Joe Trauma Case Study

On Wednesday, September 7, 2016 at about 1541 hours while represent at Brooklyn Special Victim Unit, located at 653 Grand Ave, Brooklyn, Sgt. Smolarsky, SVU and I interviewed Ms. Ryan-Mary Roberts. The following is a detail description of what transpired;

Summarize: A 22-year-old male, Joe Hamilton, suffered a cardiac arrest while playing basketball. Consequently, responders proceeded with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and electrical defibrillations that lead to a pulse return, however Joe remained in a coma.

Minutes have passed and to my surprise, after shocking the patient multiple times, we had return of spontaneous circulation. A sense of excitement, and relief, poured over me. From my past experiences, I assumed that there was a small probability that this man would live; however, that day I learned that every patient is different. As a Physician Assistant (PA) I want to consider the entire combination of factors that make each person unique, analyzing all aspects of their life – physically and emotionally. Ultimately, this experience motivated me to channel all of my energy towards pursuing a career as a PA.

d) Cardiac Arrest: Cardiac arrest happens when the heart stops functioning correctly. During cardiac arrest, “blood flow ceases, organs begin to shut down, resulting in the person dying.” When people have this identified at an early time, it can prevent damage to body organ and death.

Rob lives in Barrow on his own, Robs usual daily routine is getting up and dressed and going for his daily paper he then nips to the betting office, Rob then goes to his local pub Wetherspoons for a big breakfast. Rob likes to sit and read his paper and do his crosswords. He will usually stay and have his lunch there as well. Rob will then head home and have a afternoon nap before going back out and catching up with his friends in bars close by. Rob is keen to return home, but was recently admitted to FGH with a perforated leg ulcer which required surgery, this has impacted on Robs mobility and he will need some time to get back to he routine again once back home.

A young professional hockey player collapsed during a game that had no previous symptoms or problems before the collapse. People began CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) 3 times before paramedics arrived. This ultimately prevented him from dying from sudden cardiac arrest. He received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator to correct his heart rhythms and was released without medications.

American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that nearly 700 Americans die each day of sudden cardiac arrest (MI), or 250,000 every year, as many as 50,000 lives could be saved each year if certain critical interventions were made. (Freeman , 50) A patient who receives early life support measures and defibrillation within one to five minutes of arrest is much more likely to live and to retain normal brain function. The brain is often at a serious risk for irreparable brain damage related to anoxia and many other co-morbidities that are associated with cardiac arrest (MI). When a perfusing cardiac rhythm returns after a heart attack, the most important objective is to preserve brain function. The AHA and the Advanced Life Support Task Force of

The brain-dead seldom seem like they’re dead. The rise and fall of their chests is so convincing, the ventilator seems like an ornament rather than the single source of oxygen that keeps their hearts beating. Their skin is warm to the touch, and condensation clings to the inside of the catheter from the fresh streams of body-temperature urine. Despite how peaceful they look, their bodies are undergoing progressive autolysis, utter and massive self-destruction. Without the helm of consciousness, my father and all of the patients in his section of the intensive care unit seemed adrift in a tiny boat on a wild, infinite sea – yet unconcerned about finding their way back to

“When a patient’s breathing and heartbeat stop, clinical death occurs. This condition may be reversible through CPR and other treatments. However, when the brain cells die, biological death occurs. This usually happens within 10 minutes of clinical death, and is not reversible. In fat, brain cells will begin to die after 4 to 6 minutes without fresh oxygen supplied from air breathed in and carried to the brain by circulating blood. Cardiovascular pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) consists of the actions you take to revive a person- or at least temporarily prevent biological death- by keeping the person’s heart and lungs working.” (Limmer& O’Keefe, 2012, p. 1124)

I. Many people believe that being dead means that your heart and lungs have stopped beating, but many machines can keep those going. Once, the brain decides to stop there is no machine that can keep that going so, you become brain dead which results in death. II. Being brain death is typically done by some sort of devastating nerve injury. That can include but aren’t limited to traumatic brain injury, stroke or if the heart stops and the brain goes without oxygen and other nutrients it needs for a long period of time.

When someone suffers from a cardiac death, their heart stops beating. Some organs can only be of use for a certain time, but bones, skin, heart valves, and corneas can be useful within the first 24 hours of someone’s death.

To others, socializing is very important to life. And for others, communication is the key. The definition of death is "the act or fact of dying, permanent ending of all life in a person, animal, or plant" according to Webster's Dictionary. Mason defines death in terms of "irreversible failure of the cardiopulmonary system or consequently as a permanent state of tissue anoxia." (43). Another definition that should be addressed is the definition of brain death. According to Stedman's Medical Dictionary, brain death is "in the presence of cardiac activity, the permanent loss of cerebral function, manifested clinically by absence of purposive responses to external stimuli, absence of cephalic reflexes, apnea, and an isoelectric electroencephalogram for at least 30 minutes in the absence of hypothermia and poisoning by central nervous system depressants." (142). If the heart is functioning, but the cerebrum is not functioning, the patient can be declared to be brain dead. To determine if the cerebrum is functioning, doctors would analyze the responses of the patient to external stimuli, run an electroencephalogram, check for cephalic reflexes, and check respiration of the patient. Lamb states that the absence of spontaneous respiration and circulation is not a sign of death, which is determined only when the physician is satisfied that the brain has ceased to function (31). Testing for respiration and circulation are simply

Midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata made up the brain stem which located at the base of the cerebrum that connects to the brain and spinal cord. Brain stem controls the communication between the brain and spinal cord. It also controls regular functions for the body such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, swallowing, and consciousness as well as sleep or awake. Brain-dead is when an individual has no neurological activity such as electrical impulse going within the brain or the brain stem. Naturally, the heart can keep the organs alive by keeping the blood flow and oxygen moving throughout the body for a very short amount of time. A ventilator will now then provide the supports the heart needs to continue its

I look at the clock: 4:30 AM. I jump into my car and drive to Vital EMS in Worcester for a fourteen-hour shift as an EMT. Upon entering the ambulance, my partner and I are quickly dispatched to the residence of a 50-year-old male for an unknown medical complaint. As we rush to the scene with lights and sirens, I know that it is imperative to remain calm and immediately begin to allocate tasks. Upon arrival, I rush out of the ambulance and seize the first in bag, an oxygen tank, and the defibrillator. We head into the residence and encounter the patient lying on the couch complaining of chest pain and presenting with an inadequate oxygen saturation and increased breathing rate. I immediately realize that is suffering from a heart

His chest rose and fell. His heart popped in beats. His fingers twitched involuntarily. Although parts of him felt numb, he knew he was somehow alive. He moved his fingers one by one as he tried to regain control of his body. His nerves slowly became responsive, and he began to adjust his body. In the distant parts of his brain, he could hear a voice command him.