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patient rushed to the nearest hospital with an accident and emergency
department.
My crewmate helped with clinical procedures on scene, i.e. cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, assisting with intubation and cannulation and drawing up drugs.
The casualty’s friend and passers by, although in an emotional state of shock
helped as much as they could by fetching and carrying when asked to and I
think this helper them in the situation they found themselves in by giving some
purpose of being useful.
At the time of the incident there was a reflection in action, where do we go
from here? tuning in and going with the flow approach from both myself and
my crewmate. There were two options available, either continue with
resuscitation with full advanced life support or certify fact of death. The best
approach at the time, and the one that l chose, even though his injuries were
not compatible with life, was to continue with resuscitation. The main factor for
this decision was by assessing the situation as a whole and considering the
feelings of others. If resuscitation was not attempted the casualty’s friend and
bystanders would have thought that we were not giving him the best possible
chance of survival, even though this chance was very remote. This had to be
weighed up against the consequences of commencing resuscitation when it
could be both futile and distressing for relatives, friends and health care
personnel. Time and resources could be wasted in undertaking such
measures.
Through reflection on action I have recognised that no guidelines can cover
every situation that may arise. They are intended to provide adequate
guidance for the great majority of circumstances. Not everything is black and
white, there will be grey areas, and it is the individuals responsibility to act as
he thinks appropriate at that particular time.
The implications for me and others when facing a similar situation again, are
to recognise that there is sometimes a grey area when considering if to
attempt resuscitation or not. This has to be assessed taking in to