- yesterday
999 On the Front Line S13E01
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.
00:41I'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... I don't like going over a bridge too quickly.
02:07Can you imagine, like, falling from a plane?
02:10I 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 get to pull your parachute.
02:20I guess it depends who the instructor is.
02:22Yeah.
02:23Who you're attached to, 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.
02:51It feels like we're on our way back from a night shift to get ready to go to bed.
02:54I'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.
03:33I've got a pain in my chest on my right side.
03:37If 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.
03:58Oh.
03:59We'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.
04:28You all right?
04:29We're here for Rebecca?
04:30Oh, yes.
04:31This is a building fort.
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.
05:0246-year-old Rebecca woke up in the night with chest pains.
05:06When she arrived at work, the pain only got worse.
05:09I'm used to not feeling great.
05:11Yeah.
05:12So, I thought, oh, I'll just drive to work.
05:14Yeah.
05:15And I was driving and I started feeling worse.
05:19Yeah, so there's a pain in your chest that's 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, it starts ringing
05:33alarm 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?
05:45What's it feel like?
05:46Is it sharp stabbing?
05:47Is it like 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.
06:03Yeah.
06:04Chloe 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.
06:19Is that...?
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 mat.
07:26No.
07:27I was like...
07:28Absolutely not.
07:29Sleeping on a roll mat at our age is a no-go.
07:32Absolutely.
07:33Our backs would be in pieces.
07:35Especially with the job that we have.
07:37It has to be a luxury air mattress, preferably an actual mattress.
07:42Can you imagine?
07:44If you could take a mattress camping with you, you'd be fine.
07:47That to me is the dream.
07:48Much more appealing.
07:49The dream.
07:56Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
07:58Slowly.
07:59I'm the district nurse.
08:01OK.
08:02I'm here with the patient now.
08:03OK.
08:04Is the patient conscious?
08:05No.
08:06Is she breathing in and out normally?
08:09She's breathing and then stopped and then starts breathing again.
08:13Quite labored.
08:17So we currently have a category one.
08:20Unconscious.
08:21Not breathing.
08:22For a 69 year old female.
08:25Not breathing?
08:27How far away are we?
08:29How many minutes?
08:3014.
08:31Oh my God.
08:32We're miles away.
08:33It 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, the engine lights on.
08:51Oh dear.
08:52See if we can make it to this job.
08:54Yeah.
08:55We'll go in, we'll do the job, we'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 arrest.
09:03No.
09:04With a potential arrest.
09:05Yeah, exactly.
09:07As this could be a cardiac arrest, a second crew will be sent.
09:11This means Sean and Kelly can switch ambulances at the location.
09:17Oh my God, this is so far away.
09:20Yeah, I always feel sorry for 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.
09:47Oh, 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.
10:05Carol 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.
10:16Hello.
10:17Hi, guys.
10:18We 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 and give her some fluids and get her in.
10:28Just going to check your blood sugars, Carol.
10:30Sorry, darling.
10:32One, two, three.
10:33No 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.
10:50Yeah, no worries, mate.
10:51I'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, she 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.
11:30Right, I need you to stay nice and still for me, no moving or talking. It's about 30 seconds, OK?
11:42In the ambulance, Chloe carries out a second ECG to look for any abnormalities in the electrical activity of Rebecca's heart.
11:51ECG looks OK, sweet.
11:55Good.
11:56Nothing sinister, jumping out.
11:59But like I said, still need you to have that blood test.
12:03Even though all of our checks come back OK, we can't detect all types of heart attacks.
12:08Only a blood test a hospital can, so it's really important that she came with us.
12:12How's that pain, sweet?
12:14It's sore.
12:16Have you had morphine before?
12:17Yeah.
12:19What I'd like to do is I'd give you some of that IV.
12:24Right, sweet. It's a sharp scratch.
12:29Morphine is the strongest pain relief that paramedics carry.
12:34Let me know when you're happy, James.
12:36I'm ready when you are, Chloe.
12:37OK.
12:40James 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, and I was like, no, no, no.
12:51If you can get up and dress, then you should try.
12:55Yeah.
12:56That's how I was brought up.
12:57I'll get up at half-four normally, anyway.
13:00Half-four?
13:01Yeah.
13:02Oh, I didn't even get up at half-four this morning.
13:04What?
