Description | ED service(s) required |
45-year-old man found in his residence, chief complaint of ‘DTs and depression secondary to alcohol’; SBP 178, P 120, RR 16, O2Sat 99%, GCS 13, FSG 158. Paramedic comment: ‘Perfect patient for the sobering centre.’ | Lorazepam, intravenous fluids, blood testing, psychiatric consultation, transferred to psychiatric emergency services, diagnosis of ‘psychoneurosis NOS’. |
38-year-old woman found on street, chief complaint of ‘EtOH’; SBP 130, P 100, RR 18, O2Sat 98%, GCS 15, FSG 92, BAL 0.271. Paramedic comment:‘…extremely combative upon arrival to ED’. | Haloperidol, lorazepam, and psychiatric consult; discharged—diagnoses of alcohol intoxication and ‘hostile behaviour’. |
49-year-old homeless man found on street with a chief complaint of ‘EtOH’; SBP 130, P 105, RR 16, O2Sat 99%, GCS 13, FSG 168, BAL <0.01. | Charcoal lavage, psychiatric consultation, ECG, other blood tests; discharged—diagnoses of alcohol abuse, self-inflicted poisoning with psychotropics. |
27-year-old man, frequent caller, chief complaint of ‘laceration to right occiput’; SBP 116, P 106, RR 18, O2Sat 95%, GCS 14, FSG 88; paramedic did not check box for ‘suturable laceration’—felt sobering centre appropriate. | Intravenous fluids, C-spine films, laceration sutured; discharged with diagnosis of open scalp wound. |
47-year-old man found on street complaining of ‘fall’; SBP 108, P 100, RR 20, GCS 14, FSG 108. | Lacerations on forehead and nose dermabonded, received tetanus antitoxin; discharged with diagnoses of lacerations and alcohol intoxication. |
BAL, blood alcohol level in mg/dl; FSG, finger-stick blood glucose in mg/dl; GCS, Glasgow Coma Scale; NOS, not otherwise specified; O2Sat, oxygen saturation %; P, pulse in beats/min; RR, respiratory rate in breaths/min; SBP, systolic blood pressure in mm Hg.