On October 11, 2004, an EMS in Birmingham, Alabama received a call that a car had lost control and pummeled 50 feet off a cliff. Upon arrival, a 22-year old female was found lying outside of the car and appeared to have been ejected from the vehicle. The trama patient report read: “RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, reflecting a respiratory tafe of 26 breaths per minute and systolic blood pressure of >90 mm Hg. The patient is combative with obvious head and chest pain, difficulty breathing, bilateral wheezing upon auscultation, a laceration above the right eye, and oxygen saturation of 62%".
Upon arrival at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital trauma bay, doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists worked diligently to stop the bleeding and determine which injuries were life-threatening. The patient was orally intubated and a physical assessment was initiated.
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