At about 10 a.m. on April 24, Wang Yu, a doctor on duty at the 120 Emergency Center Station of the Economic Development District, received a dispatching call, claiming that a man accidentally fell from a height at the construction site and first aid was in need. The ambulance team rushed to the scene. It was difficult to rescue the man because the environment at the accident site was harsh. The patient was lying in a 5-meter-deep ventilation duct, and the internal space was narrow. Dr. Wang Yu shouted into the duct, to inquire about the condition. After repeated confirmation, it was found out that the patient was conscious, with pain in the right ankle and right upper limb, and his mobility was limited. Dr. Wang Yu then contacted the construction manager to call 119 for help. Meanwhile, Dr. Wang Yu calmed the patient until the 119 team arrived at the scene. After the discussion by the 119 and 120 teams, the rescue plan was quickly determined. Niu Da, a nurse with smaller size, put on a drop suit and slowly descended into the duct with first-aid supplies for rescue. In the narrow and lightless duct, the patient is extremely unstable and irritable emotionally. Nurse Niu Da calmed the patient's emotions while doing emergency treatment. After examination, she found that the patient’s right ankle and right upper limb were deformed and fracture might occur. Niu Da immediately bandaged and fixed the patient’s injury and carried out other emergency treatment, and then helped the patient put on the lifting equipment.

Doctor Wang Yu had already prepared rescue items and was waiting at the exit of the duct. The patient was immediately transferred to the ambulance by medical staff after being successfully rescued. After a series of professional treatment including establishment of intravenous access, continuous ECG monitoring, oxygen inhalation, and etc., the patient arrived safely at the hospital for further treatment.

Here are some tips from Beijing 120. Falling from a height is easy to cause bleeding, fractures and other injuries. The risk of cervical spine injuries is extremely high especially. Cervical spine injuries are highly likely to cause spinal nerve damage, where the respiratory center is also located. Suffocation may cause death or irreversible disability. For patients injured with high falls, it is necessary to always pay attention to their consciousness, breathing and whether there is fatal bleeding, and make corresponding first aid treatment. At the same time, the head and neck should be fixed, protected and stabilized. It is necessary to avoid any unprotected limb pulling, moving, etc. The injured person should not be moved at will before the arrival of emergency personnel, so as not to cause secondary injury.