Broken Hearts

The other night EMS arrived in the critical care area with an older male, witnessed arrest, defibrillated x 3 in the field. A crash intubation, several shocks, and multiple rounds of meds later, he was pronounced dead and we began cleaning up the body before bringing the family in.

After returning to triage, where I had been working before helping out with the code, I could still hear the heartbreaking sobs of the patient's loved ones. Not long after, the patient's wife arrived at the desk in a wheelchair, complaining of sharp chest pain in between tears.

Brought back to be placed on a monitor, an EKG revealed that she, too, was having a heart attack.