"28 year old male, fitting"
It was 05:10. I was tired. My crew mate was tired. In five minutes we could only be given a Red 1 (Cardiac Arrest). The clock was ticking by and we were ever hopeful of being off on time. It was not meant to be! Our radios went through their routine of beeping in the most annoying, cutting tones whilst frantically vibrating. I'm not going to lie, there were a few expletives uttered about being 'stitched up' with a late job! Never mind, it was nothing new, we kind of expected it. At least it was a genuine job, a fitter, still fitting, wife on scene blah blah blah. I was glad I wasn't going to be late off for a 19 year old reveller in stilettos, a skimpy dress and hair matted with vomit that was lying in the kerb after over doing it on the Jaeger-bombs. We arrived at what was probably the worst signed estate I have ever seen. Numbers were not consecutive at all. We were looking for 87. We found 85 and 89 but not 86, 87 or 88. Eventually we found them on the opposite side of the compound on the top floor. By now the FRU had joined us, so up we went. It was now 05:30. All three of us had finished yet we still hadn't met our patient, *grumble, groan, moan and bitch*
We were met at the door by the patient's wife. We were shown into the living room where our patient was lying on a mattress. He wasn't fitting but had been. He was post-ictal, giving confused answers whilst looking around with very vacant eyes. We gave him some oxygen to bring him around a bit whilst we asked his wife about what had been going on. She said he had been fitting for about 10 minutes:
"Is he epileptic?"
"No"
"So is this his first seizure?"
"No he's had 3 before"
"Has he been treated at hospital?"
"Yes, he has had scans and everything"
"And what have they said? Have they not said he has epilepsy or given any medication?"
"Yeah they gave him a prescription after the last one"
"When was that? How long has he been taking the medication?"
"It was three weeks ago but he hasn't started taking it yet"
"Why not?!"
"Because we haven't picked it up yet"
"Why not?!"
"Because we didn't think it would help"
Seriously, what is wrong with people? Why do they not take the advice they ask for?! It's madness! Yet they seem surprised they are not cured! Whilst I helped cannulate the patient the FRU continued the conversation where I had left it.
"So he has had previous seizures, he has been diagnosed with epilepsy, he has been given a prescription for Epilem to stop the seizures but he hasn't taken it because he doesn't think it will help. Now he has had another seizure and here we all are"
"We don't think that taking loads of the tablets is the best way to treat things. The body doesn't need all the chemicals"
"It's the only way to stop the seizures!"
"Oh, we didn't realise"
Tired and frustrated, we got the chair and carried him down the many, many stairs and onto the ambulance. We did his ECG and gave Diazepam when he had his second seizure en route to hospital. Really though, would this make him change his ways? Would a fourth trip to hospital do anything? Would we be back in a few days or weeks because he is still 'anti medication'?! This was a totally avoidable waste of resources, not only for the ambulance service but for the hospital too. It's as bad as parents 'not agreeing' with antibiotics, being 'against' immunisations or not 'believing' in giving paracetamol for high temperatures, then being surprised their kid has had a convulsion; it's nonsense, and irresponsible. Billions of pounds are invested from taxpayers' money to find cures and treatments and pay for medications to reduce an ongoing cost for continued treatment. Failure to heed the advice given and take medication prescribed should trigger charges to pay for future treatment & combat this avoidable use of the NHS. It's ignorant at best, which really riles me.....especially when it makes me 2 hours late off! Rant over!