On Monday evening, at 6:30 p.m., United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Noemi Dray was in an online Zoom class in her home in Modiin. The 25-year-old student’s focus was suddenly interrupted by the ringing sound of her communications device, which read “severe anaphylactic reaction” and the address given was just a block away from her house. Despite being in an important class, Noemi knew that she needed to respond to the emergency. Quickly grabbing her medical bag and vest, Noemi rushed out of the house to respond.
Arriving in just 2 minutes alongside another United Hatzalah volunteer EMT, Gilad Peled, Noemi located the 45-year-old patient. The patient’s face was swollen and red, she was sweating profusely, and already suffering from shortness of breath. The two EMTs began checking her vitals as they asked the patient’s husband what had caused the reaction.
The husband explained that his wife accidentally ate a dish containing fish, to which she is severely allergic, and she began breathing rapidly and her face began to swell. Noemi asked if the patient carries an Epipen with her, and when the husband clarified that she does not, Noemi pulled one out of her medical bag and administered the shot of epinephrine.
Additional medical personnel began arriving at the scene, including two BLS ambulances, a local paramedic, and a few minutes later, a mobile intensive care ambulance. Noemi continued the treatment by applying high flow oxygen to the patient in order to help with her breathing.
Noemi monitored the patient’s condition as Gilad briefed the mobile intensive care crew on the emergency. After a quick briefing, the patient was transported to Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Yaakov for further treatment.
“In addition to being a full-time student, I also work at Sheba Medical Center in the pediatric ward, and normally I’m so busy that I don’t have much time to respond to as many emergencies as I would like to,” Noemi said. “Despite the fact that this week is the most intense segment of my final examinations in school when my communications device alerted me to the emergency, I knew I had to drop what I was doing and go. The address was so close to mine, and in cases of anaphylaxis, time is of the essence. I’m so glad I responded and arrived when I did in order to administer the EpiPen and save the woman’s life.”
To support the work of United Hatzalah volunteers such as Noemie and Gilad, please click here: