What do guns and machetes have in common? They can both be used to hurt and kill people, usually causing some serious bodily harm. Where I work it’s not uncommon to have 5 or 6 gunshot victims come in on any given night. Stabbings are less frequent, but we still see a lot. Most are puncture wounds, often causing damage to the organs underneath. Gunshot and stab wounds don’t always require surgery, some are stitched up in the emergency department.
After about six months as a volunteer, we had our live-fire training. This was the big day we all looked forward to. This was the day we put on our bunker gear for real and walked into a building on fire.
Being a level 1 trauma center and a major regional hospital, we see a lot of trauma patients cross through our doors. We see everything from car accidents, stabbings and gunshot wounds to falls and simply broken bones. Some are more serious than others. Some have more interesting stories behind them. Never a dull moment in the emergency department!
Welcome to my new blog, tales from the ED. I am a paramedic working in one of the busiest emergency departments in the US. I would like to share stories from life in the ED as well as memories from the fire department and the ambulance. All names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.