24 Hours in A&E

S09:E04 - HeartBreak

75-year-old Gerry is rushed to A&E with a dangerously high heart rate of over 250 bpm. Doctors aren’t able to slow Gerry’s heart rate down with drugs and their only option is to try to return his heart to a normal rhythm with an electric shock. They suspect the problem has been caused by an underlying chest infection that will need to be brought under control. Gerry’s wife Julie talks about meeting Gerry after first husband died from cancer, giving her a second chance for happiness. 92-year-old Margaret has come to St George’s after falling over and hitting her head. The cut may be small, but doctor Tom wants to carry out a series of tests to make sure there’s no underlying cause for her falling. They discover that she too has a dangerously high heart rate. Margaret is not your average 92-year-old. She lives alone and looks after herself as well as spending time with younger friend Yvette. Margaret talks about losing her husband to Alzheimer’s and her daughter to cancer. Meanwhile 6-year-old Daniel has an infected blister on his foot and has come to A&E to get it sorted out, accompanied by his mum and three siblings. But Daniel needs some reassurance and distraction, as well as gas and air, so that the medics can make him better.