13:06I've got two dogs.
13:08How far do you normally work the dogs in the morning?
13:10Just an hour, but I used to go for, like, 15, 17km every day.
13:17Every day?
13:18Every day?
13:19Yeah.
13:20About ten miles every day?
13:21Yeah.
13:22Rebecca's job, Walking Habits, is quite impressive.
13:24She gets up at the crack of dawn, where I do a lot of running.
13:28I run ten miles a week.
13:29She does ten miles every morning.
13:34After 12 minutes, Rebecca arrives at Birmingham City Hospital.
13:38And there'll be a couple of bumps on the wide arm.
13:44Come on, then, darling.
13:45Let's get you in.
13:47Here, doctors will run blood tests, x-rays and ECGs
13:51to try and find out what's been causing her chest pain today.
14:03Half-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.
14:11..you won't catch me walking the dog at half-four.
14:13I'd rather do it while I'm asleep after work.
14:19Maybe for excitation?
14:21Or do you think we'll be all right?
14:22I think we'll be all right.
14:23Yeah.
14:25On the outskirts of Coventry,
14:27paramedic Sian and technician Kelly are treating Carol,
14:31who is unresponsive.
14:33What medical conditions does she have normally?
14:34Does she have any heart problems or anything like that?
14:36No, but she'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.
14:57How many litres has she got around?
15:01Six.
15:02She's only on 95%.
15:04Her BM's fine, temp's fine.
15:07It's just rests and initial blood pressure.
15:11Carol, darling, we're going to take you to hospital, my lovely.
15:14With all her checks completed, Carol can be moved to the ambulance.
15:20You take legs, I'll take middle.
15:22Sian, take stop, yeah?
15:23Sounds like a plan.
15:25My foot's on the bottom of the carriage.
15:26We're just going to move you now, sweet, OK?
15:30I know, I'm so sorry, sweetheart.
15:33We just bring her over to the edge.
15:34Ready?
15:35Just over to the edge for now.
15:36Yep.
15:37Yep, ready, set, slide.
15:39That's it, perfect.
15:40Right, if we sit her up a bit.
15:43Well, hello.
15:44Hello.
15:46Hello, my lovely.
15:48When moving Carol off the bed, she suddenly became quite alert
15:52and was talking to us.
15:54This was a bit of a shock to us with how unwell she was,
15:57but we still need to get her to hospital as quickly as we can.
16:00Let's get moving.
16:05Ready?
16:07Yep.
16:12Carol, we're just going to get you on the bed, my darling, OK?
16:16Everybody ready?
16:17Yeah.
16:18Any more Carol?
16:19Ready, set, lift.
16:21Well done, good 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?
16:32Oh, OK.
16:34BEEP!
16:35Bless you.
16:36Sorry, my love.
16:38Kelly calls the hospital to let them know Carol's condition.
16:42Hello, my lovely.
16:43I've got a medical alert for you.
16:45I've got a 69-year-old female.
16:47On arrival, she was respite at eight.
16:50Blood pressure, systolic of 82.
16:54GCS three on arrival.
16:56ETA, 15 minutes?
16:58Recess.
16:59Recess.
17:00OK.
17:01Thank you very much, sweet.
17:02See you soon.
17:03With another paramedic driving, Sian and Kelly can both closely monitor Carol on the journey
17:08to hospital.
17:10Her partner, Peter, is also on board.
17:14Hi, Peter.
17:15I'm Kelly, by the way.
17:16Nice to meet you.
17:17Sorry we've met under these circumstances.
17:20We're not bleeding at 12.
17:22We've got four.
17:23Four.
17:27Carol.
17:28Carol, come on.
17:29Yeah.
17:30Pay attention.
17:32The breasts are still four.
17:34On their way to the hospital, Carol loses consciousness once again, and her breathing becomes shallow.
17:41Hello there, my lovely.
17:42It's the crew that's coming in with a 69-year-old female.
17:45I just wanted to update you that her breasts are four, and she keeps having to be woken up to take a breath.
17:51We're about five minutes away.
17:52When we say rest before, we mean that she was breathing four times a minute.
17:57This is very low.
17:59If we had let her stay asleep, her respiratory rate may have come down, and then she would have gone into respiratory arrest.
18:06Carol.
18:08I'm going to keep you awake now.
