How do you cope???

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Lisa

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Rough call today...wanted to vent a little bit and I knew I could count on you guys.

Taking a nap when my husband comes in and says dispatch is asking for a First Responder....call happened to be maybe 2 blocks from my house. I go en route and they give me the details of the call. 3 month old not breathing and blue, parents have done some rescue breathing. I panic a little bit....I have a 1 month old at home and haven't been responding much due to my pregnancy. I get on scene, Ambulance has beat me there ( Thank God!!!) I knock on the door and the medic is telling my husband to keep me out of the truck. Parents are in histerics and there are alot of family members there as well.
I get in the truck anyway and start to assist CPR...baby is still blue. Our EMA Director shows up and decides to do the driving so the medic has as much help as he needs/wants. About halfway to the ER we get a strong brachial pulse and heart rate is starting to come up. We continue to ventilate the pt. and get there as quick as possible. Medic has pushed all necessary drugs and started an IO of normal saline. Baby begins to look better at the ER, vitals are all within normal range. ER staff calls the helicopter to transport to the Children's hospital about 50 miles away. ER doc and on call Peditrician consider the pt "stable".
Crew calls for an update on the pt...... prognosis was good until they got the results of the CT back. Baby has brainstem diffusion (not sure what that means but it doesn't sound good). They are not saying it is "Shaken baby syndrome" but they haven't ruled it out either.
I am surprised with myself to be honest. I am dealing well I think. I have talked to the crew a few times tonight and I seem to be doing better than they are. This is my first infant CPR. I am just tired of everyone asking if I am ok. I know they are just all concerned but if they would stop asking and let me deal with it I would be fine. I guess it is because I have an infant myself. I haven't cried or brokedown, and I don't feel like I need too.........Is this normal or am I just cold hearted?? Thanks for letting me vent.............
 
Don't think you're cold at all...we all react differently to different calls. I've had minor things (like a 3 year old with a 1 inch laceration to his forehead) really upset me while other more serious ones haven't. Part of it could be that this one had a good outcome, at least from an EMS standpoint...the PT was pulseless and apneic when you got on-scene and had a pulse and was breathing at the ER. Regardless of anything else that happens, that's something to feel good about.

Just remember, we're here if you need us.
 
You & your crew fought the good fight , and won for a little one Lisa...mighty hard to be loose on the outside & tight on the inside though, isn't it? Go unwind however you choose, just remember this guy wins some days too.....
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Pediatric calls, especially infants are tough. I worked a 3 month old SIDs death that was not easy for me. Anyway, you have to remember that in this business we have to take the bad with the good. Sounds like that in your own way, you are dealing with the situation, but your feelings could always change at some point. The key (for me anyway) is to talk it out. When and if you do feel like breaking down and crying then go for it. Just because we are the rescuers and are supposed to be the tough ones, doesn't mean that we are not human also.
 
makes one appreciate the little old lady calls doesn't it?
 
Those are the tough ones..

Be safe,
Ridryder 911.
 
Just an update...Baby was ruled a SIDS case. The family took him off life support yesterday morning...thanks for letting me vent
 
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