If you are new to our blogs or had not noticed, last week there was no blog. If you were a participant for our First Aid course 2 weeks ago, you likely got an email and a phone call around 9:00 PM telling you that your class was cancelled. EMP2C missed these obligations because we encountered an emergency with compounding factors, that threw our calendar through the ringer. However, this event gave us some refresher training with some real-world applications.
**Personal Note**
Before I start this story, I want to take a moment and make a personal note.
To Claire, my extremely supportive girlfriend, who’s quick thinking and training kicked in to assist in this emergency, you are amazing. Your selflessness, attentiveness, caring heart, and swift action has saved my children on more than one occasion now.
To Sophia (we wish we got your full name), thank you for taking the time to help a stranger in need. Even during a pandemic, you took complete disregard to your own personal safety by transporting strangers in order to help provide aid. I hope you see this. If you do, please reach out.
How it all started
Our story begins last month, in April with a broken-down vehicle. I drive an old Ford Expedition that I should probably retire. The timing on that 5.4L 3 valve went out (as they are known to do), and I found myself without reliable transportation. On May 14th I borrowed Claire’s vehicle to go to an MRI for my own medical issues, while Claire took my children to the park with her personal cellphone at 8% and her work phone at 15% battery. While I was in the MRI, my youngest son, who just worked up the courage to swing on the monkey bars, elected to fall from the high bars and break his arm. At this point Claire jumped into action, supported, and stabilized his arm (but did not put eyes on the injury due to his long sleeve shirt) and started to figure out how to get him the mile back to our house, or the mile to the hospital (bit of a geographical oddity huh?). This is when Sophia come to the rescue and transported my family back to our house, while Claire tried to get in contact with me via phone.
Why this is a problem
Now, I know what you are thinking, “Jeeze Nick, slow reporting day? Blowing it a bit out of proportion, aren’t you? Not quite.
My youngest son suffered what is known as a Supracondylar elbow fracture of his left Humerus, approximately 3mm above the joint. This fracture is common but is an “open” or “compound” fracture; the most damaging type of fracture, which normally present with immediate swelling, intense pain and obvious deformity. These injuries also have a larger chance of neurovascular injury (damage to the nerves in the area, in this case the ulnar nerve), crushing or splintering of the bone, severe soft tissue trauma, and excessive internal bleeding (from the brachial artery). These are the fractures typically shown in movies, or which make headlines when a sports star suffers one on national TV.
How was a bad day made worse?
- I had our only functioning vehicle
- I was not able to be contacted
- We live near my parents, Claire did not have their number saved in her phone
- Individuals with complex fractures should not be moved until the break is splinted and not bearing weight, and only if the move is 100% necessary.
- The was no First Aid kit on location
- The extent of the break was not immediately known due to the clothing worn and lack of ability to remove clothing.
- As a "single dad" others had to adapt their schedules to watch the other children and I had to wipe my calendar.
- I was unprepared to stay over night at a hospital in another "state"
Once I irresponsibly sped to the house, we immediately grabbed my first aid kit, and with an assist from my mother, transported my son to the hospital. While in route I removed the clothing and stabilized the injury. Upon arrival I gave a report to a nurse at the entrance, who saw the condition of the injury and rushed us into pediatric ER. We spent 6 hours at Frederick Memorial administering pain management and taking x-rays, and were then transported to Children’s Hospital in Washington D.C. where we spent 12 hours getting a secondary evaluation, more X-rays and surgery to repair the joint.
Lessons learned
1. Even for just a normal trip to the park, take your first aid kit.
A simple set of trauma shears and some sticks for an improvised splint would have dramatically improved the situation. If you dont feel like carrying that, try out a more basic kit like EMP2C's pocket first aid kit.
2. Have a communications plan, even for the everyday mundane tasks.
Even as someone who obsesses over things like this, it never even occurred to me that I may need to be reached while in the MRI. If I cant be reached, who is the next best person? How do we get ahold of EMS with a dead cellphone.
3. Keep your phone charged!
Your phone is intended to be a phone first, mini-computer/gaming device second. If you have no battery you can’t communicate.
4. Keep up on your own training
While I teach weekly and review my own personal training, Claire maintains the standard Layman's CPR/AED course required by her job. She also was a lifeguard and has that advanced knowledge to lean on, however without practice all skills become diminished. Take the time to practice a first aid or CPR skill once a week. Make things interesting by having to improvise or adapt to the situation.
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