Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

12 hours in the trauma room. Nada too bad, but its never good when the AIC (attending in charge) accepts 8 transfers within the first hour of the shift! (to quote a dear friend.... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is that about!) I think what saved my ass was that the ceiling was around my ankles and nobody was flying. So instead of an influx, there was a steady flow of trauma for the first 7 hours and then things got better.

We got a call from security at 6am stating that a person had fallen on the escalator in one of the buildings (not the Main building, but another huge building). So I grabbed an Aspen collar just in case and some buddies who were just as bored as me and away we went. When we got to the "scene" granny was head down, feet up and semi-conscious. (WTF again!) Usually when we get called for this stuff it is complete and total bullshit. (the "code" that had a syncopal episode) So my inner EMS goddess kicked in, someone took c-spine, another went to get a backboard and stretcher while I started my primary and secondary assessment

The lady was going up the escalator, stumbled and then fell backward hitting the back of her head (please God, no coumadin!). The fall was witnessed by her son, who was on his way to the OR for a brain tumor resection and her two deaf-mute daughters. (WTF!)We got her boarded, on the stretcher and to the ER without any issue. She went in the trauma room due to lack of space and got her treatment started. Our clinical coordinator did not agree with what we did. Apparently we were not supposed to respond, but have security call 911, let them do exactly what we did, drive around the block and drop her back at the ER. I spoke to the administrator who said 1) per policy, we should have let security call 911 instead but 2) we did the right hing for the patient. She ended up having no head bleed or c-spine injury. I went home and slept without any issues. I would have done it again.