So about 2 days ago, my team got a call for a (as dispatch was told) “random seizure”. OK, no big deal. So, the commanding officer and I go through Rescue 1 and head about 3 or 4 blocks from our station. This is only my third call as FC-1 so I wasn’t nervous so to say, but I wasn’t calm either.
It’s important to note that a LOT of things can cause a seizure, like:
-Brain tumors (this is rare)
But anyways, we show up, glove up, get masks (not only because of COVID-19, but because of any other sicknesses our patient could be carrying), and we get out of Rescue 1.
We stepped out of the vehicle, all prepared to find someone in convulsions, preparing ourselves to get BP, and then we both (Commanding Officer and I) smell what is a STRONG scent of alcohol.
So after being kind of thrown back by the smell of alcohol and vomit, (which turned out to be only one thing), we walk up to what was a cleared out garage with 3 people. 1 obviously being our patient, 2 being the patient’s best friend, and 3 being the patient’s uncle.
Commanding officer walks up to person 2 (the best friend) and asks how much he’s been drinking, his age, name, and any underlying medical conditions. Person 2 DENIES THEY WERE DRINKING!
(They were all over 21, no criminal background, no reason to lie).
C.O. (commanding officer) tells person 2 “we could smell the fireball from our engine, just give it up, and tell us so we can help *patient*” Person 2 then somewhat hesitates, but tells us they had AT LEAST
and 2 shots of straight vodka
Our patient drank himself into a seizure, but it’s a little too late for a lecture on alcohol safety.
We take patient’s blood pressure, check for responsiveness, and try to get him upright to get him on the stretcher (at this point the ambulance was there).
As we’re trying to get him on the stretcher, patient starts screaming like we were hurting him, and after he was on the stretcher, calmed down. He wasn’t hurt, only scared.
Anyways, the moral of this story is to tell you to be careful when you’re using alcohol or drugs (legal or not). And if you are doing an illegal drug, if you need paramedics/first responders, DO NOT lie about what it was. We will find it in your system anyways, and it helps us help you if you just tell us.
This goes with things in hospitals too. For example, if you use cocaine and end up needing a surgery for a broken bone, ruptured appendix, or any other surgery, TELL YOUR ANESTHESIOLOGIST
The chances are they WILL NOT report you unless they feel you are a danger to yourself. By telling them you use (in this example) cocaine, you will be telling them you need a higher dose of anesthesia so you don’t wake up during surgery.
