- 4 days ago
999 On the Front Line S13E01 (13th July 2025)
Category
🦄
CreativityTranscript
00:01Ambulance service is the patient breathing.
00:04We are very short of breath.
00:07I've already got heart trouble.
00:10He's fallen over and smacked his head quite hard.
00:14It's my wife. She's on the floor.
00:17The blood pressure is the lowest it's ever, ever been.
00:20Well, you know what I say? We'll see you when we get there.
00:25We're on board with the paramedics of West Midlands Ambulance Service.
00:29It can make a massive difference to someone's life.
00:32I think there's just something not right with your heart.
00:34No response to pain.
00:35I'm sorry, I was really scared.
00:37Saving lives and making a difference every day.
00:41That's why I'm asking if you've got a dressing on it, because I want to help you.
00:44In a medical emergency, six million people rely on them.
00:49We've never been busier.
00:51Give her a little bit of oxygen. I'd rather be safe. Sorry.
00:54You're seven, you're 11, and you rang the ambulance on your own.
00:57Any pain where I'm pressing?
00:59Filming simultaneously with seven paramedic crews.
01:02I haven't been to that before.
01:04You couldn't breathe. Lips went blue.
01:06Capturing life on the front line.
01:10If we don't get to a patient on time, then ultimately they could die.
01:21Oh, no, it's raining.
01:23Oh.
01:24It's absolutely miserable.
01:26Cold and wet. Don't like it.
01:28It's 6.30am as the paramedics of West Midlands Ambulance Service brave the elements to start their 12-hour shift.
01:37What were you watching?
01:39Well, I wasn't watching anything, because my telly was broken.
01:42Was it?
01:43Yeah, no, honestly, it really was broken.
01:45Oh, let's rock and roll.
01:47Let's get moving.
01:49As the crew's set off, they're ready to face any challenge together.
01:58Would you have a parachute with an instructor?
02:00Absolutely not.
02:01No?
02:02The thought of, like, falling...
02:04I don't like going over a bridge too quickly.
02:07Can you imagine, like, falling from a plane?
02:09I can hear the scream now.
02:11Would you do it by yourself or with the instructor?
02:13I thought you have to do it with an instructor, otherwise you die.
02:17I mean, you only die if you forget to pull your parachute.
02:20I guess it depends who the instructor is.
02:22Yeah.
02:23Who you're attached to and who's got your life in their hands.
02:26Exactly, exactly.
02:27A bit like this job.
02:29I haven't registered to run a day shift yet, because it's still quite dark.
02:45I know.
02:46I thought it doesn't feel like a day shift.
02:48Like, we haven't worked and it's been this dark in a while.
02:51Feels like we're on our way back from a night shift to get ready to go to bed.
02:54Oh, I'm stuck here.
02:55I'm going to have to stop, because I'd quite like to be in bed right now.
02:57Tucked up in my nice warm bed.
02:59Oh.
03:00Would it be a lovely?
03:02It would.
03:03I feel like I'm a morning person.
03:05Yeah, you're definitely a morning person.
03:07Yeah.
03:08I struggle to get up, but then once, as soon as I'm out of bed, I'm, like, on it.
03:12And they don't speak to me for two hours and I've got to have at least one coffee.
03:24Are you saying if you saw somebody else?
03:26Myself.
03:27I'm just at work.
03:28How can I help?
03:29I had an IV iron infusion yesterday.
03:34I've got a pain in my chest on my right side.
03:38If you could describe the pain, would you say it was crushing?
03:41Crushing and heavy.
03:43We are off to lovely Rebecca, who has had an iron infusion yesterday and now has chest pain.
03:58We'll have to go and see what's going on.
04:02Iron infusions or injections are usually given to treat anemia.
04:08This is quite an unusual call.
04:12We don't really get a lot of calls for people that have had problems with iron infusions.
04:16So, on the way there, we're sort of thinking, I wonder why she's had it.
04:19Is it potentially because she's anemic?
04:21I feel like we're not in the right place.
04:26You all right?
04:28We're here for Rebecca?
04:30Oh, yes.
04:31This is the building floor.
04:32Number four.
04:33You're just in here, huh?
04:42I'm James.
04:43This is Chloe.
04:44I'm all right.
04:45All right, sweet.
04:46I should have a little feel of your wrist.
04:48How are you feeling?
04:49Not great.
04:50So, what happened then, sweet?
04:52I woke up at about half three this morning.
04:55Yeah.
04:56And I had pain in my chest.
04:58Yeah.
04:59And shortness of breath.
05:0146-year-old Rebecca woke up in the night with chest pains.
05:06When she arrived at work, the pain only got worse.
05:10I'm used to not feeling great.
05:12Yeah.
05:13So, I thought, oh, I'll just drive to work.
05:15Yeah.
05:16And I was driving and I started feeling worse.
05:19Yeah, so the pain in your chest has got worse.
05:22Yeah, and just not quite, I don't feel quite with it.
05:27Yeah.
05:28When Rebecca told me she was having trouble breathing and chest pain,
05:33it starts ringing alarm bells in my head because she'd recently had this transfusion.
05:37It can put her at risk of developing clots.
05:40And with the trouble breathing, there's a risk that she might be having a blood clot on her lung.
05:44Is that pain in your chest?
05:46What's it feel like?
05:47Is it sharp stabbing?
05:48Is it pressure on your chest?
05:49It's like pressure and I feel like my lungs aren't.
05:54Yeah.
05:55Do you feel like you can't take a big deep breath?
05:57Yeah.
05:58Yeah.
05:59Does the pain get worse when you take deep breath?
06:00It might be a bit more intense.
06:02Yeah.
06:03Chloe runs an ECG to look at Rebecca's heart and takes some blood to check her sugar levels.
06:10Yeah.
