Kings Cross ER

Heart Stabbing It’s emergency medicine at its toughest when all relevant staff are called to the resus bay for a Code Crimson trauma – the highest priority emergency. A young man has been stabbed in the heart at a nightclub in Potts Point and his body is shutting down as the paramedics bring him in. Racing against time to save his life, the Emergency Team are forced to perform a high-risk heart procedure in the trauma bay. Making the Tough Calls Dr Kate Sellors is a Senior Registrar who has been at St. Vincent’s for nine years. Despite having worked in emergency medicine for so long, she still finds some days to be emotionally challenging and gives us an insight into the best and most difficult aspects of working in one of the busiest emergency departments in the country. Midnight Cliff Fall The Emergency Team treat an intoxicated reveller who has mysteriously fallen 5 metres from a cliff while taking a midnight stroll after a beachside party. Complaining of severe pain in his leg and hip, the team need to investigate him thoroughly to discover the full extent of his injuries.

Party for One The Emergency Team must search for answers when a man is discovered alone and unconscious in a St. Vincent’s Hospital public toilet. With a visible injection site in his arm, they must work quickly to determine what and how much he’s taken in order to treat him. Melting Marathon Man It’s the day of Sydney’s annual marathon and St. Vincent’s Emergency is filling fast with race casualties. Dr Martin Duffy and Nurse Brendan Clifford face a time-critical situation with one man who has collapsed during the race and has a dangerously high temperature. The intense heat is causing the man’s body to shut down and he is at risk of serious brain damage if the Emergency Team can’t cool him down quickly enough. Heart Failure at the Finish Line The bat phone rings again with a 31 year-old runner who has collapsed after crossing the marathon finish line. His heart has stopped beating and he’s been clinically dead for 5 minutes. Miraculously, Paramedics managed to revive him. Then it’s down to the Emergency Team to stabilise the man and quickly investigate the cause of his heart failure. Dis-orientated Drunk It’s Saturday night in Kings Cross and Paramedics Jordan Emery and Michael Henry are called to a street near the local housing commission, where a man has fallen and is lying in a semi-conscious state. Reeking of alcohol and extremely disorientated, the Emergency Team examine him to learn the full extent of his injuries.

Saturday Night Stabbing It’s a crazy Saturday night at St. Vincent’s and Emergency staff are inundated. Professor Gordian Fulde and Nurse Carolyn Milton face another challenge with a young man who has been stabbed at a party in an affluent Sydney suburb. Still flying high on a cocktail of drugs and booze, he thinks he’s just been punched in the guts – but the reality of his injury is far more serious. Gordian’s Concerns St. Vincent’s Head of Emergency, Professor Gordian Fulde, reflects on the vicious nature of violent assaults that are becoming far too common in Kings Cross. Motorbike Fall Dr Kate Sellors is forced to perform life-saving surgery in the trauma bay when a 55 year-old man is brought in with a collapsed lung and cracked ribs after falling off his motorbike. Used to being a ‘jack of all trades’, it’s tricky procedures like these that fuel Kate’s love of emergency medicine. Compound Fracture Nurse Catherine Prothero and Dr. Ziad Basyouny deal with a happy drunk who fell down a gutter after a rowdy day at the pub with his brother. With a bone protruding from his ankle, it’s a painful injury, but the 63 year old is anaesthetized enough by the alcohol to take it all in his stride. Toothless Tiger Dr. Luis Winoto and Nurse Rachel MacFarlane treat a boozed up country lad who has face planted at a strip joint on his first trip to Kings Cross. Trauma dentist Dr. Foltyn works fast to restore the patient’s winning smile.

Cuffed and Cranky It’s all hands on deck in the trauma bay as team leader Dr. Andrew Finckh attempts to treat an aggressive partygoer who has stepped in front of a moving taxi on Oxford St. With a potentially serious head injury, police back-up is required every step of the way to control this combative patient who is resisting all efforts to help him. Not Just a Grazed Knee Nurse Karen Loring swings into action when a young rugby player from South Africa comes in with a larger-than-life knee laceration after tripping over a beer bottle while out drinking with his mates... but then mysteriously disappears. Chest Pain at Breakfast The Emergency Department bat phone goes off with a lady complaining of severe, central crushing chest pain. With all symptoms pointing to a heart attack, Registrar Dr. Kate Sellors must investigate the symptoms quickly to determine the seriousness of the situation. Out of his Mind Nurse Tim Ayers takes us through the dangers of recreational drug use as a 30 year old man who is flying high on the highly toxic street drug GHB is brought into the Emergency Department. Fighting for Life A fight on the street becomes a fight to save a life for Dr. Lee Blair and Nurse Justine Branch as a young assault victim is at risk of serious brain damage.

Roof Fall Dr. Ziad Basyouny and Nurse Tim Ayers treat an 89 year old man who has fallen 5 metres from his roof while attempting some ambitious household renovations. Despite severe pain in his right hip, the war veteran is determined to tough it out without pain relief and his stoic spirit does not go unnoticed. St. Vincent’s Nurses It takes a lot of multi-tasking to be a nurse in St. Vincent’s Emergency Department. We meet the friendly nursing staff who are essential to the smooth-running of the department. Tourist Trauma Nurse Brendan Clifford looks after a holidaymaker from the UK who has come to grief on the top deck of the City Sightseeing bus. A low-lying branch has left the woman with a deep laceration on the top of her head and it’s Brendan’s job to repair the damage. Halloween Horror It’s Halloween in Kings Cross and all the ghosts and ghouls are out to play. It spells a busy night for paramedics Matt Nichol and Suzanne Collinson who are called to the aid of one party girl who has consumed far more spirits than her tiny body can handle. Back in the ED, she’s just one of the many Halloween revellers who have ended up in a spot of trouble. Dr Gillian Edwards and Nurse Kathryn Prothero have their hands full dealing with one young man who has covered himself from head-to-toe in industrial strength, lead-based paint.

