This one's Tim. Brief handover conversation between him and Duncan over the CAT result which apparently shows that there's more "fluid" than there was on the X-Ray.
For the first time I hear a word that's going to be significant : "haemothorax"
Tim comes over. The opinion is that the glass has hit "something" and I'm bleeding into my chest cavity or lung.
Secret's out now - it isn't just "fluid" any more.
Third IV line goes in. Pressure cuff goes off. For a moment I think it's broken 'cause a nurse wraps her hands 'round it. Then I realise that they're trying to get a reading out of it. Something put on my finger to show what my "sats" are doing. Don't know what the monitor's saying but there's five people staring at it.
Fourth IV line goes in (don't give a stuff about needles now). Do I have low blood pressure ?
Next significant words : Tachycardia, type #1 shock, type #2 shock.
Breathing's occupying most of my attention. Can't remember when the Oxygen mask appeared but it doesn't feel like I can do more than a maskful at a breath anyway.
They're not bothering to take me to Radiology any more - a portable machine's brought in.
ECG 'trodes come off again.
General call of "X-Rays". People back off.
Film comes back. Blood level's rising.
Tim comes over to explain : I'm bleeding into my chest cavity, the volume and weight of blood's collapsed my lung and is putting pressure on my heart, my diaphragm's been displaced by the sheer weight of it and what they can't tell yet is how fast the bleeding is. They have to monitor it and there's two items of news that aren't too good : I have a rare blood type (AB Rh-) and there's only four units available. Two of those will have to be brought in by bike carrier ("but don't worry - those guys are maniacs and they'll get it here...").
Machine's brought in again, "X-Rays" call goes up but before the picture's available, the pressure in my chest blows the glass out. Don't like the look of this - the thing's shaped like a filleting knife blade and it's comfortably more than three inches long.
Looks like it's covered in rust. No, idiot, it's blood. Yours.
A&E kicks up another gear.
