Also known as: Severe burns
Female patient from bus crash with second- and third-degree burns to neck, chest, and left arm. Required escharotomy to relieve airway constriction from circumferential neck burns. Treated experimentally with tilapia skin grafts to accelerate healing and reduce need for traditional skin grafts.
Also known as: Severed femoral artery
Groom from wedding bus crash with severed femoral artery and completely shattered femur. Initially stabilized with improvised REBOA and temporary shunt. Central to episode's ethical dilemma regarding amputation versus experimental 3D-printed titanium femur replacement surgery, ultimately receiving the experimental femur replacement.
Also known as: Blood around the heart
Bus crash patient with multiple chest contusions who developed cardiac tamponade requiring emergency pericardiocentesis performed without ultrasound guidance in the ER.
Also known as: Gunshot wound to the neck
Male patient from bus crash with foreign object penetrating neck and nicking carotid artery. Object left in place during transport to prevent exsanguination. Successfully stabilized in ER.
Also known as: Brain bleed
Female patient ejected from bus crash, found hours later in field with subdural hematoma and blown pupil. Required emergency field burr hole to relieve intracranial pressure. Despite successful neurosurgery to clip bleeding artery, patient ultimately had no brain activity due to prolonged hypoxia from intubation error during field stabilization.
Also known as: Multiple broken ribs on both sides
Patient had flail chest from bus crash in addition to head injury, contributing to respiratory complications during field stabilization.
Also known as: Smoke inhalation
Burn patient had throat swelling from smoke inhalation in addition to thermal burns, contributing to her airway compromise.
Also known as: Dislocated jaw
Bus crash patient with facial trauma resulting in jaw dislocation that required manual reduction under sedation.
Also known as: Blood in the eye
Bus crash patient with grade three hyphema requiring head CT and ophthalmology consultation.
Also known as: Brain damage from lack of oxygen
Patient developed global brain injury leading to brain death due to improper intubation in the field (endotracheal tube placed too deep into right main bronchus), causing prolonged hypoxia despite successful treatment of her subdural hematoma. Central to episode's theme about medical errors and their consequences.