# The Human Baloon



## AintNoDoctor (Sep 6, 2016)

So I ain't no doctor...

But I thought I'd share an interesting call with you all.
My paramedic partner and I responded to a home out in the middle of no-where the other night. It was probably about 2 in the morning as usual. The house was one of those gravel road backwoods sort of places with debris and junk stacked everywhere. Dispatch information was possible allergic reaction, short of breath. We waltz in to find an older man who, at first glance, is obviously in the late stages of severe anaphylaxis. His eyes are all but swollen shut. Extreme facial edema. He looks like the blue berry girl from Wikky wonka. One of the Firefighters new him and remarked on how large he was. I was playing on the sidelines so I immediately start grabbing the epi and Benadryl while my partner talks but I stop short. It just doesn't seem right. The guy is conversational and completely relaxed. Not what I would expect. So I walk up and start examining him more closely and find he has no rash whatsoever. He also has no history of allergic reaction. He continues to say that all he had to eat yesterday was vodka (nice...) not a common allergen and from the look of the kitchen I'm guessing he has had it before with pleasing effects. He said he was breathing fine and that his major complaint was that his testicles had suddenly become the size of cantaloupes. They were... He showed us. He continues to describe his evening as I reach down to check his pulse. It's hard to describe exactly what it felt like. The best comparison I can think of is that thick "floam" putty kids used to play with. Or if you've felt lung tissue when it's inflated... Similar to that. Like aerated soft tissue but thick. It was about an inch deep at his wrist. Obviously a pulse was difficult to palpate. I was confused at first and then touched his eyelids, they were the size of large grapes and soft; full of air. It quickly dawned on my partner and I that this was subcutaneous emphisema but way WAY more extreme than I ever thought possible. It was in his neck, his chest, his arms and legs and apparently his testicles. Further investigation found that he had drunk himself to a stupor, as the good lord intended, and stumbled his way into bed. Apparently he took a couple of solid falls on the way in and landed on a dining table chair. The arm of the chair had in fact broken. He then got into bed, strapped on his cpap machine as he always did and went to bed. 6 hours later here we are. What he didn't realize is that when he fell he broke a rib and gave himself a pneumo. Then continued to power inflate his body with his C-pap untill we arrived. I kid you not, when I started the IV, I was expecting him to deflate with that comical deflating balloon sound effect... Sadly that didn't happen. But I swear, I could have tied a string to him and sold him at a carnival. It was bizarre.


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## NomadicMedic (Sep 6, 2016)




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## VentMonkey (Sep 6, 2016)

AintNoDoctor said:


> So I ain't no doctor...
> 
> But I thought I'd share an interesting call with you all.
> My paramedic partner and I responded to a home out in the middle of no-where the other night. It was probably about 2 in the morning as usual. The house was one of those gravel road backwoods sort of places with debris and junk stacked everywhere. Dispatch information was possible allergic reaction, short of breath. We waltz in to find an older man who, at first glance, is obviously in the late stages of severe anaphylaxis. His eyes are all but swollen shut. Extreme facial edema. He looks like the blue berry girl from Wikky wonka. One of the Firefighters new him and remarked on how large he was. I was playing on the sidelines so I immediately start grabbing the epi and Benadryl while my partner talks but I stop short. It just doesn't seem right. The guy is conversational and completely relaxed. Not what I would expect. So I walk up and start examining him more closely and find he has no rash whatsoever. He also has no history of allergic reaction. He continues to say that all he had to eat yesterday was vodka (nice...) not a common allergen and from the look of the kitchen I'm guessing he has had it before with pleasing effects. He said he was breathing fine and that his major complaint was that his testicles had suddenly become the size of cantaloupes. They were... He showed us. He continues to describe his evening as I reach down to check his pulse. It's hard to describe exactly what it felt like. The best comparison I can think of is that thick "floam" putty kids used to play with. Or if you've felt lung tissue when it's inflated... Similar to that. Like aerated soft tissue but thick. It was about an inch deep at his wrist. Obviously a pulse was difficult to palpate. I was confused at first and then touched his eyelids, they were the size of large grapes and soft; full of air. It quickly dawned on my partner and I that this was subcutaneous emphisema but way WAY more extreme than I ever thought possible. It was in his neck, his chest, his arms and legs and apparently his testicles. Further investigation found that he had drunk himself to a stupor, as the good lord intended, and stumbled his way into bed. Apparently he took a couple of solid falls on the way in and landed on a dining table chair. The arm of the chair had in fact broken. He then got into bed, strapped on his cpap machine as he always did and went to bed. 6 hours later here we are. What he didn't realize is that when he fell he broke a rib and gave himself a pneumo. Then continued to power inflate his body with his C-pap untill we arrived. I kid you not, when I started the IV, I was expecting him to deflate with that comical deflating balloon sound effect... Sadly that didn't happen. But I swear, I could have tied a string to him and sold him at a carnival. It was bizarre.


Was there a question in that story somewhere?


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## VFlutter (Sep 16, 2016)

It is really cool to see a patient's CXR when they have SubQ Air. You start to see the muscle fibers in the chest


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## VentMonkey (Sep 16, 2016)

Chase said:


> It is really cool to see a patient's CXR when they have SubQ Air. You start to see the muscle fibers in the chest


http://astna.org/?page=TPATCProvider

Sort of on the topic, but for anyone interested in learning more about how to read CXR's, CT's, etc. This came highly recommended from CCP course instructor. 

I may end up doing it for my nexf go round of FP-C CE's.


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## Handsome Robb (Sep 18, 2016)

VentMonkey said:


> http://astna.org/?page=TPATCProvider
> 
> Sort of on the topic, but for anyone interested in learning more about how to read CXR's, CT's, etc. This came highly recommended from CCP course instructor.
> 
> I may end up doing it for my nexf go round of FP-C CE's.



Is it basically TNATC just renamed? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## VentMonkey (Sep 18, 2016)

Handsome Robb said:


> Is it basically TNATC just renamed?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm not 100% sure, as I was unfamiliar with that particular acronym for, but it looks that way.


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