Night and Day

Rhode Island Hospital ER, 0230 hrs:

Overdoses, stabbings, a man covered in blood and toothpaste (the blood was an offering to Jesus, the toothpaste protection from terrorists)drunks covered in vomit, people on backboards with cervical collars around their necks, a screaming man “four pointed” face down on a stretcher, another guy trying to smash his head against the wall from his stretcher, a depressed man with stubs for feet sitting in a wheelchair crying, a sexual assault victim sobbing off to the side, sitting in the EMS break room talking to the police and a little old lady who felt “faint” sitting in the middle of it all.

Alida, one of the two triage nurses held it together with amazing grace but was about to lose it when the mother of a seventeen year old girl who had taken ten unknown pills demanded to be seen immediately started acting up.

Things were about to hit the breaking point when two cars, followed by a trail of cops sped into the ambulance bay and dumped a couple of gunshot victims onto the pavement. That quieted things down for a while while we got the victims onto stretchers and into the trauma rooms. My patient had a single GSW to his lower back, possibly shattering lower spine. He was diaphoretic, hypotensive and losing a lot of blood. The other victim ended up in another trauma room, a couple of bullet holes in him. I think the two were shooting at each other in a crowded nightclub parking lot.

I somehow got myself involved with the trauma team, along with Denny, a twenty-two year old “new guy” from Rescue 3. We started IV’s, helped intubate, restrain, cut off clothes and basically got bossed around by the trauma nurses and doctors. All hands on deck ruled the ER, too many patients, not enough hands.

An hour later we managed to extricate ourselves from the madness. Denny has been on rescue only two months but has already seen more than a lot of people will see for their entire career. If we can keep him humble we might let him stay in the rescue division.

Rhode Island Hospital ER 0930 hrs.

New day, new hospital. The cops are gone, so are the maniacs. The trauma rooms are now full of elderly people, some with trouble breathing, others with chest pain, more with injuries from falls or MVA’s. Last night’s controlled chaos has been replaced with cool efficiency as tests are ordered, x-rays taken and patients treated. the gunshot victims made it to the operating room, I think they will survive. What a difference a few hours makes.

*Providence Journal

2 men shot outside Providence club

01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, June 15, 2008

PROVIDENCE — Two 22-year-old men were seriously injured yesterday in an early morning shooting and brawl outside a Poe Street club, the police said.

The two men were shot around 2 a.m. in the parking lot of the just-closed Platforms Dance Club. There are two clubs in the area, the police said.

“There was a large disturbance in the parking lot and several shots rang out,” said Sgt. James Marsland. “It was a good-sized fight.”

Injured were Derrick Knighton, of 139 Burnett St., Providence, and Derrick Clarke-Heath, address unknown. They were driven to Rhode Island Hospital by residents. Knighton was shot in the torso. Other patrons injured in the fight –– but not shot –– were also driven to the hospital for treatment, Marsland said.

Two patrolmen found .380-caliber shell casings in the parking lot. The police towed three cars believed to be involved in the fight: a 1994 Oldsmobile, a 1995 Chevy Lumina and a 1997 Nissan Maxima. No arrests have been made. The case is under investigation, Marsland said.