06:11I'm very anemic.
06:12I've been referred to rheumatology.
06:14Yeah.
06:15I had an IV, iron infusion yesterday.
06:18Is that...?
06:19I think you need...
06:21Rebecca has low levels of iron in her blood.
06:24This means her red blood cells can't carry enough oxygen around her body.
06:28Have you ever had an iron infusion before?
06:31No.
06:32Does the pain move anywhere?
06:33No.
06:34OK.
06:35Out of ten, what can we score that pain at the moment?
06:37That's seven, eight.
06:39Seven, eight.
06:40Ultimately, Sweet would recommend come to hospital to get it checked out.
06:45Need a blood test to do it.
06:47They'll check for an enzyme called troponins, which get elevated if your heart's under stress
06:51because it could be a sign of a heart attack.
06:58We've all just decided that we're going to camp on a hill in Scotland and wake up for the sunrise.
07:11You don't strike me as the sort of person to go camping.
07:14As long as there's an air bed.
07:16I don't like camping on the ground.
07:18No, no, no.
07:19It's not very comfortable.
07:21When me and Callum went to download festival, he was like, oh, we'll just use a roll map.
07:26No.
07:27I was like...
07:28Absolutely not.
07:29Sleeping on a roll map at our age is a no-go.
07:32Absolutely.
07:33Our backs would be in pieces.
07:35Yeah.
07:36Especially with the job that we have.
07:37It has to be a luxury air mattress.
07:40Preferably an actual mattress.
07:42Oh.
07:43Can you imagine?
07:44If you could take a mattress camping with you, you'd be fine.
07:47That, to me, is much more appealing.
07:49The dream.
07:50Ambulance service.
07:51Is the patient breathing?
07:52Slowly.
07:53I'm the district nurse.
07:54OK.
07:55I'm here with the patient now.
07:56OK.
07:57Is the patient conscious?
07:58No.
07:59Is she breathing in and out normally?
08:00She's breathing and then stopped and then starts breathing again.
08:01Quite laboured.
08:02So, we currently have a category one.
08:03Unconscious.
08:04Not breathing.
08:05How far away are we?
08:06How many minutes?
08:0714.
08:08Oh, my God.
08:09We're miles away.
08:10It doesn't get much more serious.
08:11The patient's not breathing.
08:12Is she breathing in and out normally?
08:13Is she breathing in and out normally?
08:14She's breathing and then stopped and then starts breathing again.
08:16Quite laboured.
08:17So, we currently have a category one.
08:20Unconscious.
08:21Not breathing.
08:22For a 69-year-old female.
08:24Not breathing?
08:25How far away are we?
08:26How many minutes?
08:2714.
08:28Not breathing.
08:2914.
08:30Oh, my God.
08:31We're miles away.
08:32It doesn't get much more serious.
08:35It doesn't get much more serious than a patient who's unconscious and not breathing.
08:40We've got to be as quick as we possibly can and be prepared for the worst.
08:46Literally every second counts.
08:48Oh.
08:49The engine light's on.
08:51Oh, dear.
08:52See if we can make it to this job.
08:54Yeah.
08:55We'll go in.
08:56We'll do the job.
08:57We'll see if we can get the other guy's truck.
08:59Yeah.
09:00I don't want to get stuck on a motorway with a potential cross.
09:03With a potential arrest.
09:04Yeah.
09:05Exactly.
09:06As this could be a cardiac arrest, a second crew will be sent.
09:11This means Sean and Kelly can switch ambulances at the location.
09:15Oh, my God.
09:18This is so far away.
09:20Yeah.
09:21I always feel sorry for, like, the patient's family.
09:23You just want somebody there immediately, don't you?
09:26Yeah.
09:27This will be the longest 14 minutes of their entire lives right now.
09:33Oh, there he is.
09:38Let me run in and I'll see what's going on.
09:41Hello?
09:42Hello?
09:43Hello?
09:44Hello?
09:45Hello?
09:46Hello?
09:47Oh, the sack's looking on there.
09:48I will get her some oxygen.
09:53Sorry, Carol.
09:54I'm going to be fussing around you, darling.
09:5769-year-old Carol was recently discharged from hospital.
10:01When District Nurse Laura found her unconscious, she called 999.
10:07Carol was the sort of patient that we walk in and we definitely kick it up a gear.
10:12Yeah.
10:13Without life-saving interventions, she could die.
10:17Hello?
10:18Hi, guys.
10:19We haven't got a chance to ring yet.
10:20The second paramedic crew has arrived.
10:23Blood pressure's a bit on the low side, so we're just going to cannulate
10:26and give her some fluids and get her in.
10:28Just going to check your blood sugars, Carol.
10:30Sorry, darling.
10:32One, two, three.
10:34No response to pain there.
10:374.6.
10:38Carol, I'm just going to pop some stickers on your chest, darling.
10:41Put my hand on your chest, Carol, for the moment.
10:44Sorry for all the faffing, darling.
10:47Just going to get her tracing, Sian.
10:49Yeah, no worries, mate.
10:50I'll try and keep her still.
10:53We're a regular.
10:55An ECG reveals that Carol's heart is not beating regularly.
10:59It could be a sign of a serious underlying heart problem.
11:03Carol's heart tracing was irregular and that, coupled with all of her other symptoms,
11:08she needed treatment immediately.
11:10You know that pain?
11:11Yeah.
11:12Did it get worse when you pressed on it?
11:13Yeah.
11:14OK.
11:15In Birmingham City Centre, paramedic James and student paramedic Chloe are treating Rebecca, who has chest pain.
11:34Right, I need you to stay nice and still for me, no moving or talking.
11:39It's about 30 seconds, OK?
11:41In the ambulance, Chloe carries out a second ECG to look for any abnormalities in the electrical activity of Rebecca's heart.
