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i » The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, February 23,1994 5 The Iirst hour after a critically ill or critically injured person arrives at the emergency department at Memorial Memorial Hospital, Bowmanville, is called "the golden hour". That's when the hospital's trauma team goes into action, knowing that if they can keep the patient alive for an hour the chances of survival begin to improve. "If we can get the patient stabilized, stabilized, if we can stop their condition from deteriorating, the outlook becomes becomes much brighter," says Sue Bou- ley, an emergency department nurse. "We call it the golden hour because every minute is precious." The first hour was cmcial when Norma Ransbcrry collapsed early one morning several weeks ago on the family farm near Orono. "They also had to decide if Mrs. Ransberrywas the victim of a stroke or intracranial bleeding." She was unconscious when she arrived arrived by ambulance and Ms. Bouley and fellow members of the trauma team scrambled to give her oxygen, drugs to stabilize her general condition condition and an intravenous feed. They also had to decide if Mrs. Ransbcrry was the victim of a stroke or intracranial bleeding. Marion Tink, nursing manager, re- cdlls, "We weren't sure what we were dealing with at first because the symptoms are similar. A stroke can involve bleeding but intracranial bleeding is a massive hemorrhage that fills the ventricles of the brain with blood. "This causes pressure on the brain and if the pressure isn't relieved it destroys destroys brain tissue." n-- "We got such a lot of 1 personal attention, it ' : almost seemed like a f personal favour." !;• After 20 minutes, a stroke was discounted and a powerful drug called Mannitol was given to relieve the pressure. : "We don't use this dmg lightly, but we knew that if the pressure wasn't relieved she would die," said Ms. Tink. Mrs. Ransberry's condition stabilized stabilized and two hours later she was taken taken by ambulance to Oshawa General Hospital for a C.A.T. scan examination examination to determine the extent of her injuries. injuries. Dr. Mohinder Angl and nurse Melody Cannon went with her. The C.A.T. scan confirmed intracranial intracranial bleeding and emergency neurosurgery neurosurgery was arranged at Sunny- brook Medical Centre in Toronto, where Mrs. Ransbcrry arrived less than five hours after her collapse. Dr. Angl and Ms. Cannon again went with her. !■ Today,, several weeks after her collapse, Mrs. Ransbcrry is making a good recovery, says her husband, Mac, who describes the care she received received as "truly outstanding." v "We got such a lot of personal attention attention at Bowmanville it almost seemed like a personal favor, but I'm sure it's the same for everyone." ; , Chris Kooy, vice-president of nursing at Memorial Hospital, says that stabilizing a patient's .condition is the first priority but medical staff must quickly decide where the patient patient can get appropriate treatment. "We can take care of abdominal injuries or fractures but if there are severe head injuries, multiple fractures fractures or major abdominal injuries, their condition can quickly deteriorate, deteriorate, so we stabilize them as much as possible and transfer them to Toronto," Toronto," she says. Depending on the patient's condition condition and traffic on the 401, a helicopter helicopter ambulance may be called in. The hospital has a helicopter pad. The emergency department at Memorial Memorial Hospital is one of the busiest emergency departments for a hospital of its size in Ontario. It handled more than 35,000 patients last year compared compared to 60,000 at Oshawa General Hospital, which is four times as big. The trauma team usually goes into action once or twice a week but, says nurse Bouley, it can happen every day or on every shift., There were two alerts at the same time recently when a man in the emergency department with chest pains had a heart attack and another person was brought in by ambulance after a heart attack. Heart attack victims are given oxygen, oxygen, an IV feed is set up and, depending depending on the patient's condition, drags called Streptase and t-PA to dissolve blood clots. "They can be very effective if administered administered within five hours," says Ms. Tink. The trauma team consists of a doctor, three nurses, a laboratoiy technician and a radiologist. A second second doctor and another nurse are also on call from elsewhere in the hospital. hospital. They can assemble in the emergency emergency department within a minute wherever they arc in the hospital after after hearing the words "Code Blue, Emergency Department" over the public address system. Ms. Bouley has worked at the emergency department for five years, before which she was in the special care unit for 12 years. "We see a lot of sad things and we see a lot of good things," says Ms. Bouley. "You try not to let it bother you but you never quite get used to it." "Depending on the patient's condition, a helicopter may be called in." The hectic pace of the emergency department is a challenge, says Ms. Bouley. "You never know what's coming through the door and you meet a lot of interesting people. I've always lived in this area so I know à lot of people and can call them by their first names. That's nice and I think we can pride ourselves on having that kind of relationship." Emergency room patients arc triaged. That means the sickest patients patients will be seen first. Unfortunately, Unfortunately, this causes waiting periods for some people. That can be frustrating, but acutely ill emergency patients must be treated first, Ambulance service for Memorial Hospital and Clarington is provided by the Ministry of Health under a contract with Whitby-Bowmanville Ambulance Service, a private operation. operation. Two ambulances arc on duty from K. D. Sloan Income Tax Income Tax Returns - E-File Over 25 Years Experience \ 111 King St. E., Bowmanville (Next to the Legion) 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 623-9495 with Elizabeth Belanger-Linhletter CTC For nil of you who have passed along travel tips; wc thunk you for your Interest, kind words and comments comments and keep those cards and letters letters comingl In the next few weeks wc shall endeavour to pass along ns many as possible to our renders, since wo believe that shared experience is the next best thing to being there. When taking a trip, like anything else in life, you should make sure you are prepared. One of the first places you should look to prepare is in the case of your pnssport. It is easy to obtain and can be ready in as little as seven days if taken taken in person to the Pnssport Office, You can make arrangements for your travel agent to pick it up for you. Passports arc a good investment and j with the tightening of Immigration and Customs security around the world are a bargain for 6 years at a cost of only $36.00. Minor children can be included on one of the parent's parent's passports. It is a good idea to have and keep your passport current. An editorial thought further to our column on Why Use a Travel Agent, A client informed us of a friend that recently purchased a trip through one of those '800' lines in Toronto, and experienced some difficulties on his trip. When ho called back to ask for some help ho was told "wc gave you x percent off, wimt more do you want?" Next week we will prepare a check list of things you should prepare prepare to make sure you have a great holiday. One to remember until then; pack an extra dollar for postcards postcards to send to the person who arranged the holiday you are enjoying. If you have travel lips that you want to share In tills column, call Blessings Travel Centre. Remember, when you think of Travel, Think of Blessings Travel Centre Vanstone Mill 623-0005 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., one on duty overnight. overnight. "If both ambulances are called out, we notify Oshawa General Hospital Hospital and they send an ambulance over to Town Line Road on standby," explains supervisor Joe Visser. "Wc also co-operate with Port Hope. If they're busy, wc send a vehicle vehicle over to Ncwtonville on standby." standby." "The hectic pace of the emergency department is a challenge. " Ambulances carry a portable oxygen oxygen tank, a large oxygen tank on the vehicle, a fracture board and a "scoop" stretcher for patients with suspected back injuries, and collars for neck injuries. The Clarington ambulance service covers the area from Town Line Road in the west to Ncwtonville in All vehicles shown in this advertisement are available with less money down than shown, with a higher payment. 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