I accepted a DF trip some time at 5pm thinking of calling it a day. The account holder (the mum) called and told me to reverse my car into the garage since her daughter could not walk. Sure, at first I thought she was handicapped but turned out....
Seeing her daughter (let's call her Sarah) getting dragged due to the inability to even limp, I said 'sorry I think you may need an ambulance'. She then looked at Sarah and said 'Mum is with you OK? The clinic is just 2 miles away'. God this woman was not listening....
Sarah gave no response. Not only was her forehead burning hot, there was also erthyoderma (sunburn-like rash). When her mum confirmed the use of tampons, the first illness that came to my mind was Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), which is a rare medical emergency associated with the use of tampons.
I wish million times that I was wrong. I told her to call 911 immediately. While waiting for the ambulance, Sarah's pulses were merely detectable so I asked whether there was a sphygmomanometer. Fortunately there is at least an electronic version in the house for her hypertensive husband. With the critically low 84 mmHg systolic pressure, I was 90% confident with my educated guess.
By the time I decided to help removing the tampon, her mum screamed and almost collapsed. A quick check did not reveal any pulse or heart beat. @@@@ It was a matter of dead or alive leaving me no choice but to perform CPR. The hard work paid off after 2 cycles (1 cycle = 100 compressions with 2-3 ventilations for every 30 compressions per min). This is what I learnt from the MBBS programme and likely this is what US doctors do too.
THANK GOD!! Whether it is a miracle or not, thanks Hippocrates (father of modern medicine) for lending me your wisdom and strength!
When I was working on the removal of the tampon, the EMS took over and initiated IV infusion. Wooo completely relieved.
The mum handed me every banknote in her wallet but I respectfully declined. Saving a life means a lot more than $. The thought of going back to study medicine and complete the training remained in my brain the entire day. Yes, I know I am too old to become a student again. Stupid me quitting the MBBS programme which I worked so hard for during my teenage because of something that is beyond my control.
In case some of you wonder why I use the name 'Sarah'. Sarah is always the imaginary female patient in case study files used by the university that I attended (Chris for male patient).
Seeing her daughter (let's call her Sarah) getting dragged due to the inability to even limp, I said 'sorry I think you may need an ambulance'. She then looked at Sarah and said 'Mum is with you OK? The clinic is just 2 miles away'. God this woman was not listening....
Sarah gave no response. Not only was her forehead burning hot, there was also erthyoderma (sunburn-like rash). When her mum confirmed the use of tampons, the first illness that came to my mind was Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), which is a rare medical emergency associated with the use of tampons.
I wish million times that I was wrong. I told her to call 911 immediately. While waiting for the ambulance, Sarah's pulses were merely detectable so I asked whether there was a sphygmomanometer. Fortunately there is at least an electronic version in the house for her hypertensive husband. With the critically low 84 mmHg systolic pressure, I was 90% confident with my educated guess.
By the time I decided to help removing the tampon, her mum screamed and almost collapsed. A quick check did not reveal any pulse or heart beat. @@@@ It was a matter of dead or alive leaving me no choice but to perform CPR. The hard work paid off after 2 cycles (1 cycle = 100 compressions with 2-3 ventilations for every 30 compressions per min). This is what I learnt from the MBBS programme and likely this is what US doctors do too.
THANK GOD!! Whether it is a miracle or not, thanks Hippocrates (father of modern medicine) for lending me your wisdom and strength!
When I was working on the removal of the tampon, the EMS took over and initiated IV infusion. Wooo completely relieved.
The mum handed me every banknote in her wallet but I respectfully declined. Saving a life means a lot more than $. The thought of going back to study medicine and complete the training remained in my brain the entire day. Yes, I know I am too old to become a student again. Stupid me quitting the MBBS programme which I worked so hard for during my teenage because of something that is beyond my control.
In case some of you wonder why I use the name 'Sarah'. Sarah is always the imaginary female patient in case study files used by the university that I attended (Chris for male patient).