A traumatic motor vehicle accident required the teamwork of the sheriff, EMS team, and rescue squad to save both life and limb.
#EMSHeroesHighlights #RuralEMS #FirstResponders #EMSSavesLives
Submitted by: Vanessa Batie – Sisseton, SD
My partner and I were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident that involved major trauma to the head and leg. When we arrived, the patient was alert and talking. The vehicle was crushed and the individual was pinned inside. I was able to crawl in to begin assessing the injuries and providing care.
With the help of my partner, I was able to secure an 18 gauge IV in the AC from the back seat. We had to wait for rescue to cut the patient out of the vehicle. We were able to give fluids, obtain vitals, and keep our patient calm. The Sheriff arrived on scene and helped hold the fluid bag so that my partner could give me the supplies I needed. Once rescue arrived, we were able to work together to manage the injuries and remove the individual from the car.
The patient was taken to the ambulance where we could better treat the wounds and obtain another IV location. We already had flight enroute, so the patient was maybe at the hospital for 10 minutes. EMS is so important, especially in the rural areas where health facilities and EMS agencies are further away. When we were done with this call and cleaned our rig, my partner looked at me and stated, “Had you not been here and did what you did the patient probably would have died.”
This experience was a true example of teamwork. With the help of a Sheriff, my EMS team, and the rescue squad, we made a difference for this patient.
@South Dakota EMS Association @SDAA