11:50ECG looks OK, sweet.
11:54Good.
11:55Nothing sinister, jumping out.
11:58But like I said, still need you to have that blood test.
12:02Even though all of our checks come back OK, we can't detect all types of heart attacks.
12:07Only a blood test a hospital can, so it's really important that she came with us.
12:11How's that pain, sweet?
12:14It's sore.
12:15Have you had morphine before?
12:17Yeah.
12:18What I'd like to do is I'd give you some of that IV.
12:24Right, sweet.
12:25It's a sharp scratch.
12:28Morphine is the strongest pain relief that paramedics carry.
12:33Let me know when you're happy, James.
12:35I'm ready when you are, Chloe.
12:36OK.
12:37James will closely monitor Rebecca on the two-mile journey to hospital.
12:45My husband said to me this morning, you shouldn't go to work.
12:48And I was like, no, no, no.
12:50If you can get up and dress, then you should try.
12:54Yeah.
12:55That's how I was brought up.
12:57I'll get up at half four normally anyway.
12:59Half four?
13:00Yeah.
13:01Oh, I didn't even get up at half four this morning.
13:03What?
13:04I've got two dogs.
13:06How far do you normally work the dogs in the morning?
13:09Just an hour, but I used to go for, like, 15, 17km every day.
13:16Oh.
13:17Every day?
13:18Yeah.
13:19About ten miles every day?
13:20Yeah.
13:21Rebecca's dog, Walking Habits, was quite impressive.
13:24She gets up at the crack of dawn.
13:26I do a lot of running.
13:27I run ten miles a week.
13:28She does ten miles every morning.
13:30After 12 minutes, Rebecca arrives at Birmingham City Hospital.
13:39And there'll be a couple of bumps on the wide arm.
13:43Come on then, darling.
13:44Let's get you in.
13:45Here, doctors will run blood tests, x-rays and ECGs to try and find out what's been causing her chest pain today.
13:55Half four this morning, she was up walking the dogs.
14:06I was like, I've got to give it to her because...
14:10Oh, my God.
14:11You won't catch me walking the dog at half four.
14:13I'd rather do it while I'm asleep after work.
14:16Maybe for excitation?
14:17Or do you think we'll be all right?
14:18I think we'll be all right.
14:19Yeah.
14:20On the outskirts of Coventry, paramedic Sian and technician Kelly are treating Carol, who is unresponsive.
14:32What medical conditions does she have normally?
14:35Does she have any heart problems or anything like that?
14:37She's not a lot of medication.
14:39She's gone downhill since Friday.
14:43Partner Peter shares some of Carol's medical history.
14:47She's been in and out of hospital now four times since May.
14:51So I haven't figured out what's causing all the problems.
14:54This isn't the first time Carol has been found unresponsive.
14:58How many litres has she got her on?
15:00Six.
15:01She's only on 95%.
15:03Her BM's fine, temp's fine.
15:06It's just rests and initial blood pressure.
15:11Carol, darling, we're going to take you to hospital, my lovely.
15:15With all her checks completed, Carol can be moved to the ambulance.
15:20You take legs, I'll take middle.
15:22Sian, take top, yeah?
15:23Sounds like a plan.
15:24My foot's on the bottom of the carriage.
15:25We're just going to move you now, sweet, OK?
15:27I know, I'm so sorry, sweetheart.
15:32We just bring her over to the edge.
15:34Ready?
15:35Just over to the edge for now.
15:36Yeah.
15:37Ready, set, slide.
15:38That's it, perfect.
15:40Right, if we sit her up a bit.
15:42Well, hello.
15:44Hello.
15:45Hello, my lovely.
15:47When moving Carol off the bed,
15:50she suddenly became quite alert and was talking to us.
15:53This was a bit of a shock to us with how unwell she was,
15:56but we still need to get her to hospital as quickly as we can.
16:00All right, let's get moving.
16:06Ready?
16:07Yep.
16:12Carol, we're just going to get you on the bed, my darling, OK?
16:15Everybody ready?
16:16Yeah.
16:17Ready.
16:18Sorry, darling.
16:19Lift!
16:20Ah, well done.
16:21Good job, guys.
16:22That's it now, Carol.
16:23Well done.
16:24That's all you've got to do now.
16:26Carol?
16:31Carol?
16:32Sorry, my love.
16:33Kelly calls the hospital to let them know Carol's condition.
16:35Hello, my lovely.
16:36I've got a medical alert for you.
16:37I've got a 69-year-old female.
16:38On arrival, she was respite at eight.
16:39Blood pressure, systolic of 82.
16:40GCS three on arrival.
16:41ETA, 15 minutes.
16:43Recess.
16:44OK, thank you very much, sweet.
16:45See you soon.
16:46With another paramedic driving, Sian and Kelly can both closely monitor Carol on the journey
17:08to hospital.
17:09The partner, Peter, is also on board.
17:11Hi, Peter.
17:12I'm Kelly, by the way.
17:13Nice to meet you.
17:14Sorry we've met under these circumstances.
17:17We're not being at 12.
17:18We've got four.
17:19Four.
17:20Carol?
17:21Carol, come on.
17:22Yeah.
17:23Pay attention.
17:24Breasts are still four.
17:25On their way to the hospital, Carol loses consciousness once again, and her breathing becomes shallow.
17:40Hi there, my lovely.
17:41It's the crew that's coming in with a 69-year-old female.
17:45I just wanted to update you that her rests are four and she keeps having to be woken up to take a breath.
17:50We're about five minutes away.
17:52When we say rests are four, we mean that she was breathing four times a minute.
17:57This is very low.
17:58If we had let her stay asleep, her respiratory weight may have come down and then she would have gone into respiratory arrest.
18:06Carol?
18:07I'm going to keep you awake now.
