Happy Halloween

I went as an emergency services worker for halloween last night, and definitely got to go out trick-or-treating. A number of bizarre incidents, some of which directly related to the holiday, kept my team and I running around all evening. Sadly, I treated two patients who had very minor injuries as the result of violence perpetrated by themselves and others, and one patient with a more serious injury caused by her desire to not let the unfinished state of her front steps stop her from giving out candy to local kids.

The first and most notable incident was well in progress when my shift started. An assault took place at the local convenience store, and the guy proceeded to run off into the woods, where he "tripped on some bittersweet vines and twisted his knees and ankles." He then proceeded to climb onto the roof of the bowling alley, which is perhaps the most exposed yet least escapable location I can think of in town. Following a brief scuffle with officers (which I believe caused the laceration to his forehead) he was arrested. He seemed to be much calmer when we took him to the hospital later, and this leads me to wonder what he may have been thinking (or on) when he committed the crime. Witnesses say he "threw the clerk five feet through the air," but that scarcely seems possible from looking at him.

The second incident was a simple fight victim found in a parking lot. 19, a shiner, and drunk enough to write his date of birth on the "today's date" line beside the signature on his refusal form (the form that says we think you should go to the hospital but you don't want to and it's your choice.)

Third was a woman whose house was under construction who broke one ankle and sprained the other while running out to give candy to local kids. It was good to deal with a patient not handcuffed to something, but the downside was that her house was like an obstacle course. we had to traverse around a hanging wire, through a muddy dirt front yard, over a very steep makeshift step and through a doorway that didn't allow the stretcher to turn through without lifting it a couple feet over the stairway. Generally, having a hydraulic stretcher (the Power Pro on this list) is a huge advantage, but when you have to carry the whole thing, patient included, the extra weight is not helpful.

Long story short? Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It's an incredible cultural event, and it was interesting to see it from this perspective. However, there's no question that any emergency department is going to be spread thin with unfortunate incidents when there's a combination of children in the streets and drinking, all while the spirits are free for the evening to walk the earth.