Northern Beaches First Aid – Anytime and Anywhere

AMBULANCE REPORT: Seeing stars in the gutter

7 Aug 11 @  12:00am by Gordon Aspinall

OSCAR Wilde once said: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

A man, 41, was certainly seeing stars when we were called to an address at Manly on Thursday, July 28, where he was rolling around on the ground and lying in the gutter.

The highly intoxicated man was aggressive and resistant at first but was eventually persuaded to accompany us to the ambulance.

The man was taken to Manly Hospital for observation and assessment.

In a kerbside incident of a different kind, an 88-year-old woman tripped on the gutter in Manly, fell and fractured her hip.

Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before they took her to Manly Hospital.

Not such a perfect day
THE arrival of some fine weather last weekend put us all in good spirits but one family ended up the worse for it.

At 4.30pm on Saturday, July 30, paramedics were called to the Spit walk in Clontarf. On arrival they found a six-year-old girl who had fallen about half a metre onto the walking track.

The little girl had knocked out several teeth and had abrasions to both hands. Her uncle also came to grief when he tried to stop her from falling and fractured his wrist.

The 34-year-old man was treated with pain medication and splinting before both patients were transported to Royal North Shore Hospital in a stable condition.

Cheap shot
ON Saturday, July 30, at 8.30pm we were in Brookvale where a 63-year-old man had been assaulted by two other men.

The man, who had multiple abrasions and lacerations, had his wounds cleaned and dressed before he was taken to Manly Hospital.

Boozed backpacker
ALCOHOL got the better of people this week which had us running around to pick up the pieces.

On Sunday, July 31, an intoxicated backpacker fell heavily in Collaroy and severely fractured her leg.

A special operations responder was the first paramedic on scene and he commenced treating the 33-year-old with pain medication.

He was soon backed up by a paramedic crew who continued stabilising the woman before transporting her to Royal North Shore Hospital in a stable condition.

Wrist through window
Last Friday morning about 4am, paramedics were called by police to treat a 24-year-old woman who lacerated her wrist after she accidentally put her arm through a window.

Her wound was cleaned and dressed, and she was taken to Manly Hospital for stitches.

Little tykes in pain
WE had two serious injuries to kids this week.

The first was at 10.30pm on Thursday, July 28 in Manly when we were called to treat a two-year-old girl who had a seizure.

The little girl was treated with medications and oxygen before being transported to Royal North Hospital in a stable condition.

The next day about 4.30pm a nine-year-old fell off some monkey bars in Balgowlah.

Paramedics treated the boy for a sore knee and a laceration to his forehead before they took him to Mona Vale Hospital for some stitches.

Baby in a hurry
ABOUT 3.30pm on Sunday, July 31, paramedics were called to an address in Manly where a young pregnant woman was having contractions.

The woman’s sister (who is also a midwife) and the attending paramedics delivered the child without complications.

Mum, young baby Jack and a proud dad were all taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in top condition.

Workouts go awry
TRAINING sessions caused some grief through the week.

On Saturday, July 30 at 1pm paramedics treated a 76-year-old woman who became ill during a training swim in Manly.

She was taken to Manly Hospital for some stitches.

An hour later we were at an oval in Curl Curl treating a 32-year-old guy who fractured his arm during a training session.

The man responded well to pain medication and was taken to Manly Hospital for further treatment and tests.

Gordon Aspinall is the manager at Balgowlah Ambulance Station.

If you would like to come to an Apply First Aid (formerly senior first aid) or Perform CPR course please contact Simple Instruction. The next course is Saturday the 27th of August 2011 at The Brookvale Hotel. Stay Safe – Ian