When vehicles attack!

It's common knowledge that some Paramedics attract certain kinds of jobs - even before I've become a fully qualified Paramedic I know my niche.

I attract car accidents.

Since joining St John Ambulance, I have had at least 8 car accidents happen right in front of me. Normally I'm in civilian clothes, but have my trusty kit in the back of the car (something I highly recommend people get!) and have been able to help out where possible.

Usually they've been low speed collisions, for a long time the most major injury I had to treat was a bleeding scalp following a minor spidering of the windshield. Of course, I made a point of saying 'until recently' because this leads into todays story...

A car was t-boned (one car ramming head first into the side of another) in front of me, the scene instantly turning to chaos. I pulled my car onto the grass and jumped out, kit following me. Fortunately I was in my StJ overalls, so people actually listened when I yelled for an ambulance. The driver who hit head on was fine, walking from the wreckage left behind him with only a look of disbelief and slight tremble of the hands. The driver who was hit side-on was a different story, having not had the luxury of a full crumple zone to lessen the impact.

He said he had lower back pain and pins and needles down his legs, so I told him to stay sitting and try not to move while I did a quick primary survey to check for bleeding. Luckily I didn't find any (although this does not rule out internal bleeds), and quickly jumped into the passenger seat behind him to immobilise the c-spine (his neck) with my hands. Unfortunately I had switched from a marked St John vehicle only a few hours prior, and would have had the luxury of proper fitted collars - but I knew this would do until the ambulance arrived.

To everyone's luck the ambulance arrived in short time and we got a collar on and we got the driver onto a spine board to be loaded. The crew thanked me for my help and everyone went on their way.

This job left a firm thought in my mind that I was doing the right thing by applying for the ambulance service - and also gave me the confidence to believe that I could actually do this. I hated the feeling of not having the equipment I knew I needed, but at the same time enjoyed (not the right word, but you get the idea) the fact I had to think on my feet.

I also learned a quick lesson in patient management, having my friend in the front shifting from time to time (with me grumbling at him to stop each time) until eventually I just warned him he could move one more time, shift something and never be able to move his legs again. It's strange how these words can make a grown man sit as still as a well trained schoolboy.

I wander how he ended up - it's hard not knowing. Hopefully it was nothing but a bit of pressure from a swollen disk, or a pinched nerve that healed itself. There's always the chance that was the last day he ever walked, and I have to be open to that possibility no matter how much I dislike it - being honest with yourself is the only way to survive the job for a long period of time. I doubt I'll ever find out, but I like to hope maybe I made a difference by being there.