Monday, April 17, 2006

Dead

My partner later said she was taller laying down than she would have been standing up. An exaggeration, sure, but you get the point.

The call came in as a fall and not breathing from the police, who passed the call to the medical dispatcher who then updated us as a dead body, no attempts being made at CPR. The police when they arrived, relayed the same information.

I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment as I had my preceptee with me and he hasn't had a code yet.

When we entered the apartment we saw a police officer greeting us and pointing in the direction of the bathroom. There was a naked mountainous blob of flabby flesh crumpled and face down. A motorized lark and oxygen cannula were visible beyond the mound.

"Anyone see it happen?" I asked.

The officer shook her head. "The neighbor came over and found her."

It took two of us to roll her over on to her back. She was dead -- there was no question about that. It was just a matter of how long. She was asystole in all three leads. I touched her jaw and was relieved to feel the beginnings of rigor mortis. Her head was shaped like a giant bowling ball or the top snowball on giant snowman. No neck. Her tongue, which she had bitten, protruded from her mouth. I couldn't imagine getting an ET tube in there even if her jaw were limber. I looked at my preceptee.

We could probably make a stretched case to work her so he could get practice, but we could make a better case -- the right case -- not too. Besides -- it would have been a tough code to work for anyone, much less a new medic.

She had ever medical diagnosis there was -- diabetes to dialysis.

We put a sheet over her and later over the radio, we heard the funeral home was on the way to pick her up.

**

Did two other calls -- a high blood pressure vomiting and a dizzy woman.