Patient treated after severe allergic reaction, Valhalla

At around 23:09, a distress call came through from Valhalla, west of Pretoria. The caller was terrified – their loved one was experiencing what appeared to be a severe allergic reaction.

The call was distributed on the @Pretoria Volunteer Emergency Services group, and while no immediate response came from formal medical services (apart from Gauteng Emergency Medical Services  and a Lenmed Hospital EMS Advanced Life Support unit), several PVES volunteer units mobilized without hesitation. On scene were:

 A Critical Care Unit

 A unit with an Emergency Doctor

 An Intermediate Life Support unit

 A unit with a final-year medical student

On arrival, our patient was in serious respiratory compromise – oxygen levels dropping, the airway closing due to swelling from a reaction to newly prescribed blood pressure medication (angioedema). Aoxygen was Administered soonsored by Ecomed Medical 

Our teams immediately started administering emergency medication, placed the patient on monitoring, and continued supportive treatment. Despite these interventions, the patient deteriorated rapidly. She required an emergency Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI) – a highly specialized procedure where advanced medication and airway skills are used to save a life.

A secure airway was established, advanced monitoring (including bedside blood gas testing) was performed, and after Dr. Nathalie Norval liaised directly with Kalafong Hospital, the Emergency Department stood ready to accept the patient. Thanks to this seamless teamwork, she now has another day to tell her story.

 This is the true power of volunteer emergency services – ordinary people with extraordinary training, stepping up when seconds matter. Without PVES and the collaborative support on scene, this patient would not have survived the night.

Visit www.pves.co.za to see hie you can contribute to this cause. 

#firstresponders #volunteerems #nonprofit #PVES #helpdonate Gift of the Givers IER  Integrated Emergency Response Rekord

(Permission obtaines from pt for phots)