Critical Condition

In this final episode of the series, when 52-year-old Helen is rushed into Royal Stoke emergency department after a headon collision with a bus, trauma team leader Paul Hancock fears the worst. With a blown right pupil indicating a serious brain injury, an urgent scan reveals a devastating skull fracture that could be fatal. Neurosurgeons act quickly to relieve the pressure on her brain, but when her partner arrives, Paul has to prepare him for the fact that Helen might not make it. Meanwhile, 65-year-old HGV driver Michael was at work when he suddenly began to display worrying symptoms of a stroke. Tests reveal he has a severe lack of co-ordination on his right side, and Dr Janaka knows that if he doesn't act fast, his patient could suffer permanent paralysis. The race is on to shift the blood clot causing the stroke to give Michael a fighting chance of making a full recovery. Across the hospital, 35-year-old Daria is preparing for emergency surgery to treat an aneurysm in her brain. It could rupture at any minute, potentially killing her in an instant. She's one of the youngest patients Dr Nayak has ever treated with this condition, and he urgently needs to insert a stent into her brain to block off the aneurysm. But when the procedure doesn't go to plan, Dr Nayak has to think on his feet to save the life of his young patient. Finally, 80-year-old Fred has fallen down the stairs at home and has a significant head injury. Trauma team leader Richard Hall isn't only concerned about Fred's external injuries, but also, crucially, as to why his patient fell in the first place. An ECG confirms his worst fears: Fred has suffered a heart attack and Richard now knows that his patient is at risk of having a second, potentially fatal arrest. With his patient's life in the balance, Richard has to work quickly both to treat Fred's external injuries and the serious cardiac condition he has just uncovered.