Call of the Quarter

It was a warm day on August 4^th, 2001. Paramedic Danny Smith and Shock Trauma Technician John Ellington were standing in Danny’s backyard getting ready for a fishing trip. But at 11: 26 a.m. the day’s plans were going to change.

          “Rescue 3, Company 11 fire department members, we have a report of a male subject that has fell 150 ft from a tower and amputated his leg, patient is currently conscious and breathing. Patient is going to be located at Dozer Track Lane, at the end of the lane at a work site.” This is the only info that our dispatch could give us. Three minutes after receiving dispatch info Medic 33 with Paramedic Smith, Shock Trauma Doug Grant, EMT Shane Watts and Junior Sommer Rogers responded. Approximately 10 seconds after Rescue 32 marked responding with Shock Trauma John Ellington and EMT Jimmy Smith. Rescue 32 is our Light Duty Crash Rescue, which carries our ropes and stokes basket. Due to the vague information on dispatch we decide to run this vehicle in case of and over the bank extrication. While enroute to the scene the status of Lifeguard 10 was checked in case of an Air Evacuation.

          After arriving on Dozer Track Lane, we then had the task of finding the tower.  The tower was located at the very end of the lane.  The patient was lying behind the tower on four concrete pads behind a transformer and a building.  The tower was a cellular telephone tower, which was under construction.

          Upon arriving at the patient, he was found lying on his back with his right leg amputated at the knee.  Patient had tourniquet applied to leg above injury point by co-workers.  They had also packed the extremity in a water cooler full of ice.  Patient had C-spine controlled and neck collar was place on patient.  The patient was placed on a backboard with leg elevated by pillow.  Also the patient had wet, sterile dressing placed over the leg.

Upon further evaluation, patient was found to have fallen a total distance of 75 feet landing face first.  Also upon primary survey patient was found to have only minor scraps on face and abdomen and the amputation of right lower leg.  Upon placing patient in an ambulance, secondary assessment was done and patient had no obvious facial injuries and chest had good equal rise and fall.  Patient received bilateral IV’s of 14-gauge in right and left AC (antecubital).  While we were enroute to the helicopter, another assessment was made.  The patient had blood pressure in normal parameters and never changed. 

          Upon arrival of Flight Crew from Lifeguard 10 in Medic 33, the crew did a brief, but thorough evaluation before taking patient to the helicopter.  The patient was then removed from Medic 33 and placed in the helicopter for an airlift to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Emergency Department where he was considered a trauma alert.

          Medic 33 then proceeded to Stonewall Jackson Hospital to restock IV equipment and decontaminated the truck.  At 1:30 pm after all the chaos and commotion, the call was finally over and what turned out to be a wonderful warm August day only took one second to turn into an EMS nightmare!

Written by:    John Ellington