Damned Lies

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. Benjamin Disraeli.

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Statistic 1: 99.7% of people on the planet have more than the average number of limbs. Think about it.

Statistic 2: You have a 343:1 chance of being attacked by a shark. It's probably a little higher if you actually swim in the sea.

Statistic 3: The life expectancy in the UK is 77.2 years for males, and 81.5 years for females.

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50 year old male, unresponsive. My sixth sense kicks in again and tells me that this is the real deal. The panic-stricken young lady stood outside the house strengthens my suspicions. The patient, lying on the floor, blue, confirms them. For a change, there are two of us on the FRU, making the resuscitation attempts that little bit easier. The ambulance is also on it's way. The young lady is trying hard to maintain her composure as she tells us what's happened. "He was in the room on his own, when we heard a bang. We came in to find him on the floor. He's not been unwell. Nothing's been wrong. But now he's stopped breathing. That was a few minutes ago". All the while, the resuscitation attempts are in full swing. The chances are slim from the outset. The family stand by and watch. A wife. A daughter. A son. All praying. We take him to the ambulance. The efforts continue. We're breathing for him. We're pumping the blood round his body for him. We're trying to stop him becoming a statistic. But we're losing.

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50 year old male, unresponsive. My sixth sense kicks in again and tells me that this is the real deal. The panic-stricken young lady stood outside the apartment block strengthens my suspicions. The patient, lying on the floor, blue, confirms them. Another FRU turns up at the same time, suggesting we may have a bit of a wait for an ambulance.

The young lady is trying hard to maintain her composure as she tells us what's happened. "He's been in pain for a couple of weeks. The doctor put it down to a nerve problem. The pain got worse suddenly. Then he collapsed and stopped breathing. That was a few minutes ago".

All the while, the resuscitation attempts are in full swing. The chances are slim from the outset. The family stand by and watch. A wife. A son. A daughter. A neighbour. A friend. They all stand by and watch. The ambulance arrives. The efforts continue. He's transported to hospital, all the while we keep the family in the picture. We're breathing for him. We're pumping the blood round his body for him. We're trying to stop him becoming a statistic. But we lose.

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Two calls. Two weeks apart.

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Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable. Mark Twain

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Try telling the families about statistics. They're lies. Damned lies.