18:10Don't make me squeeze you.
18:11Come on, Carol.
18:12Look at me.
18:13Come on.
18:14Carol?
18:15We're nearly there now.
18:16Can you try and keep your eyes open for me, Carol?
18:22After an eight-mile journey, Carol arrives at University Hospital Coventry.
18:28Right, Peter, if you can make your way off first.
18:30The ramp is in operation.
18:33Here we go, darling.
18:36Thank you, Dad.
18:38Carol is taken straight to Rhesus, where medical staff will try to stabilise her breathing and heart rate.
18:45It is bouncy today.
19:04Yeah.
19:05We're like a kangaroo.
19:07It might be you or Joey.
19:10Yeah.
19:11Yeah.
19:12Do you leave him up now?
19:13Yeah.
19:14I'll leave you in a little warm pouch.
19:16It's got central heat in.
19:18Yeah, exactly.
19:19While it needs to be high and freezing today.
19:21Exactly.
19:22You could jump really high from a kangaroo.
19:24Yeah.
19:25I think the benefits of being a kangaroo are you've got a pouch always for snacks, which is important.
19:30I could live in your pouch if need be.
19:32Well, we've already in the suburbs, I'm going to live in your pouch.
19:35It's warm.
19:37And they have massive tails so you can whip people with them.
19:41Do they?
19:42Ambulance service.
19:43Is the patient breathing?
19:44Yes.
19:45And is the patient conscious?
19:46Just about.
19:47It's my wife.
19:48She's sitting on the floor now in case she passes out.
19:49But her blood pressure is 70 over 40, which is the lowest it's ever, ever been.
19:55We are off to a 75 year old female who is feeling dizzy.
19:56It looks like she's taking her own blood pressure or someone has and it's low.
19:57Okay.
19:58And yesterday she had palpitations.
19:59And yesterday she had palpitations.
20:00She'd already taken her own blood pressure.
20:01So is it a chronic problem that she suffers with?
20:02We need to have.
20:03We need to work out why she's taking her own blood pressure or someone has and it's low.
20:04Okay.
20:05And yesterday she had palpitations.
20:06She'd already taken her own blood pressure so is it a chronic problem that she suffers
20:13with?
20:14We need to work out why she's got low blood pressure and try and fix that for her.
20:15Hello.
20:16Hello.
20:17Hi.
20:18Hi.
20:19Hi.
20:20Hi.
20:21Hi.
20:22Hi.
20:23Hi.
20:24Hi.
20:25Hi.
20:26Hi.
20:27Hi.
20:28Hi.
20:29Hi.
20:30Hi.
20:31Hi.
20:32Hi.
20:33Hi.
20:34Hi.
20:35Hi.
20:36Hi.
20:37Hi.
20:38Hi.
20:39Hi.
20:40Hi.
20:41Hi.
20:42Hi.
20:43Hi.
20:44Hi.
20:45Hi.
20:46Hi.
20:47Hi.
20:48Hi.
20:49Hi.
20:50Hi.
20:51Hi.
20:52Hi.
20:53Hi.
20:54Hi.
20:55Hi.
20:56Hi.
20:57Hi.
20:58Hi.
20:59Hi.
21:00Hi.
21:01Hi.
21:02Hi.
21:03Hi.
21:04Hi.
21:05Hi.
21:06Hi.
21:07Hi.
21:08Hi.
21:09Hi.
21:10Hi.
21:11Hi.
21:12When 75-year-old Kathleen's blood pressure dropped to dangerously low levels,
21:18her husband, Alan, called 999.
21:21And have you put yourself on the floor? Have you fallen on the floor?
21:24No, I've put myself on the floor in case I pass out.
21:27Very good.
21:28Because this is not the first time.
21:29It's not the first time.
21:30Isn't it?
21:30Yeah.
21:31And I can't go to the hospital, I'm sorry.
21:33It's my mother's funeral tomorrow.
21:35OK.
21:35I can't.
21:36Let's just check you.
21:38I won't go.
21:38Don't work me up.
21:40I won't go.
21:40We'll just check everything.
21:41We were quite mindful that the stress of her mum's funeral the following day
21:45might be having an impact on her blood pressure and how she was feeling.
21:50Are you under a lot of pressure at the minute with your mum passing away in the funeral?
21:54I'm not under pressure, but it's been upsetting.
21:56Oh, God, yeah, it must be.
21:58Absolutely horrendous.
22:00I am atrial fibrillation.
22:03OK.
22:03And yesterday I did have an incident with my heart rate.
22:08OK.
22:08When the heart beats fast and is irregular, it's called atrial fibrillation.
22:15It's a condition that can also cause dizziness.
22:17And when you said you had a problem yesterday with her heart rate, did you have palpitations,
22:22chest pain?
22:23No pain.
22:24No pain.
22:24Palpitations.
22:25Just palpitations.
22:25And do you get that often?
22:27Not often.
22:28I've been expecting it with my mother being ill and in hospital and passing away, but it
22:34just comes out of the blue.
22:35Yeah.
22:36So when Kathleen mentioned that she'd had palpitations, it makes us concerned for her
22:40heart.
22:41Can I pop these on your chest, darling?
22:43Yes.
22:44Sure.
22:44OK.
22:44We're on board with seven paramedic crews as they respond to emergencies across the
23:02West Midlands on their 12-hour shift.
23:05All right.
23:10If you can, just stay nice and still for a few minutes.
23:13No moving or talking.
23:15In Coventry, paramedic Rachel and student paramedic Amy are treating Kathleen, who has
23:21dangerously low blood pressure.
23:23Do you have any other medical problems at all?
23:27I take medication for high blood pressure, cholesterol.
23:31Yeah.
23:32I take medication for, I had a brain tumour many years ago.
23:36OK.