18:11Don't make me squeeze you.
18:12Come on, Carol.
18:13Look at me.
18:14Come on.
18:16Carol.
18:17We're nearly there now.
18:18Can you try and keep your eyes open for me, Carol?
18:23After an eight-mile journey, Carol arrives at University Hospital Coventry.
18:29Right, Peter, if you can make your way off first.
18:31Yeah.
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.
18:52It is bouncy today.
18:53Yeah.
18:54We're like a kangaroo.
18:55It might be you or Joey.
18:56Yeah.
18:57Yeah.
18:58Yeah.
18:59Yeah.
19:00You live in my pouch.
19:01Yeah.
19:02I live in your little warm pouch.
19:03It's got central heat in.
19:04Yeah, exactly.
19:05While it needs to be freezing today.
19:06Exactly.
19:07You could jump really high from a kangaroo.
19:08Yeah.
19:09I think the benefits of being a kangaroo are...
19:10You've got a pouch always for snacks, which is important.
19:11I can live in your pouch if need be.
19:12Well, we've already in the summer, so I'm going to live in your pouch.
19:13It's warm.
19:14And they have massive tails, so you can whip people with them.
19:15Do they?
19:16I think so.
19:17Oh.
19:18Oh.
19:19Do they?
19:20Do they?
19:21Oh.
19:22You could jump really high for a kangaroo.
19:24Yeah. I think the benefits of being a kangaroo are...
19:27You'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 established that.
19:34I could live in your pouch. It's warm.
19:36And they have massive tails, so you can whip people with them.
19:40Do they? I think so. Oh.
19:42Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
19:51Yes. And is the patient conscious?
19:54Just about.
19:56It's my wife.
19:58She's sitting on the floor now in case she passes out,
20:02but her blood pressure is 70 over 40,
20:05which is the lowest it's ever, ever been.
20:12We are off to a 75-year-old female who is feeling dizzy.
20:17It looks like she's taken her own blood pressure,
20:20or someone has, and it's low.
20:22OK. And yesterday she had palpitations.
20:25She'd already taken her own blood pressure,
20:28so is it a chronic problem that she suffers with?
20:30We need to work out why she's got low blood pressure
20:33and try and fix that for her.
20:39Hello.
20:42What was your wife's name? Kathleen. Kathleen.
20:48Hello, Kathleen. Hello.
20:51You don't feel your best, OK.
20:53I feel better than I did. OK.
20:55Let me just have a feel of your wrist, if that's all right.
20:57I was fine this morning, had a shower,
20:59came down to prepare my breakfast,
21:02and I knew I felt light-headed.
21:05Yeah.
21:06So...
21:06I took my blood pressure.
21:07I took my blood pressure. Yeah.
21:09And it's 70 over 40.
21:13When 75-year-old Kathleen's blood pressure dropped
21:16at dangerously low levels, her 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.
21:26Oh, very good. Very good.
21:27This is not the first time. Not the first time, isn't it?
21:30Yeah.
21:31And I can't go to the hospital, I'm sorry.
21:33OK. It's my mother's funeral tomorrow. OK.
21:35I can't go.
21:36You might if you have to go.
21:37I'll go.
21:38All right. Don't work me up.
21:39It's fine. We'll just check everything.
21:41We were quite mindful that the stress of her mum's funeral
21:44the following day might be having an impact on her blood pressure
21:47and how she was feeling.
21:50Are you under a lot of pressure at the minute
21:51with 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. Absolutely horrendous.
22:00OK. I am atrial fibrillation.
22:03OK. And yesterday, I did have an incident with my heart rate.
22:08OK.
22:09When the heart beats fast and is irregular,
22:12it's called atrial fibrillation.
22:14It's a condition that can also cause dizziness.
22:18And when you said you had a problem yesterday with your heart rate,
22:20did you have palpitations, chest pain?
22:23No pain. No pain?
22:24Amputations. Just palpitations.
22:25And do you get that often?
22:27Not often. I've been expecting it with my mother being ill
22:30and in hospital and passing away, but it just comes out of the blue.
22:35Yeah.
22:36So when Kathleen mentioned that she'd had palpitations,
22:39it makes us concerned for her heart.
22:41Can I pop these on your chest, darling?
22:43Yes.
22:44OK.
