Rescue: UD-1

on .

The Review

By Christina Mehra
Assistant Entertainment Editor

Wahoo-wahoo waaaaaaaaaa." Chris turned the siren up to "yelp" as he slowed down and cleared the intersection.

Blue flashes were visible from the side of the ambulance "UD-1" as it raced along down the street.

"Bump," junior Chris Johnson called back to warn of the upcoming speed bump which the ambulance bounced over moments later.

Junior Diana Pallidino, the technician for the night, braced the patient to ensure she was not jostled or injured.

"Do you have any allergies?" Diana asked the woman as she filled in the run chart on the way to the Christiana Hospital.

Other ambulances were visible, parked at the side of the hospital as UD-l pulled up to the emergency room's "receiving" entrance.

Together, Chris and Diana opened the back of the ambulance and lifted the stretcher-strapped patient out.

"1-2-3," they counted, lifting in unison, and then pulling the stretcher up to its higher position. They each took an end of the stretcher and the woman was wheeled inside.

Diana explained to the nurse at the desk that the woman was complaining of increased abdominal pain.

After settling her for at least an hour's wait, Diana returned to the front desk to get the run sheet signed by the nurse.

In the mean-time, Chris brought the empty stretcher to another hallway where the clean sheets were kept. He stripped the stretcher down to its red foam mattress and replaced the used sheet with a fresh one, pulling it tight and tucking it under.

The two met back at the ambulance and headed back to the Bob Carpenter Center where they were on stand-by.

Leaving the hospital for the third but not last time that night, Chris and Diana, University of Delaware Emergency Care Unit student volunteers, were kept busy.

The UDECU members had already responded to five calls on university property since 9 p.m.

They were supposed to start the night out at the Bob Carpenter Center as stand-by during the WSTW radio station's 20th birthday concert but before they made it, they were side-tracked with their first quick call.

A dining hall employee had cut his finger on a piece of glass.

Following a brief trip to Newark Emergency Center, they were back en route to the concert.

After driving through the fire lane at the Bob Carpenter Center and parking by the door, Chris and Diana carried in the defibrillator, the clipboard, the oxygen tank and a bag of emergency supplies.

They secured all the equipment in their usual section by the end of the stage and sat down to listen to some music and wait for a call.

They didn't have to wait long.

A University of Michigan student was hurt in the hockey game taking place next door at the Cold Ice Arena. The Delaware trainer had already wrapped his dislocated shoulder. They were waiting outside so the student just walked to the stretcher. Chris headed back to the hospital while Diana searched in vain for a pulse.

She couldn't reach the hockey player's hand because it was wrapped so tightly and she didn't want to hurt him.

She took the pulse on his other wrist, But she was trying to get it on the injured arm to make sure nothing had blocked the blood flow.

At the hospital, Diana explained the problem to the nurse who said she'd be able look in to it.

Their shift was supposed to end at midnight but the concert ran a little late. As they were heading back toward Public Safety and the ambulance bay. another call fell into their laps.

As they rounded the corner toward Public Safety, an officer flagged them over In front of MBNA America Hall, a drunk freshman was having trouble walking home. After a pen light test, Diana discovered the man's pupils were non-reactive and he needed to go to Student Health Services in Laurel Hall.

He was aware of the police but didn't really understand the situation. It took a few minutes, but Diana, Chris, and the officer got him on the stretcher and lifted him into the ambulance.

After a struggle and calling for backup, the Student Health nurses got him in a chair and determined his blood alcohol level to be too high to stay at Laurel Hall overnight.

He needed to go to Christiana Hospital's emergency room.

Because he was being resistant, the police officer decided to escort the ambulance and followed behind.

Diana tried to calm the patient while at the same time attempted to fill in his run sheet.

Are you allergic to anything?" she asked.

He thought for a while and then responded.

"I don't see how it's any of your business."

He continued to get increasingly difficult and complained constantly about the need to use the bathroom.

"Why won't you let me go?" he demanded. "I need to go to the bathroom. I'm going to pee all over you, " he said and at one point even unbuckled his belt but never got any further.

He also kept unbuckling the three safety belts on the stretcher and Diana had to work to keep re-buckling them.

At one point, he got all three off and was trying to stand up over Diana.

"Chris, he's got them all off," she warned.

Chris couldn't see what was happening in the back. Yet he knew to pull over right at that moment because the officer, who had been watching closely, turned his lights on when the patient stood up.

"He's going to cuff you. I told you not to get up. Now you're going to be cuffed," Diana said right as the office burst through the back doors and jumped the man, body-slamming him down onto the stretcher.

Diana got out of the ambulance to provide more room so the officer would handcuff the drunken patient to the stretcher.

Diana got back in and Chris drove with lights and sirens the rest of the way to the hospital.

Once inside the man was again difficult and gave the nurses a hard time.

Driving back to Public Safety at 2:30 a.m., Chris and Diana heard the officer requesting back-up at the hospital. The wondered what would happen to the freshman.

They had no time to find out. They were already off to their next call.

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