We see dead people...
A fellow paramedic was called to a non-urgent case at a GPs rooms to transfer a “sick person” to hospital. When he got there he found the unattended patient was in cardiac arrest. Colleague naturally starts the whole adrenaline, CPR, defibrillation routine and is admonished by the doctor (referred to by us as “Dr Death”) who says that the patient has terminal cancer and should not be resuscitated. Colleague refuses to stop until a current DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order is produced. Dr Death hasn’t got one and proceeds to argue with my colleague (now, there was no need for that.)
A second doctor walks in, looks at the patient and says “Oh this is Mr XYZ – the guy whose cancer went into remission last year”.
Dr Death is embarrassed and starts arguing with the second doctor (now, there was no need for that.)

Patient eventually responds to treatment and is transported to hospital (urgently, but no sirens) fully regaining consciousness on the way there. He is unaware that he arrested and thinks that he just “passed out” at Dr Deaths’ – my colleague decides not to tempt fate and doesn’t tell him what actually happened (anxiety after a cardiac arrest is not a good thing…)
Patient asks what the time is and when told is confused by the time lapse and says “What took the ambulance so long to get to the doctors?” (now, there was no need for that.) Colleague replies rather tongue in cheek that any time delay was due to a cardiac arrest he had just been to – still not telling the patient it was actually him that arrested.
On arrival at hospital the patient is told what actually happened and says “Well, I’m just lucky that I was at the doctors then – he saved my life” (now, there was no need for that.)
Dr Death then phones the hospital to see how the patient is doing and the patient speaks to him on the phone and is heard thanking him for saving his life – it’s clear that Dr Death says nothing to the patient that’s lets him know it was the paramedic who saved him (now, there was no need for that.)


Here is the punchline: About a week later, my colleague and his partner are invited to see the Assistant Commissioner regarding this case – they are expecting a big pat on the back for doing such a good job. No such luck – a complaint was received from the patient regarding the “rough ride in the ambulance on the way to hospital” and he wants an apology from the crew – now, there was no need for that so he didn’t get one.


This is the kind of shit that causes most stress in this job – not the traumatic stuff you would expect.
(emadex thinks the world will end on, Thu 16 Jun 2005, 14:20, Reply)