23:37Just to, in case I had a fit.
23:41Your heart rate at the moment is around 50 to 53, which if you've taken your medication
23:47to slow your heart rate down, that normally does have an effect.
23:51We'll keep those wires on for a bit longer just to monitor your heart, but we'll see
23:55if we can get you up onto a chair where it's a bit comfier, and then see what your blood
24:00pressure's like then.
24:01Does that sound all right?
24:02Yeah.
24:03As you stand up or change your posture from lying to sitting, your blood pressure can drop,
24:08which can cause dizziness, so we wanted to check this wasn't the case when we sat her
24:12up.
24:13Oh, it'd be nice to be off the floor.
24:15Is that better?
24:16I mean, your blood pressure's dropped a little bit since we've stood up, and your heart rate
24:20then just dropped a little bit.
24:23My only concern is, because the medication you take does lower your heart rate, whether
24:28it's going too low and that's causing your blood pressure then to drop because the heart's
24:32not pumping enough.
24:34My only worry would be if we left and then it would happen again.
24:38And we were just concerned that if she'd been left at home, then if her blood pressure
24:42had dropped, it might have made her pass out and fall over, and she might have injured
24:47herself.
24:47You've got a busy day today, haven't you?
24:49I've got a busy day today, yeah.
24:51My mother would have been 100 in two weeks.
24:53Really?
24:54That would have been amazing.
24:56Do you feel like you're able to stand or do you feel dizzy?
25:00I'll be here.
25:01I don't feel dizzy at all.
25:02OK.
25:03So if I feel dizzy and sit back down, I'll just grab hold of me.
25:07Mm-hm.
25:08Rachel gets Kathleen to stand up so she can check her blood pressure once more.
25:13OK.
25:14Have a sit back down again.
25:16Yes.
25:17There's obviously something going on to cause the blood pressure to drop.
25:21So I know it's not what you want, but my recommendation would be to pop you up to the hospital.
25:26You have got capacity and you can make your own decisions.
25:28OK.
25:29All right?
25:30So I can't force you to go.
25:31I can only recommend.
25:32I think you should do what they tell you.
25:34Yeah, I'm not going to the hospital today.
25:36I just, I can't face it today.
25:39Well, if anything else happens, you wouldn't be able to go to the funeral anyway.
25:43That's all I'm saying.
25:44I haven't even changed the beds or anything.
25:46The beds are not important.
25:48Your health has to come first in order to look after everyone else and get through tomorrow
25:54as well.
25:55I wouldn't hesitate if it wasn't a funeral.
25:57I know.
25:58I get that.
25:59I get that.
26:00Really bad timing for you, isn't it?
26:01Yeah.
26:02It's dropped again quite low and you just sat there.
26:05OK.
26:06I'll have to do as I'm told then.
26:09Yeah.
26:10It was such a relief when Kathleen decided to come to hospital with us.
26:14She was adamant that she didn't want to go but it was the right thing at the end of the
26:17day.
26:18Yeah, to get checked over and just see what was causing her heart rate and her blood pressure
26:22to be so low.
26:23It seems that all things happen at once sometimes and fortunately these things can't be helped.
26:30Right.
26:31Good to go when you are.
26:32Cool.
26:33We are strapped in.
26:34Yep.
26:36Rachel closely monitors Kathleen's blood pressure on the ten mile drive to hospital.
26:41Back to be safe I'm sorry and then hopefully you'll be fixed ready for tomorrow.
26:46I won't be there.
26:47Well, yeah.
26:48No, yeah.
26:49Well, we want you feeling your best don't we?
26:51Yeah.
26:52You don't want to be feeling rough as well on the day like tomorrow.
26:56Kathleen arrives at University Hospital Coventry.
27:00I'm fed up that it's happened today.
27:04Yeah.
27:05I'll be the same.
27:09Here doctors will monitor her heart rate and review her medication.
27:13They'll also want to investigate what's causing Kathleen's blood pressure to drop so low.
27:25My heart broke for Kathleen with the day before mum's funeral.
27:29And I think she just wanted to be at home to get everything right and perfect for a family coming over.
27:34It's good that we took her in today and hopefully it's just a simple fix and she'll be able to go to the funeral.
27:49Every job that Amy and Rachel go to starts with a call for help.
27:54So you're querying sepsis today?
27:56Yeah.
27:57All right, just stay nice and calm.
27:59The people who answer those calls go largely unseen, yet their split second decisions can save lives.
28:08I love going home and being able to tell my loved ones what I did that day.
28:12It's an amazing feeling when you know that you've actually helped someone or had made a difference in someone's life.
28:21And so it's great to go home and be like, this is what I did today.
28:25I don't know.
28:26Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
28:28Can we have an ambulance?
28:31Is the patient breathing?
28:33He's not breathing, no.
28:34OK, I've got the help arranged for him. Bear with me a second.
28:37Can we have an ambulance?
28:39They're coming as quickly as they can, OK? You need to just listen to my instructions now, OK?
28:44So there's other adults with you there?
28:50Hello?
28:51Panic is definitely one of the biggest issues with relatives because obviously this is the scariest day of their life for a lot of people.
28:56You've just got to calm them down and tell them you can help them while we're waiting and this is what you need to do.
29:02Hello?
29:03Hello?
29:04Hello?
29:05Hiya, can you please send us an ambulance?
29:07My lovely, listen, listen, listen to me. We've already got the help arranged. We need to start CPR. Get him flat on his back on the floor.
29:14Yeah, they're doing that.
29:16OK, tell me when they've done it.
29:19They're doing that.
29:20Tell me when he's on his back.
29:22He's on his back.
29:23OK, put the phone onto the loudspeaker now.
29:26Just one second, OK.
29:28Am I on loudspeaker?
29:29Yeah.
