Like most people, I've never especially enjoyed seeing or smelling vomit. But it has never especially bothered me, and unlike many HEMS folks, I never got nauseous flying in the old non-air conditioned BO-105's, even on hot summer days during aggressive maneuvers. Until one especially hot and humid summer day, we picked up a large women who was ejected (fortunately with no serious injuries) from a rollover MVC on the interstate and who by her own admission had gorged herself on the buffet that was provided at the roadside establishment she had left shortly before our encounter. Despite our routine provision of 25 mg phenergan IV (routine for us back in those days), she began to vomit profusely (while being secure strapped to a backboard and headlocks) shortly after lift off from the scene. Being seated in the position that I was, leaning across her to reach the suction meant placing my own face within inches of the column of vomit that was being ejected from her mouth. I retched and heaved reveal times and really thought I was going to puke all over her, but I managed not to. Suctioned her pharynx well and made sure she was able to maintain her airway and all was fine. But any time I hear someone talk about about being nauseous at the site or smell of vomit, there are two encounters that I think of and this is one of them.
