41 YOM - Traumatic Arrest - Obvious Death or Begin Resuscitation?

[jjesusfreak01]

Originally Posted by Veneficus

I have seen 1 patient salvaged with a 12g slug through the left ventrical.

The instructions from med command included: "put your finger in the hole and get here asap" (the squad was about a minute down the street from the level 1)

Upon arrival a left thoracotomy with extension was performed in the ED. With the trauma surgeon (the same one who I saw stop a carotid artery wound bleed with a foley catheter) sewing a heart flap around my finger while infusing 4 units of O negative prior to going to the OR.

You now see the problem with cookbook medicine.

I would buy the doc a beer for letting me be present for that level of badassness.

[emtpjwc]

Where I'm at in Texas we would of worked the pt for 20 mins and if no changes on the monitor we terminate efforts. And treat as a crime scene to the cops get there.

[Supertampon5]

Dude im bls in brooklyn. You know how they are here, might as well cover your ass and txp or risk getting restricted.

[medicjosh]

Originally Posted by NYMedic828

In NYC C-spine is a requirement for any penetrating trauma to the thorax. Its really annoying to be honest.

I wanted to get on the horn to pronounce but my partner said it didn't qualify for obvious death... I thought it was pretty obvious lol.

as a fellow city medic, i'm going to have to disagree. just reviewed the BLS protocol for chest trauma and c-spine. neither indicate that you must immobilize c-spine in penetrating chest trauma.

[Fox800]

We would not have resuscitated this patient. He would have been pronounced on scene.