29:30OK, whoever's going to be doing the compressions, you need to listen to my instructions now.
29:35So kneel by his side.
29:37Yeah.
29:38Put one hand flat in the centre of his chest.
29:40OK.
29:41Put the other hand on top and lock your fingers together.
29:44Keep your arms straight, push down hard and fast. Don't be afraid to push too hard.
29:49You're going to push about two times a second and say push out loud with every push so I know how fast you're going.
29:54OK.
29:55Push.
29:56Push.
29:57Push.
29:58Push.
29:59Push.
30:00Push.
30:01Push.
30:02Yeah.
30:03Keep going at that rate.
30:04Don't stop until the crew tell you to.
30:05Keep going.
30:06OK.
30:07OK.
30:08OK, we're doing that.
30:09OK, keep going my lovely, OK?
30:10You're doing really, really well.
30:11Don't stop until the crew tell you to.
30:13It's really tiring giving chest compressions.
30:15I can only imagine, really, how tiring it is, but you can hear it in their voices, especially with elderly callers who are doing it on loved ones, that you know how much they want to help them, but you can hear how tired they get.
30:30You're doing really well, my lovely.
30:31Try and stay calm, all right?
30:33Keep going with those compressions.
30:35It's at that same rate.
30:37Push, push, push, push, push, push, push, push.
30:40OK.
30:41OK.
30:42Are they still going with those compressions?
30:45Yeah, they're here.
30:46They're here.
30:47Are the crew in the room with him?
30:48Yeah.
30:49All right.
30:50I'll leave you with them.
30:51OK.
30:52Bye-bye.
30:53No.
31:06Isn't it weird, like, with dogs, though?
31:08Like, we just decided one day, like, yeah, OK, we're going to have dogs as pets tonight.
31:12I'd like a tortoise.
31:14I'd love a tortoise.
31:15I'm not even here, but that...
31:16I...
31:17Yeah, if that's for you, but what would you do with it?
31:20Just look at it and give it cuddles.
31:22That's the most uncuddly thing ever, a tortoise.
31:25You could sit on your lap.
31:26I'd be like, ooh, this is...
31:28I'd love a tortoise.
31:29No.
31:30How would you even cuddle a tortoise?
31:33You'd just sort of have it here, wouldn't you, and just sort of pet it,
31:36and then, you know, give you little kisses.
31:38You could kiss it?
31:39Yeah, well, it could kiss me.
31:41No, I definitely wouldn't.
31:42You couldn't bite your chin.
31:43No, it wouldn't.
31:44I'm sure it wouldn't.
31:45No, that's the most uncuddliest thing ever.
31:47Ambulance service.
31:48Is the patient breathing?
31:49Yes.
31:50What's happened, please?
31:51A friend of mine's come up my drive.
31:52He's fallen over and smacked his head quite hard.
31:53Right, OK.
31:54So is he still fully conscious at the minute?
31:55Yes.
31:56What's happened, please?
31:57A friend of mine's come up my drive.
32:00He's fallen over and smacked his head quite hard.
32:03Right, OK.
32:04So is he still fully conscious at the minute?
32:06Yes.
32:07Yeah.
32:12So we have got a 78-year-old male, injury.
32:18Patient had a fall, injured head and hand, and it says he's on blood thinners.
32:28Our biggest concern with this job was that the patient had fallen over, hit his head and was on blood thinners.
32:35This could lead to a bleed on the brain and become life-threatening.
32:39Right.
32:40Is it here?
32:42Oh, there we go.
32:50You all right?
32:52Hello.
32:53John.
32:54I'm Jess.
32:55This is Sarah.
32:56Hello.
32:57So, what have you done?
32:59What's happened?
33:01Was that on the grass to come up the drive?
33:04Yeah.
33:05Let me just feel your wrist at the same time.
33:06Because the grass was wet, it slid.
33:08It smacked onto the grass and the grass went down onto the...
33:11OK.
33:12Did you go head first then?
33:13Yeah, kind of sideways like that.
33:16Oh, bless you.
33:1878-year-old John was walking up the driveway of a friend's house when he slipped hitting his head.
33:24Do you remember everything?
33:25Yeah.
33:26Yeah, I didn't get knocked out.
33:27No.
33:28Did you get yourself back up?
33:29Yeah.
33:30Yeah.
33:31Yeah, I got myself up and thought...
33:32Come on, bless you.
33:33It's easily done, isn't it?
33:35He seemed able to talk to us.
33:37He seemed fully conscious.
33:39Obviously, he had some bumps and bruises with a big plaster on his head.
33:43Looks like you've been in a punch-up.
33:44Yeah.
33:45Let's have a look at your head.
33:46Are you on blood thinners, it said?
33:48Yeah.
33:49When John told us that he was on blood thinners, it was a concern to us.
33:53The blood can't clot effectively and so could bleed more.
33:57He's stuck that on well, hasn't he?
33:59He's a good-blooming...
34:00Yeah!
34:03Sorry, sweetheart.
34:05So that's like a little puncture wound you've got there.
34:08Yeah.
34:09While trying to break his fall, John also injured his hand.
34:14I can see a bit of fatty tissue, to be fair.
34:16So you might need...
34:17And it's right on the joint, so...
34:19Yeah.
34:20Might have a look at that.
34:23I haven't got any neck pain at all.
34:25A little bit of stiff on the neck bite.
34:28Let's have a quick feel down the middle.
34:30Nothing there, no?
34:32Everything feel OK?
34:33Yeah.
34:34Just you've dented your head and your ego, have you?
34:37Well, yeah.
34:40Although John looked really well,
34:42we still had to find the underlying cause to his fall.
34:46Yeah, there might have been a drop in blood pressure
34:48or an abnormal heart rhythm,
34:50which meant that we would be able to pick that up with our observations
34:53and maybe show the cause of the fall.
