So there he was, minding his own business, while on an organized run outside Charlottesville, VA. He is training for a marathon and a group of runners of like mind (there really is "a group" that want to do this?) were running through the rural farmland when he came upon a runner who was walking with an odd posture. She had her arms away from her side, stuck out at a 45 degree angle and, well, looked curious. So he stopped and asked if she was OK.
He recognized her from his work at UVA where he is a family doc. Seems she'd been stung behind her ear by a wasp and was a little rattled for the experience. That and she had urticaria (hives) from head to toe(!), hence the posture.
"Gee, you OK?"
"I think so, I'll just walk a bit and see how things go", she says.
"Breathing OK?"
"I'm a little wheezy....." Wrong answer.
Thinking fast he decides to stop a home up ahead and see if, perhaps, they might just have some Benadryl, an antihistamine. They knock, he identifies himself as a doc with a concern about this runner and do they by any chance have some Benadryl? Why yes, in fact they do. So down goes 50mg. But by know she is really wheezing and getting a touch light headed. Bleep.
So he calls 911, then asks, knowing its against all odds, "You don't by any chance have an "Epi-pen" do you?" As a matter of fact they do!!!! He administers the epinephrine injection.
A few minutes later the rural first resp0nders show. They take her blood pressure and its below 80mmHg systolic; full on anaphylaxis. By now she is a little the worse for wear but hanging in there and all are thanking their lucky stars. An ambulance shows up. They take her pressure again as they load her for the ride to the UVA emergency department, and it's unchanged. She goes on O2, and is taken to the ED.
As clean a save as you'll ever find thanks to a runner-physician who had his antennae out and a welcoming home that, unbelievably, had the appropriate meds. Incredible.
3 comments:
Sounds like you could have used Eli last year...but wait, you just had an anaphalacTOID reaction. :)
Wow. I've never been the subject of a blog posting before (at least none of which I'm aware...). Thanks. It's funny how we seem to attract this sort of thing, what with you and the bike rides, Bethany and the seizure. Not sure if that means it's good we're out there, or if we should forgo organized athletics so as not to bring our bad karma. Either way, a heck of a story. Found out she needed more benadryl and albuterol in the ambulance, and couldn't get an IV until she hit the ED due to low blood pressure (no veins, at least not in the back of a bumpy van). Thanks again for the props.
Great Scott! What a beautifully orchestrated save, huh?
Post a Comment