Stair Fall Dr Tim Stewart and the Emergency team work together to treat a 65 year old man who has been found at the base of a stairwell with his pupils blown and a critical head injury. The team presumes the injuries are a result of his fall, but there is much more to this case than it first appears. Juggling Cases On a busy morning in Emergency, Dr Andrew Finckh juggles two cases simultaneously. The first is a mystery trauma case that sees a young binge drinker brought in. He is struggling to breathe and has bruises on his body. The patient’s memory is vague so Andrew and Dr Michael White must investigate him thoroughly to learn exactly what has transpired. While he waits for results of scans, Andrew treats 80 year-old Geoffrey who has had a fall at his house while trying to walk to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Maggots Nurse Rachel MacFarlane deals with creepy crawlies in the corridor when a homeless man who has been found having a seizure is also discovered to have a seriously nasty maggot infestation in his foot. Drunken Matteo Paramedics Jordan Emery and Michael Henry mop up the mess at a local hostel where Italian backpacker Matteo has drunk so much vodka in a drinking competition that he is vomiting non-stop.

Pedestrian Versus Truck It’s all hands on deck in the resus bay as the Emergency team treat a man who has fallen in front of a moving truck during an alcohol-fuelled street brawl. Acting aggressively, yelling incoherently and resisting all attempts to help him, Registrar Dr Nikki Woods is concerned he may have a head injury. Learning The Ropes Registered Nurse Adele Mooney is a new addition to the St. Vincent’s Emergency team and is still learning the ropes. She faces another new challenge with a patient who has overdosed on the toxic party drug GHB. Emergency Services Detective Superintendent Mark Walton describes the unique characteristics of the Kings Cross catchment area and the close relationship between the Emergency Services. Vocal Chord Spasm The Emergency team deal with the very unusual case of a 24-year old woman who is unable to speak, yet cannot control the strange noise continuously coming from her vocal chords. Cardiac Crisis It’s a matter of life and death as the Emergency team treat a male patient who is having the worst kind of heart attack. He was brought back from the dead when his heart stopped for six minutes while he was at the town hall station.

Mystery Illness An unconscious young man is brought into the Emergency Department after suddenly collapsing while out to dinner with his girlfriend. With no clues as to what has gone wrong, Dr. Andrew Finckh and the Emergency team must investigate thoroughly to solve the puzzle of this man’s mystery condition. Ute Boys It’s double trouble in the resus bay when the Emergency team deal with two young men who have fallen from the back of a Ute while it was taking off at great speed. It’s a matter of tag-team treatment as the doctors examine the severity of their injuries. The Q Word The St. Vincent’s Emergency team explain the one word that they don’t like to use while they work. The Rule of Three It’s a bizarre day in the Emergency department as three patients present with stranger than usual medical complaints. First up is Natalie who has a very swollen ring finger after falling from a taxi and landing on her hand. With her wedding ring cutting off circulation fast, it’s a matter of losing the ring or losing the finger. Next door is Myra. She’s bitten through her lip after fainting at the sight of blood when she cut her finger while cooking dinner. And finally, there’s the ‘Elephant Man’ – normally known as Shaun. He has a larger-than-life injury after getting an elbow to the eye while dancing at a music festival.

A Messy Night Saturday nights in the city are always busy for ambulance paramedics Jordan Emery and Michael Henry as they run the regular party casualty shuttle between Kings Cross and St Vincent’s Emergency. Tonight is particularly messy with one young man falling into the dreaded ‘K –hole’ when he overdoses on Ketamine, while a foreign student gets viciously head butted during a messy street brawl. In the Family Kirsty and Jo Short are sisters who are a long way from home. Born and raised in rural England, older sister Kirsty paved the way for Jo by coming out to Australia to pursue a career in medicine. Scaffold Fall Registrar Dr David Darley treats a worker who has fallen from a five metre scaffold. The patient complains of severe pins and needles in both arms. He faces the risk of spinal damage or a bleed on the brain. Dr David Darley must diagnose the man quickly and get him the urgent treatment he needs. Polite Patient An English gentleman who is enjoying a night out with his girlfriend at a club in Kings Cross dislocates his knee on the dance floor. It’s a painful procedure getting it back into place, but even more painful for Neil is the prospect of offending any of the Emergency staff.

Centennial Cardiac A man falls off his bike after riding around Centennial Park. He collapses into the arms of a man who happens to be a doctor and performs life saving CPR. After arriving at St Vincent’s Emergency, the man’s heart responds normally. But what caused him to collapse – did he have a heart attack or a bleed on the brain? It’s a race against time to get answers. Sunday Slip-ups Sunday afternoons are always prone to accident cases for the ER team. Today, Dr Kate Sellors treats not one but two dislocated shoulders. One man put his shoulder out while swimming in a harbour pool while another severely injured his bowling arm during a cricket match. In the bay next door, Dr Rahul Santram treats a skateboard rider who has landed on his head at the skate park. The Boss Getting to know the Director of the Emergency Department Gordian Fulde – his unique take on Emergency Medicine and his philosophical approach to life and death. Pulp Fiction Rescue The movie “Pulp Fiction” has a lot to answer for with this case of a man who has overdosed on the party drug GHB. His helpful friends have managed to find some adrenaline and attempted to perform a DIY resuscitation by injecting it directly into his chest. Dr Tim has the difficult task of managing his airway while he remains unconscious.