34:55Just doing that...
34:56Just that corner there.
34:57Yeah, yeah, that side.
34:59Yeah.
35:09Can you imagine, in the old days,
35:11so you'd be driving, I'd be sitting here with my A to Z
35:14and I'd be, like, trying to be navigate you to where we're going.
35:18So, what, they'd bring you up going to...
35:20You're going to grid reference such and such or such and such road?
35:23Yeah, they'd just say you're going here
35:25and then, you know, if you didn't know it,
35:27you'd get your A to Z out the glove box
35:29and you'd be flicking through it like this.
35:31But what if you couldn't find where you were going on the A to Z?
35:34It's like to keep trying.
35:36Oh, right.
35:38I haven't read a map for a really long time.
35:40I think I'd struggle now to read a map.
35:43And, of course, you've got to turn pages as well.
35:45You know, you track along and then you think, oh, turn pages.
35:48Especially with the speed of my driving.
35:49Get it the right way around.
35:50Can you imagine, Chris, where am I going?
35:51Er...
35:53Left.
36:01Ambulance services, the patient breathing.
36:04It's me, actually.
36:06OK.
36:07I'm breathing, but I'm very short of breath.
36:10You're feeling short of breath at the moment?
36:13Yes.
36:14I've already got heart troubles.
36:19Oh, we're going local.
36:20Going to Warwick.
36:21Yep.
36:22To 86-year-old lady.
36:24Difficulty in breathing.
36:26Difficulty in breathing can be caused by absolutely anything.
36:28A heart attack can cause difficulty in breathing.
36:30A stroke can cause difficulty in breathing.
36:32And if somebody's struggling to breathe,
36:34they can't really tell us what's happening.
36:36So I find that really challenging,
36:38when they can't articulate what the problem is.
36:41Oh, here we go.
36:43I reckon it's going to be one of these, isn't it?
36:46There you go.
36:49Good morning.
36:50You all right, Jacqueline?
36:51Lovely stuff.
36:52Shall I put the light on?
36:53Yeah.
36:54Thank you, lovey.
36:55So, Jacqueline, my name's Chris.
36:56Yeah.
36:57This is Sam.
36:58Good morning.
36:59Good morning.
37:00You all right?
37:01Okay, let's pop that out of the way.
37:02Okay, Jacqueline, what was happening with you at two o'clock this morning?
37:16Well, I've had it once before, because I've got heart trouble.
37:20Okay, what heart problems have you got?
37:22Well, they told me they couldn't do anything for me.
37:26Okay.
37:27Yeah, I can get to old age.
37:30Yeah, maybe.
37:31But, er, I just couldn't read.
37:34So we were definitely...
37:3686-year-old Jacqueline called 999 when she woke up struggling to breathe.
37:41Did it come on all of a sudden?
37:43Yes.
37:44And I thought, oh, God, here we go again.
37:48And how long did that last for?
37:50Erm, it lasted for a good hour.
37:54Even though Jacqueline looked well, she felt concerned enough to phone 999,
37:59so a thorough assessment is still vitally important.
38:03We still need to find out what actually happened at the time.
38:06So how often does this happen?
38:09It's usually if I sort of get tensed up and then I, oh, you know, like a panic attack.
38:15Yeah, yeah, yeah.
38:16And, er...
38:17Did you feel a little bit anxious and panicky last night?
38:20Well, erm...
38:22I don't say I should feel anxious, but I start worrying about things.
38:28For a lot of patients, being anxious can really make their condition worse.
38:32I get nervous sometimes on the way to jobs.
38:34You can really struggle.
38:35So I think we just had to make sure that we tried to calm Jacqueline down a little bit,
38:38put her at ease, try and build a rapport with her and actually see if we could help her.
38:42On the outskirts of Coventry, paramedics Jess and Sarah are treating John.
38:55He fell over outside, cutting his head and injuring his hand.
38:59So nothing this side, it was purely here.
39:03Does that hurt there?
39:04No.
39:05No?
39:06What about here?
39:08On this side?
39:09Just in that...
39:10Just that corner there.
39:11Yeah, yeah, that side.
39:12Yeah.
39:13While Jess checks to see if there are any other injuries, Sarah runs an ECG to look at John's heart.
39:21Can I just get you to sit back and just pop these on your chest, is that all right?
39:25Yes, that's all right, yep.
39:27You can relax your arm, John, that's it.
39:30So check-wise, you're relatively OK.
39:34But you potentially might need stitches and obviously just probably just to check over with your head.
39:40So are you all right to pop up to the hospital with us and we'll get you sorted?
39:45He was on blood thinners and he would need a head scan to rule out any internal bleed on his brain,
39:50which could be fatal.
39:52He also needed to go just to get his hands stitched up.
39:55We'll pop you up to A&E and then they'll have a look at you up there.
39:58A couple of stitches and then you'll be fine.
40:01Sarah will get the chair down for you.
40:07Do you still feel OK?
40:08Yeah, yeah, quite fine.
40:10You know, just do it when you're younger.
40:17I'm in a really active life.
40:19I used to do a lot of water skiing.
40:21Oh, did you?
40:22Wow.
40:23I've never water skied.
40:24Oh, really?
40:25Yeah.
40:26Because my granddad and them, they had a boatyard.
40:29Oh, OK.
40:30Every time I went down, I was on the boat.
40:32Oh, that's cool.
40:33Yeah.
40:37Not too far away.
40:38That wasn't too bad, was it?
40:39No.
40:42After 18 minutes, John arrives at University Hospital Coventry.
40:47Right then, shall we go and get you sorted?
40:50Yeah.
40:51Here, medical staff will apply stitches to his hand.
40:55His head will also be scanned to look for any signs of a bleed on the brain.
