Hi-Brow + Low-Brow = Uni-Brow

I was in line getting my lunch before I went in to work, when someone yelled that an old man had fallen and split his head open. I put my stuff on the counter and said I'd be back.

When I got there, security and valet services had already stood him up and leaned him against a podium. They had also already called 911. I checked him out, asked him some questions. Someone got him a chair, so I helped him into it. I asked him a few more questions and got a closer look at his wounds. I told him he was probably fine, but that we'd let the fire department have a look at him and that they'd probably rule out anything serious, clean him up, put dressings on and send him on his way.

I stayed with him until the fire department got there, gave them a quick report, and was on my way.

Here's the thing, this was very basic, first-responder type stuff. I've given care at about this same level before, but for the first time, I was really confident about it. For the first time I was certain I was asking the right questions and doing the right things. It was so comforting to confidently move down a flow chart in my mind, ruling things out as I went.

Head wounds are dramatic, they bleed a lot, so folks were sparking out a bit and kinda talking at him. Within a couple questions I was feeling pretty confident I'd ruled out anything critical and knew I was most likely dealing with a dramatic but inconsequential situation. I kept my eye on him to see if any of that changed. If he were a young guy, it probably would have been clean him, dress the wounds and send him on his way, but he appeared to be in his 70s at least. Old guy's gotta get checked out.

So it's not so much that I feel like Mr. Big Pants for having EMT training but it's just that just yesterday I was thinking "what the hell did I do all that for?" and today I feel like it was well worth it. Like I said it was relatively minor. A Red Cross First Aid course would have been sufficient but the EMT training and experience, if nothing else, let me be the calm guy asking the right questions and keeping the patient calm. People are always gonna get hurt, and I'm always going to want to help and now I'm so glad I have just a little bit more knowledge and experience.

What I really try to remember is that I don't actually know shit about shit and focus on the basics -- scene safety, airway, breathing, circulation and then keep a close eye on all of the above.

And if you're going to come in late to work, coming in with blood on you goes a long way towards squelching a lot of questions about it.