22:57We're on board with seven paramedic crews
23:00as they respond to emergencies across the West Midlands
23:03on their 12-hour shift.
23:09All right. If 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
23:19are treating Kathleen, who has dangerously low blood pressure.
23:23Do you have any other medical problems at all?
23:26I take medication for high blood pressure, cholesterol.
23:30Yeah.
23:31I take medication for...
23:33I had a brain tumour many years ago.
23:36OK.
23:37Just to...
23:38In case I had a fit.
23:40Your heart rate at the moment is around 50 to 53,
23:44which, if you've taken your medication to slow your heart rate down,
23:48that normally does have an effect.
23:51We'll keep those wires on for a bit longer just to monitor your heart,
23:55but we'll see if we can get you up onto a chair where it's a bit comfier
23:58and then see what your blood pressure's like then.
24:01OK. Does that sound all right?
24:02Yeah.
24:03As you stand up or change your posture from lying to sitting,
24:06your blood pressure can drop, which can cause dizziness,
24:09so we wanted to check this wasn't the case when we sat her up.
24:12Oh, it'd be nice to be off the floor.
24:14Is that better?
24:16I mean, your blood pressure has dropped a little bit since we've stood up
24:19and your heart rate then just dropped a little bit.
24:22My only concern is, because the medication you take does lower your heart rate,
24:27whether it's going too low and that's causing your blood pressure then to drop
24:31because the heart's not pumping enough,
24:34my only worry would be if we left and then it would happen again.
24:38We were just concerned that if she'd been left at home,
24:41then if her blood pressure had dropped,
24:43it might have made her pass out and fall over,
24:45and she might have injured herself.
24:47You've got a busy day today, haven't you?
24:49I've got a busy day today, yeah.
24:50My mother would have been a hundred and two weeks.
24:53Really?
24:55That would have been amazing.
24:57Do 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.
25:04So I say you feel dizzy and sit back down or just grab hold of me.
25:07Mm-hm.
25:08Rachel gets Kathleen to stand up
25:10so she can check her blood pressure once more.
25:14OK, have a sit back down again.
25:16Yes.
25:17There's obviously something going on
25:18to cause the blood pressure to drop.
25:21So I know it's not what you want,
25:22but my recommendation would be to pop you up to the hospital.
25:26You have got capacity and you can make your own decisions.
25:29OK.
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 can't place it today.
25:39Well, if anything else happens,
25:41you 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.
25:47The beds are not important.
25:48Your health has to come first
25:50in order to look after everyone else
25:53and get through tomorrow as well.
25:55I wouldn't hesitate if it wasn't a funeral.
25:58I know, I get that.
25:58I get that.
25:59Really bad timing for you, isn't it?
26:01Yeah.
26:01It's dropped again quite low
26:03and you're just sat there.
26:06OK.
26:08I'll have to do as I'm told then.
26:10Yeah.
26:11It was such a relief when Kathleen decided
26:13to come to hospital with us.
26:15She was adamant that she didn't want to go,
26:16but it was the right thing at the end of the day.
26:18Yeah, to get checked over and to see what was causing
26:21her heart rate and her blood pressure to be so low.
26:24It seems that all things happen at once sometimes
26:26and fortunately, these things can't be helped.
26:30Right, good to go when you are.
26:33Cool.
26:34We are strapped in.
26:35Yep.
26:37Rachel closely monitors Kathleen's blood pressure
26:40on the ten-mile drive to hospital.
26:43Back to be safe, I'm sorry,
26:44and then hopefully you'll be fixed for any for tomorrow.
26:47I won't be there.
26:48Well, yeah, no, yeah.
26:50Well, we want you feeling your best, don't we?
26:52You don't want to be feeling rough as well on the day like tomorrow.
26:57Kathleen arrives at University Hospital Coventry.
27:00I'm fed up that it's happened today.
27:04Yeah.
27:05You're not happy about it's happened today.
27:06I'd be the same.
27:10Here, doctors will monitor her heart rate
27:12and review her medication.
27:14They'll also want to investigate
27:16what's causing Kathleen's blood pressure to drop so low.
27:19My heart broke for Kathleen with the day before Mum's funeral,
27:29and I think she just wanted to be at home
27:32to get everything right and perfect for our family coming over.
27:34It's good that we took her in today,
27:37and hopefully it's just a simple fix,
27:38and she'll be able to go to the funeral.
