gmb45
20th May, 2009, 09:35 AM
A QUICK-THINKING doc in the Aussie outback saved a kid's life by boring a hole into his skull with a DRILL.
Teenager Nicholas Rossi fell off his bike in remote Maryborough, Victoria, and hit his head on the pavement.
But by the time Rossi, 13, got to a small local hospital he was slipping in and out of consciousness and in serious danger.
The doctor on duty, Rob Carson, quickly realised the boy had potentially fatal bleeding on the brain and he had only minutes to save him.
Dr Carson knew he needed to drill a hole through the boy?s skull to relieve the pressure.
But the small hospital was not equipped with neurological drills - so Carson grabbed a household drill from the maintenance room.
?Dr Carson came over to us and said, ?I am going to have to drill into (Nicholas) to relieve the pressure on the brain - we?ve got one shot at this and one shot only'."
The boy?s dad, Michael Rossi, said: ?Dr Carson came over to us and said, ?I am going to have to drill into (Nicholas) to relieve the pressure on the brain - we?ve got one shot at this and one shot only'."
Carson called a Melbourne neurosurgeon for help, and the specialist talked Carson through the procedure - which he had never before attempted - by telling him where to aim the drill and how deep to go.
Soon, a blood clot fell out, relieving the pressure on the boy?s brain. Rossi was airlifted to a larger hospital in Melbourne and released yesterday - his 13th birthday.
Modest Carson said: ?It is not a personal achievement, it is just a part of the job and I had a very good team of people helping me."
Mr Rossi said: ?He saved our son?s life."
Teenager Nicholas Rossi fell off his bike in remote Maryborough, Victoria, and hit his head on the pavement.
But by the time Rossi, 13, got to a small local hospital he was slipping in and out of consciousness and in serious danger.
The doctor on duty, Rob Carson, quickly realised the boy had potentially fatal bleeding on the brain and he had only minutes to save him.
Dr Carson knew he needed to drill a hole through the boy?s skull to relieve the pressure.
But the small hospital was not equipped with neurological drills - so Carson grabbed a household drill from the maintenance room.
?Dr Carson came over to us and said, ?I am going to have to drill into (Nicholas) to relieve the pressure on the brain - we?ve got one shot at this and one shot only'."
The boy?s dad, Michael Rossi, said: ?Dr Carson came over to us and said, ?I am going to have to drill into (Nicholas) to relieve the pressure on the brain - we?ve got one shot at this and one shot only'."
Carson called a Melbourne neurosurgeon for help, and the specialist talked Carson through the procedure - which he had never before attempted - by telling him where to aim the drill and how deep to go.
Soon, a blood clot fell out, relieving the pressure on the boy?s brain. Rossi was airlifted to a larger hospital in Melbourne and released yesterday - his 13th birthday.
Modest Carson said: ?It is not a personal achievement, it is just a part of the job and I had a very good team of people helping me."
Mr Rossi said: ?He saved our son?s life."