24 Hours in A&E

Resilience (6x4)

Air date: May 28, 2014

This episode focuses on older patients who've had to show resilience in their lives. Ellen, who's 86, has been brought in by ambulance after her daughters Carole and Janet found her collapsed on the floor at home. As she was on the floor for a long time, Ellen's body temperature has dropped dangerously low to just 27 degrees. She's also lost five pints of blood. The medics want to get Ellen warmed up as soon as possible, give her a blood transfusion and find out why she's lost so much blood. Meanwhile, Carole and Janet talk about their mum's uncomplaining nature and her lifelong work ethic. Martin, who's 75, is rushed to King's with severe abdominal pain. Doctors think appendicitis could be the cause. They give him morphine for the pain and prepare him for emergency surgery. As the medical team treat him, Martin talks about living alone and never being happy. But he also reveals his pride in his son Steve, a history professor based in America, and how much he looks forward to his visits home. Meanwhile, 70-year-old Lula is brought in after suffering a suspected stroke. The mum of 10 arrived in England from Sierra Leone in 2003, just after the civil war ended. Neurologists scan Lula's head to find out what's happened and have to decide whether to operate. And toddler Zara has come to A&E with some Lego stuck up her nose. It falls to junior doctor Jim to try to extract it.