27:50Every job that Amy and Rachel go to
27:52starts with a call for help.
27:54So, you're querying sepsis today?
27:56OK.
27:57All right, just stay nice and calm.
27:59The people who answer those calls go largely unseen,
28:03yet their split-second decisions can save lives.
28:06I love going home and being able to tell my loved ones
28:11what I did that day.
28:13It's an amazing feeling when you know
28:15that you've actually helped someone
28:16or had made a difference in someone's life.
28:19And so, it's great to go home and be like,
28:22this is what I did today.
28:26Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?
28:28Can we have an ambulance?
28:30Is the patient breathing?
28:32It's not breathing, no.
28:34OK, I've got the help arrangement.
28:36I've arranged for him.
28:37Bear with me a second.
28:38Can we have it here?
28:40They're coming as quickly as they can, OK?
28:42You need to just listen to my instructions now, OK?
28:45Is there an...
28:46So, there's other adults with you there?
28:50Hello?
28:52Panic is definitely one of the biggest issues with relatives
28:54because, obviously, this is the scariest day of their life
28:56for a lot of people.
28:57You've just got to calm them down and tell them
29:00you can help them while we're waiting
29:02and this is what you need to do.
29:04Hello?
29:05Hello?
29:06Hiya, can you please send us an ambulance?
29:08My lovely, listen, listen, listen to me.
29:10We've already got the help arranged.
29:11We need to start CPR.
29:12Get him flat on his back on the floor.
29:15Yeah, they're doing that.
29:17OK, tell me when they've done it.
29:19They're doing that.
29:21Tell me when he's on his back.
29:22He's on his back.
29:24OK, put the phone on to loudspeaker now.
29:26Just one second, OK.
29:28Am I on loudspeaker?
29:30Yeah.
29:31OK, whoever's going to be doing the compressions,
29:34you 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.
29:41OK.
29:41Put the other hand on top and lock your fingers together.
29:44Keep your arms straight, push down hard and fast.
29:47Don't be afraid to push too hard.
29:49You're going to push about two times a second
29:51and say, push out loud with every push
29:53so I know how fast you're going.
29:54OK.
29:55So, you're going to go at this rate.
29:56Push, push, push, push, push, push, push, push, push, push.
30:01Push.
30:02Yeah.
30:03Keep going at that rate.
30:04Don't stop until the crew tell you to.
30:06Keep going.
30:07OK.
30:07OK.
30:08OK, we're doing that.
30:09OK, keep going, my lovely, OK?
30:11You're doing really, really well.
30:12Don't stop until the crew tell you to.
30:14It's really tiring giving chest compressions.
30:16I can only imagine, really, how tiring it is,
30:19but you can hear it in their voices,
30:22especially with elderly callers who are doing it on loved ones,
30:26that you know how much they want to help them,
30:29but you can hear how tired they get.
30:31You're doing really well, my lovely.
30:32Try and stay calm, all right?
30:34Keep going with those compressions.
30:36At that same rate, push, push, push, push, push, push, push.
30:41OK.
30:42OK.
30:44Are they still going with those compressions?
30:46Are the crew in the room with him?
30:49Are the crew in the room with him?
30:50All right, I'll leave you with them, OK?
30:52Bye-bye.
30:53Bye-bye.
31:07Isn't it weird, like, with dogs, though?
31:09Like, we just decided one day, like,
31:11OK, we're going to have dogs as pets tonight.
31:13I'd like a tortoise.
31:14I'd love a tortoise.
31:15I'm not mean to me, but that...
31:17I... Yeah, if that's for you, but what would you do with it?
31:21Just look at it and give it cuddles.
31:23Look at it?
31:24That's the most uncuddly thing ever, a tortoise.
31:26You could sit on your lap.
31:27I'd be like, ooh, this is...
31:28I'd love a tortoise.
31:30No.
31:31How would you even cuddle a tortoise?
31:34You'd just sort of have it here, wouldn't you?
31:35And just sort of pet it and then, you know, give you little kisses.
31:39You could kiss it?
31:40Yeah, well, it could kiss me.
31:42No, I definitely wouldn't.
31:43You couldn't bite your chin.
31:44No, it wouldn't. I'm sure it wouldn't.
31:46No, that's the most uncuddliest thing ever.
