Patientberättelse Elsa 80 år

Elsa, 80 years old and wheelchair-bound, arrives by ambulance at the emergency department from her residence. She called the ambulance due to difficulty breathing and pressure in her chest.

Elsa seeks emergency care for the same symptoms. She is moved to a bed with a thin mattress and admitted to the emergency department while waiting to see a doctor. There is no call bell available for her.

After an hour, Elsa requests the patient next to her to ring the call bell for assistance to the toilet, but the bell is occupied by another patient. Despite receiving a call bell herself, Elsa feels uneasy. She experiences discomfort in her coccyx and later receives a sandwich and coffee.

Elsa is administered diuretics and blood thinners. She eventually sees a doctor for the treatment of her heart failure. Later, as the diuretics start to take effect, she asks for help to the toilet, signaling the regular staff through an ambulance alarm. She is assisted to the toilet in a wheelchair and receives a diaper for the first time, leading to the discovery of early-stage pressure sores.

While being assisted to the toilet, Elsa hits her head on the floor. Following a new medical examination and X-rays of her head, shoulder, and arm, twelve hours after her arrival at the emergency department.