We’ve all heard someone dramatically say, “If it had been one more minute, I’d be dead.” It sounds like something straight out of an action movie, but in the world of medicine, those words can be chillingly real.
Healthcare workers are now sharing the most jaw-dropping, “one more minute and it would’ve been too late” stories they’ve ever witnessed, and trust us, some of these will leave you absolutely stunned. From miraculous recoveries to terrifying close calls, these accounts show just how fragile and unpredictable life can be. So buckle up, because these are the kinds of stories that make you stop, stare, and think about how precious every single minute really is.
#41
To answer your question, not THAT often.
But recently we had a patient who was coming by EMS as a STEMI, then coded in the ambulance bay. Got him to the Cath lab immediately and he survived fully neuro intact and went back to work a month later.
If he had driven himself to the hospital or if EMS had chosen a hospital slightly farther away, he probably would not have had the same outcome.
But recently we had a patient who was coming by EMS as a STEMI, then coded in the ambulance bay. Got him to the Cath lab immediately and he survived fully neuro intact and went back to work a month later.
If he had driven himself to the hospital or if EMS had chosen a hospital slightly farther away, he probably would not have had the same outcome.
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11points
#42
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we had a middle aged female come in breathing relatively fast, appear slightly pale - bp was soft but within normal limits ekg was fine- she had a triple A in the room of the ER and that was it. I can’t recall if she went to surgery or if was futile.
We also had a Thai boxer come in get hit in the chest at the exact wrong time, could not get him out of his not conducive to life rhythm. Young like 22. .
We also had a Thai boxer come in get hit in the chest at the exact wrong time, could not get him out of his not conducive to life rhythm. Young like 22. .
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11points
#43
I ended up in the hospital after a s*****e attempt years ago. Multiple doctors told me things like "you should be dead" and "any longer and you'd be dead." I was really out of it and even replied "that's the whole point" to one doctor lol. They talked about airlifting me to a different hospital at one point. I spent a month in the hospital. I made a full recovery and have no lasting health issues.
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11points
#44
Bought a CO detector for the first time in my life because of Reddit. That one story about the guy that thought his house was haunted was enough for me.
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11points
#45
Not exactly another minute. But I did find out that delayed anaphylaxis is real. I was prescribed a medication that was of a penicillin variety (I'm very allergic and always tell doctors, nurses, anyone who needs to know). The doctor who prescribed it said that reactions are very rare.
About 40 minutes after taking my first dose, i felt weird, then I started getting a rash on my chest, then my breathing became a little strained. By the time I got to the ER (a 5 minute drive), I was in worse shape.
I remember the doctor saying "it's a good thing you came in when you did".
About 40 minutes after taking my first dose, i felt weird, then I started getting a rash on my chest, then my breathing became a little strained. By the time I got to the ER (a 5 minute drive), I was in worse shape.
I remember the doctor saying "it's a good thing you came in when you did".
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11points
#46
ER nurse.
All the time. I hear them in the ER because it's often the first thing people mention and they'll go on to use terms that they heard from the doctor that they don't understand but shows that they were fine. Then I'll look in their records and I'll find it to be BS.
But it happens, for sure. Maybe not "one more minute" but one or two more days. I'll see that a few times a week. Which, yeah, it's an emergency department. That's what we do.
All the time. I hear them in the ER because it's often the first thing people mention and they'll go on to use terms that they heard from the doctor that they don't understand but shows that they were fine. Then I'll look in their records and I'll find it to be BS.
But it happens, for sure. Maybe not "one more minute" but one or two more days. I'll see that a few times a week. Which, yeah, it's an emergency department. That's what we do.
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10points
#47
I imagine (as a non ER person) that these types of events are regarding trauma events. Like Jeremy Renner if he had not had the resources to get medevacced to the hospital right away. I know someone who had a widow maker but they were very close to the hospital and were able to survive.
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10points
#48
All the d**n time.
Heck the other week I had a guy come in and tell me his heart isn't beating. I assured him it was. He then argued with me, and I smiled while saying " you'd not be able to tell at me it your heart had stopped beating as you claimed sir".
Heck the other week I had a guy come in and tell me his heart isn't beating. I assured him it was. He then argued with me, and I smiled while saying " you'd not be able to tell at me it your heart had stopped beating as you claimed sir".
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9points
#49
As most have said, maybe not “one minute”, but we see patients every day that if they didn’t come in when they did, it would have ended much differently.
8points
#50
I have worked as an ER nurse for 5 years now. I can't think of a single patient that was not a trauma patient that would have died had they come just one minute later.
8points