OJ

Baby unresponsive, short of breath. Section of town where we often get BS. I'm thinking if the baby is unresponsive I will do my patented baby pinch, the baby will cry and all will be right with the world. The cops tell us to keep coming code 3. When I walk up the stairs I hear the cop mention something about a heart operation. The two month old is in her big mother's arms and is attached to a heart monitor and a feeding tube. They have my attention. The baby is in severe respiratory distress, but it is at least alert. My partner takes the baby from the mother just as the phone rings. It is the baby's cardiologist. I hear her telling him what happened and asking if the baby should go to the hospital. We clock the baby's resps at 88 with nasal flaring and deep retractions. The mother who seems amazingly calm is chatting away with the doctor. I ask for the phone. I introduce myself to the doctor and say the baby needs to go now. And I do what I used to call an OJ Simpson before OJ got known for other things. I grab the baby and run for the hospital before it tires completely out. The baby's heart rate is over 200. It's SAT is 80, but with oxygen I get it up to 90. The mother tells me the baby has pulmonary atresiaand ventricular septal defect. At the hospital they bring in the requisite number of physicians to fuss over the baby, who no doubt has a long hard road ahead of it.

Only other call was for an Alzheimer's patient with nausea.

My relief came in a few minutes early just when a call came in for an unresponsive found by neighbor. He took the main ambulance and I followed in the second ambulance in case it was a code. It was a presumption so I headed back and am out of here.

No shifts till Friday unless I pick some up, which I no doubt will.