31:53Ambulance service, dissipation, breathing.
31:56So we have got a 78-year-old male, injury.
32:18Patient had a fall, injured head and hand,
32:22and it says he's on blood thinners.
32:26Our biggest concern with this job was that the patient had fallen over,
32:33hit his head and was on blood thinners.
32:35This could lead to a bleed on the brain and become life-threatening.
32:39Right. Is it here?
32:41Oh, there we go.
32:50You all right?
32:51All right.
32:53Hello.
32:54John, I'm Jess, this is Sarah.
32:56Hello.
32:57All right?
32:58So, what have you done?
33:00What's happened?
33:05Yeah? Let me just feel your wrist at the same time.
33:07Because the grass was wet, it slid.
33:09It smacked onto the grass and the grass went down onto the...
33:12OK.
33:13Did you go head first then?
33:14Yeah, kind of sideways like that.
33:16Oh, bless you.
33:1878-year-old John was walking up the driveway of a friend's house
33:22when he slipped hitting his head.
33:24Do you remember everything?
33:26Yeah.
33:27Yeah, I didn't get knocked out.
33:28No.
33:29Did you get yourself back up?
33:30Yeah.
33:31Yeah.
33:32Yeah, I got myself up.
33:33Come on, bless you.
33:34It'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.
33:45Yeah.
33:46Let's have a look at your head.
33:47Are you on blood thinners, it said.
33:49Yeah.
33:50When John told us that he was on blood thinners,
33:52it was a concern to us.
33:54The blood can't clot effectively and so could bleed more.
33:58Oh, he's stuck that on well, hasn't he?
34:00He's a good-blooming...
34:01Yeah!
34:04Sorry, sweetheart.
34:05That's like a little puncture wound you've got there.
34:08Yeah.
34:09While trying to break his fall,
34:11John also injured his hand.
34:14I can see a bit of fatty tissue, to be fair.
34:17So, you might need...
34:18And it's right on the joint, so...
34:19Yeah.
34:20Might have a look at that.
34:24I haven't got any neck pain at all.
34:26A little bit stiff on the neck, but...
34:29Let's have a quick feel down the middle.
34:31Nothing there, no.
34:32Everything feel OK?
34:33Yeah.
34:34Just you've dented your head and your ego, have you?
34:37Well, yeah.
34:38Yeah.
34:41Although John looked really well,
34:43we still had to find the underlining cause to his fall.
34:47Yeah, there might have been a drop in blood pressure
34:49or an abnormal heart rhythm,
34:51which meant that we would be able to pick that up
34:53with our observations and maybe show the cause of the fall.
34:56Just doing that...
34:57Just that corner there.
34:58Yeah, that side.
34:59Yeah.
35:00Can you imagine in the old days, so you'd be driving,
35:13I'd be sitting here with my A to Z,
35:15and 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?
35:24Yeah, they'd just say you're going here,
35:26and then, you know, if you didn't know it,
35:28you'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?
35:34Well, it's like to keep trying.
35:36Oh, right.
35:37Gosh, I haven't read a map for a really long time.
35:40I think I'd struggle now to do... to read a map.
35:43And, of course, you've got to turn pages as well.
35:45You know, you've got to... you track along,
35:47and then you think, oh, turn the page.
35:48Especially with the speed of my driving.
35:49Can you imagine?
35:50Chris, where am I going? Er...
35:51Left.
35:52Ambulance services, the patient breathing.
36:04It's me, actually.
36:06OK.
36:07I'm breathing, but I'm very... very short of breath.
36:11You're feeling short of breath at the moment?
36:13Yes. I've already got heart troubles.
36:16Oh, we're going local. Going to Warwick.
36:19Yeah.
36:22To 86-year-old lady.
36:24Difficulty in breathing.
36:26Difficulty in breathing can be caused by absolutely anything.
36:29A heart attack can cause difficulty in breathing.
36:31A stroke can cause difficulty in breathing.
36:33And if somebody's struggling to breathe,
36:35they can't really tell us what's happening,
36:37so I find that really challenging
36:39when they can't articulate what the problem is.
36:42Here we go.
36:44I reckon it's going to be one of these, isn't it?
36:47There you go.
36:51Good morning.
36:53You all right, Jacqueline?
36:54Lovely stuff.
36:55Shall I put the light on?
