Hypoxic delirium occurs when a person does not receive adequate oxygen to the brain. The person in question can turn violent in such cases. This was precisely the situation when air ambulance personnel arrived in China recently to receive a patient. The patient, who had multiple cardiac problems, had suffered a leg fracture owing to a fall. He was undergoing temporary care in a Chinese hospital. However, the hypoxia had led to a violent behavior where he had injured a nurse and assaulted some of the medical staff. The hospital was not too happy about the situation and was all set to file charges with the local police when the air ambulance arrived.
Air Ambulance Professionals Save the Day
As the air ambulance crew arrived, they found that the hospital was busy making a legal case against the patient rather than taking care of him. Further, it was seen that the patient was heavily sedated to keep him under control. The medical staff had not fixed a catheter or given him oxygen, both of which he was in dire need of. The lack of oxygen was causing him distress and was the reason behind his behavior. He was also heavily dehydrated.
The Air Ambulance Crew Gets into Action
Upon realizing that they were not going to get any help from the hospital staff, the air ambulance crew quickly set into action. They drained about 800 mL of urine from his bladder and put him on oxygen. This was done using the crew’s own equipment. Despite the protests of the hospital staff who wanted legal proceedings, the patient was quickly transported to a ground ambulance and taken to the airport. He was then flown to Australia and ultimately, to New Zealand.
The patient slowly became more comfortable and regained his mental self after appropriate treatment. He was much better by the time he had reached the destination.