41:00Which appreciate?
41:01No, we're just going to have done it.
41:02That's OK.
41:03Right, let's go this way, I think.
41:06In Warwick, paramedic Chris and student paramedic Sam are with Jacqueline.
41:25She's been feeling anxious and was struggling to breathe.
41:29Shall we have a look at your numbers, Jacqueline?
41:31Have a look at your blood pressure and your oxygen levels.
41:35Oh, yeah.
41:36And just see how you are.
41:37I don't do well.
41:38You've got a little patch here, haven't you, Jacqueline?
41:40What's, is that a...?
41:41Yeah, because I have dialysis.
41:44OK.
41:45Three times a week.
41:47And I've got to go today.
41:50To keep her kidneys working, Jacqueline has dialysis to remove toxins from her blood.
41:56But it can have side effects.
41:58Dialysis can mean you're more prone to infection because your body's not getting rid of all the
42:02waste products it needs to.
42:03So you're at a little bit more risk of infection and other things such as sepsis.
42:07So we just need to make sure that she's OK and she's not ticking any of those warning markers.
42:11Is it OK if I do some checks like Chris said?
42:15So do your blood pressure, put the probe on your finger.
42:18I'd also like to do a tracing of your heart.
42:21So put some sticky dots and do an ECG.
42:23Is that OK?
42:24I've done so often.
42:26I bet you have, Jacqueline.
42:27Yeah, if you've got problems with your heart, probably one of the first things we do, isn't it?
42:32Yeah.
42:33How long have you lived here for?
42:35Uh, three years now.
42:37OK.
42:38Do you like it here?
42:39Oh, I love it.
42:40Yeah.
42:41Because I can be every so nosy.
42:43Well, you have.
42:44You've got a great view.
42:45Yeah, because I can see everyone going in this shop.
42:48Your numbers so far are spot on.
42:51Your blood pressure is almost textbook.
42:53120 over 79.
42:55Oh, good.
42:56Yeah, everything looking very good there, Jacqueline.
42:59Oh, that's good.
43:00So just chatting with you, Jacqueline, you seem well at the minute.
43:05Do you feel well and back to normal?
43:07Yes.
43:08I wouldn't mind otherwise.
43:09Just have these moments of this breathing.
43:13We see so much anxiety in the ambulance service,
43:16particularly amongst the elderly people.
43:19I think when you find yourself living on your own,
43:22when you're not in the best of health, that's quite scary.
43:26OK, Jacqueline, you can lean back.
43:28You know, your mind can just run away with you, really,
43:32and maybe things you would have dealt with quite well when you were younger
43:37become big issues when you're on your own and older.
43:41I didn't want to bother you, but I had to,
43:44because I didn't know which way it was going to go, you know.
43:48So we would definitely encourage you,
43:50if in the middle of the night you feel unwell in any way,
43:54always push your button.
43:56We'll always come out and have a look at you.
44:00Please don't worry about calling us.
44:01I think you're so busy.
44:03Right, Jacqueline, so, like we're saying,
44:08everything is looking really, really good.
44:10Good.
44:11And you're fully recovered and you're feeling great.
44:13Yes, I feel a lot better now.
44:15Fabulous.
44:16I know it's hard, but try not to worry.
44:20Right, Jacqueline, lovely to meet you.
44:22Do you want the light on or off?
44:24Um, off, please.
44:26OK.
44:27All right, you, take care.
44:28All the best.
44:29Bye-bye.
44:30Always.
44:31Bye-bye.
44:32John, who fell outside injuring his head,
44:48didn't have a bleed on the brain.
44:50Once the cut to his hand was stitched,
44:52he was able to go home.
44:54Carol, who was found unresponsive,
44:58was diagnosed with postural hypertension.
45:01This is where her blood pressure drops when she stands up.
45:05She spent four weeks in hospital.
45:10Rebecca, who had chest pain at work,
45:12wasn't having a heart attack.
45:14Doctors thought it could be rheumatoid arthritis.
45:17She was discharged eight hours later.
45:20And Kathleen, who had very low blood pressure,
45:25was monitored until it stabilized.
45:27The following day, she was well enough
45:29to go to her mother's funeral, as planned.
45:36Next time.
45:37How are you feeling yourself right now?
45:39Pretty warm.
45:40Warm.
45:41Yeah, pretty warm, yeah.
45:42A man with chest pain is dangerously ill.
45:45He was showing all the classic signs of a heart attack.
45:48He was sweaty.
45:50He was clammy.
45:51He was warm to touch.
45:52And this is really serious.
45:55A cancer patient with sepsis needs to go to hospital.
45:59Not again.
46:01Not again?
46:02You had it before?
46:03Because neutropenic sepsis can be fatal and lead to death,
46:06it was really important that we got him to hospital as quick as possible.
46:10Well, you really are swollen now, aren't you?
46:12And an anaphylactic reaction leaves a man struggling to breathe.
46:17Anaphylaxis with tongue swelling is absolutely life-threatening.
46:22This can kill people.
46:24투ang complex ways.
46:25This can heal people live right now.
46:26This can no longer be possible.
46:28Ok.
46:29This can kill people but not every other person.
46:30This can heal people over theirill Sun and Lebens mouth.
46:31This can heal people not only.
46:33It saves people when Eastern people alive.
46:34Talkoohiki yellow!
46:35This can kill people if you realize it.
46:36It's okay for the second release of one of our families' families.
46:37I hope.
46:38It's a really scary cat and goodman that they can heal together.
46:42For deriveness of federal planning.
46:43Have no reason, we do not keep a hard on board.
Recommended
46:39
|
Up next
46:58
46:42
47:09
47:12
46:54
46:21
46:20
47:02
46:42
46:44
46:33
46:38
46:39
46:24
49:08
48:48
48:44