The Cardiac Taxi

A man pulls up outside the ambulance doors and rings the buzzer. "Can we help you, sir?" "I need help getting my wife and mother-in-law out of the car."

I go out to see what's going on. In the front seat is an 80-ish female doing the guppy. Pulse 34, SPO2 83%, white as a ghost. We manhandle her into a wheelchair and run for the pacer pads. In the backseat is a 60-ish female trying to pretend she's ok. History of cardiac cath 2 weeks ago, BP 260/130, pulse 145, headache, nausea, and mild SOB.

They both get admitted upstairs. One to CCU, one to the Step Down Unit. Their rooms are only about 50 feet apart, (though there's a set of metal doors between them). Makes it more convenient for the family to visit if mom and grandma are in the hospital at the same time.