36:56Yeah.
36:57Thank you, lovey.
36:58So, Jacqueline, my name's Chris.
37:00Yeah.
37:01This is Sam.
37:02Good morning.
37:03Good morning.
37:04You all right?
37:05Okay, let's pop that out of the way.
37:08Okay, Jacqueline, what was happening with you at 2 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.
37:25Okay.
37:26I think that's old age, right?
37:28Yeah, maybe.
37:29But, er, I just couldn't breathe.
37:3286-year-old Jacqueline called 999 when she woke up struggling to breathe.
37:37Did it come on all of a sudden?
37:39Yes.
37:40And I thought, oh, God, here we go again.
37:42And how long did that last for?
37:43Erm, it lasted for a good hour.
37:46Even though Jacqueline looked well, she felt concerned enough to phone 999,
37:50so a thorough assessment is still vitally important.
37:53We still need to find out what actually happened at the time.
37:56So how often does the phone call 999 when she woke up struggling to breathe?
37:59Did it come on all of a sudden?
38:00Yes.
38:01And I thought, oh, God, here we go again.
38:03And how long did that last for?
38:04Erm, it lasted for a good hour.
38:06Even though Jacqueline looked well, she felt concerned enough to phone 999,
38:08so how often does this happen?
38:10It's usually if I sort of get tensed up and then I, oh, you know, like a panic attack.
38:16Yeah, yeah, yeah.
38:17And did you feel a little bit anxious and panicky last night?
38:21Well, erm, I don't think I should feel anxious,
38:25but I start worrying about things.
38:29For a lot of patients, being anxious can really make their condition worse.
38:33I get nervous sometimes on the way to jobs, you can really struggle,
38:36so I think we just had to make sure that we tried to calm Jacqueline down a little bit,
38:39put her at ease, try and build a rapport with her and actually see if we could help her.
38:50On the outskirts of Coventry, paramedics Jess and Sarah are treating John.
38:56He fell over outside, cutting his head and injuring his hand.
39:00So nothing this side, it was purely here.
39:03Does that hurt there?
39:04No.
39:05No?
39:06What about here, on 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,
39:18Sarah 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?
39:24Is that all right?
39:26Yes, that's all right, yeah.
39:28You can relax your arm, John, that's it.
39:31So, check-wise, you're relatively OK,
39:34but you potentially might need stitches and, obviously,
39:37just probably just to check over with your head.
39:40So, are you all right to pop up to the hospital with us
39:43and we'll get you sorted?
39:45He was on blood thinners and he would need a head scan
39:48to 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?
40:09Yeah, yeah, quite fine.
40:10You know, just do right when you're younger.
40:13I've had a really active life.
40:15I used to do a lot of water skiing.
40:17Oh, did you?
40:18Wow, I've never water skied.
40:19I've worked for years.
40:20Oh, really?
40:21Yeah, because my granddad and them, they had a boatyard.
40:23Oh, OK.
40:24So, every time I went down there, I was on the boat.
40:26Oh, that's cool, yeah.
40:28Not too far away, that wasn't too bad, was it?
40:30No.
40:33Oh, that's cool, yeah.
40:38Not too far away, that wasn't too bad, was it?
40:40No.
40:43After 18 minutes, John arrives at University Hospital Coventry.
40:49Right then, shall we go and get you sorted?
40:51Yeah.
40:52Here, medical staff will apply stitches to his hand.
40:56His head will also be scanned to look for any signs of a bleed on the brain.
41:01Which appreciates.
41:02No worries.
41:03That's OK.
41:04Right, let's go this way, I think.
41:07Here we go.
41:09Here we go.
41:10In Warwick, paramedic Chris and student paramedic Sam are with Jacqueline.
41:25She's been feeling anxious and was struggling to breathe.
41:28Shall we have a look at your numbers, Jacqueline?
41:31Have a look at your blood pressure and your oxygen levels.
41:34Oh, yeah.
41:35And just see how you are.
41:37Don'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 three times a week and I've got to go today.
41:51To keep her kidneys working, Jacqueline has dialysis to remove toxins from her blood,
41:57but it can have side effects.
41:59Dialysis can mean that you're more prone to infection
42:01because your body's not getting rid of all the waste products it needs to,
42:04so 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
42:09and 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...
42:29Yeah.
