DeWalt cordless drill used to relieve pressure, saved boys life

Daily Mail:

He had the knowledge to recognise that the young boy was about to die from a blood clot on the brain.

But Dr Rob Carson knew he didn't have the right tools to deal with the emergency.

Unless you count that drill in the hospital maintenance cupboard, of course.

With Nicholas Rossi's life hanging in the balance, this was a time for desperate measures.

And within minutes the doctor was using the handyman's De Walt cordless to bore into Nicholas's skull to relieve the pressure on his brain.

Last night experts agreed that the operation undoubtedly saved the child's life.

'There were only minutes to spare,' Dr Carson revealed, as he told of the drama yesterday.

Nicholas was kept under observation but after an hour he began to pass in and out of consciousness, and then went into spasms.

Dr Carson recognised this as a sign of internal bleeding in the skull, the result being pressure on the brain.

It was the same fatal condition that claimed the life of actress Natasha Richardson after a skiing accident in March.

Because the small hospital was not equipped with neurological drills, Dr Carson needed to think on his feet.

He raced to the maintenance room and found the drill which handymen usually used for drilling holes in wood.

...

It is too bad Canada's rationed health care providers did not act as quickly. Even without the fancy equipment a quick diagnosis, followed by prompt action proved to be a life saver.