on a 25-minute trip.

15 minutes in, it felt like we were still on the same spot.

Me: Pilot, what is happening

Pilot: They are not moving o

Me: Use the PA system to appeal

Pilot: Ok…goes on the PA and appeals.

No movement.

Pilot: Starts shouting. Some cars start moving.

Now we are 55 minutes in and I look at my oxygen tank gauge and I am at 40%.

I radio my dispatch to send the extra tank right away.

With the siren blazing, lights flashing, we moved as fast as we could with pockets of traffic here and there.

5 minutes to our ETA, the saturation of my patient had dropped to 94% and my tank was now at 15%.

Where is my extra tank??? I screamed.

Do I start bagging if this tank gets exhausted? Do I stop at any hospital on the way and hijack their oxygen tank? 

Different scenarios played in my head.

Before I could act on any, we had arrived at the parking lot of the hospital and my extra tank was waiting for me.

Patient’s SpO2 was on 93% already and we connected the new tank and got the SpO2 back to 98-99%.

Oh, it doesn’t end there! We ended up waiting for about 40 minutes before the patient was taken from us. The patient was on that extra tank of oxygen!

We did our handover, returned to base and I submitted my report.

I prayed not to have any other transfer that day as I was emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted.

While this was scary, this was one of my high moments in the field. The adrenaline rush, the thinking out of the box, emotions and all…I remembered! This is why I love this job!

Bridget Erete (BG) is an EMT-Paramedic and currently serves as the Deputy Chief, Paramedics at Citron Health