42:30..probably one of the first things we do, isn't it?
42:33Yeah.
42:34How long have you lived here for?
42:36Er, three years now.
42:38OK. Do you like it here?
42:39Oh, I love it.
42:40Yeah.
42:41Because I can be everything nosy.
42:43Well, you have. You've got a great view.
42:45Yeah, because I can see everyone going in this shopping.
42:48Your numbers so far are spot on.
42:51Your blood pressure is almost textbook, 120 over 79.
42:56Oh, good.
42:57Yeah, everything looking very good there, Jacqueline.
42:59Oh, that's good.
43:01So just chatting with you, Jacqueline, you seem...
43:03You seem well at the minute.
43:05Yeah.
43:06Do you feel well and back to normal?
43:08Yes.
43:09I don't mind otherwise.
43:10You just have these moments of this breathing.
43:13We see so much anxiety in the ambulance service,
43:17particularly amongst the elderly people.
43:20I think when you find yourself living on your own,
43:24when you're not in the best of health, that's quite scary.
43:27OK, Jacqueline, you can lean back.
43:29You know, your mind can just run away with you, really.
43:33And maybe things you would have dealt with quite well
43:36when you were younger become big issues
43:38when you're on your own and older.
43:41And I didn't want to bother you, but I had to,
43:45because I didn't know which way it was going to go, you know?
43:49So we would definitely encourage you,
43:51if in the middle of the night you feel unwell in any way,
43:55always push your button.
43:57We'll always come out and have a look at you.
44:00Please don't worry about calling us.
44:02I think you're so busy.
44:04Right, Jacqueline.
44:05So, like we're saying, everything is looking really, really good.
44:11Good.
44:12And you're fully recovered and you're feeling great.
44:14Yes, I'm feeling a lot better now.
44:16Fabulous.
44:18I know it's hard, but try not to worry.
44:21Right, Jacqueline, lovely to meet you.
44:23Do you want the light on or off?
44:25Off, please.
44:27OK.
44:28All right, you, take care.
44:29All the best.
44:31Bye-bye.
44:32Always.
44:33Bye-bye.
44:46John, who fell outside injuring his head,
44:49didn't have a bleed on the brain.
44:51Once the cut to his hand was stitched,
44:53he was able to go home.
44:55Carol, who was found unresponsive, was diagnosed with postural hypertension.
45:03This is where her blood pressure drops when she stands up.
45:06She spent four weeks in hospital.
45:11Rebecca, who had chest pain at work, wasn't having a heart attack.
45:15Doctors thought it could be rheumatoid arthritis.
45:18She was discharged eight hours later.
45:20And Kathleen, who had very low blood pressure, was monitored until it stabilised.
45:29The following day, she was well enough to go to her mother's funeral as planned.
45:33Next time...
45:37How are you feeling yourself right now?
45:39Warm.
45:40Warm, OK.
45:41Pretty warm, yeah.
45:42A man with chest pain is dangerously ill.
45:45He was showing all the classic signs of a heart attack.
45:49He was sweaty, he was clammy, he was warm to touch.
45:53And this is really serious.
45:55A cancer patient with sepsis needs to go to hospital.
46:00Not again.
46:02Not again?
46:03You had it before.
46:04Because neutropenic sepsis can be fatal and lead to death,
46:07it was really important that we got him to hospital as quick as possible.
46:10Well, you really are swollen now, aren't you?
46:14And an anaphylactic reaction leaves a man struggling to breathe.
46:18Anaphylaxis with tongue swelling is absolutely life-threatening.
46:23This can kill people.
46:25Bloods zurück to blue hearts and elderly hearts from sea.
46:30And we'll Watch ë•¡ to become everyone.
46:33So you've got to run it then.
46:39This great thing was Ð’ respond.
46:42And johnson, can we get to have a problem?
46:45Why?
46:46How it could have been use of the Hadron Palace?
46:48Really, we could have blown it up, could we have something that gets better.
46:51Butading for the notes of the message,
46:53it tends to keep from mind too much детей settle for emotional seasons.
Recommended
46:39
|
Up next
46:20
47:12
46:39
46:55
47:02
46:54
46:38
47:00
46:44
46:25
46:21
46:24
46:12
46:42
46:33
46:34
46:46
46:42
47:08
46:59
46:48
56:06