Time for a Day Off I think…!!!
First day off in seven days! Started my Minor Injuries course at the local University last week, two days of admin and course overview and strategy. Although the second day was better with practical applications including examination and auscultation (listening with a stethoscope) of chest injuries.
Then I was straight back to work at the weekend on days. Nothing really out of the ordinary, normal run of the mill chest pains, falls, medical ailments. Did have two very severe “hyperventilating” jobs which took some sorting out but eventually all ended well. (Usually it is quite straight forward to sort out this type of job.)
Had the classic “male collapsed,unconscious”after he had been caught shoplifting. Arrived on scene and I could see that the male was pretending to be unco. (Certain things you learn in the job that you dont get taught in training school.) I tried the obvious pinch test, shouting in his ear and then proceeded to put the largest O/P airway into his mouth and throat. This confirmed my suspicions that he was feigning unconsciousness as he gagged it back out. (You still need to go through the process of assessing the patients level of consciousness and response to painful stimuli even if you know they are faking it!).
He still would not co-operate so we had no choice but to put him on the truck. A Police officer accompanied us to the A/E. There we rolled him onto a trolley where the Police officer handcuffed him to the rail just in case. I handed over to the nurse who tried to get him to wake up to no avail. Everybody knew that he was faking it!
Later on during the shift I asked the nurse if they had found out who the shoplifter was (he had no ID on him when we brought him in). She explained that he had remained totally still and unresponsive until the Police officer took the cuffs off where upon he leapt off the trolley and ran full pelt out of A/E down the road, over a fence, across the train tracks, into someones back garden and climbed up onto someones roof!!! Miraculous recovery!!!
Every day was busy, and the jobs seemed to blur into one and another! Very tired from getting up early in the mornings and was late off a couple of times due to late jobs coming in! Will be nice to have a long lay in!
Spent most of today, my day off, catching up on my “reflective practice” and sorting out course work. Tomorrow the gym! Nights at the weekend!…….cant wait!
Found this SWAB team video…..have a look.
Purpleplus 
Ah, the Linford Christie reflex. They certainly dont teach you that that can happen in college. If they ever plan to use humans for greyhounds to chase round the track then this character has a potential career.
Enjoy your days off.
Lucy
I prefer the ‘smack in the gob’ reflex when you hold their arm straight up and see if they’ll let it drop on their face when you let it go.
SD
I usually find a way to prove they are faking it. The subtle use of pressure points.
What a cheek!!
We took in a real good faker, who if we didn’t know about him, we would have been convinced he was unconscious, he will take an OP / nasal airway with flinching. However at the hospital the consultant had his number and sheer shock factor ‘brought him round’. He tipped a pile of ice down his boxers!! We did chuckle!
Nicenurse
I was in a well known fast food restaurant enjoying a light snack when I noticed a woman slumped down on a table in front of me. She was breathing but she had the appearances of someone who just had a a slightly bigger fix than usual. I asked the staff if they had noticed her and explained my suspicions. Staff seemed to think that she was probably tired. ‘watch this’ I said. I then took a firm grip on the woman’s earlobe and gave a hard pinch. No reaction at all. ‘I’ll do it harder’ I said and I did but there was still no reaction. Third time lucky I pinched again, but this time I dug my thumbnail as well. The woman shrieked, jumped up and punched out towards me but missed and delivered a perfect upper cut to a carton of thickshake on the table in front of her. The carton flew up then fell down and exploded on the floor. The woman walked out and met her partner. They stood arguing for a while, then they staggered off arm in arm, while the staff mopped the floor