we had unexpected guests last night at the rig. when i went back to our office after i had dinner, beside my table were a box of red capped, wide mouthed plastic bottles and a small blue ice box – i cannot help myself but to peek inside the container and i saw test kits inside. my rig manager asked me what was it for and i told him that the drug testers are on location.

the presence of illegal drugs on an employee while performing company business or while on company premises is a violation of company policy. the use, sale, purchase, transfer or possession of an illegal drug by any employee while on company premises or while on company business is a violation of company policy.

it is the first time that we had a random screening here at the rig and i have been here for almost three years. i think our main office just had to do it for there were reports of illegal drug use on some rigs. considering this is saudi arabia but still, it does exist. i had to wake up some of the crew who were off tour for them to visit the rig clinic to have their urine samples for the drug tests.

i actually volunteered to be the first to have my urine sample checked.

the testers were using a multi drug test panel dip cards on which checks for presence of metabolites of cocaine, amphetamines, methadone, marijuana, and opiates. some of the crew were a bit nervous that it took time for them to pee to provide the urine sample, well i think there will be one obvious reason (i am not saying all) to be jittery on a random drug test – and that is if you are a user.

it is important to understand that survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest are directly related to how soon victims are defibrillated.  for every minute of delay, the chance of survival declines by 7% to 10%.

defibrillation cannot assure survival, no matter how rapid the treatment.  in some patients, the underlying problem causing the cardiac arrest is simply not survivable despite any available care.

- from heartstart frx aed owner’s manual, ed. 8

an aed (automated external defibrillator) is an essential equipment that one should have in a rig clinic.  in my rig, we use philips’ heartstart frx – as an acls certified remote area paramedic, i think this aed is remarkably excellent for being user-friendly.  even a panic-stricken medic can have confusion out of its way because it literally tells you what to do through its cpr coaching button.  it basically has three steps to provide life saving defibrillation: after checking for signs of sca (sudden cardiac arrest) 1. turn on 2. place pads and 3. press shock – it’s that simple.

heartstart frx also exudes a rugged look and is tested to withstand jetting water, crushing loads up to 500 pounds and a one-meter drop onto concrete.  weighing 3.5 pounds, it is said to be among the smallest and lightest among defibrillators in the market.

if ever i encounter a medical emergency that will require aed use – heartstart frx surely gives me the confidence on rendering effective defibrillation that can save a life.

the door of the rig office flung open and i saw our driller, chris, with his workclothes full of grime, flushed and breathing heavily, his gray eyes wide open looking straight at me..

“what’s wrong, chris“? i asked.
“robert“.. he said, “i’m having a panic attack“..

a panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that develops for no apparent reason and that triggers severe physical reactions. symptoms varies from faintness, trembling and even a sense of impending death.

i accompanied him to the rig clinic, and made him remove his boots as he half-reclined on the bed. i gave him a cup of cold water to drink, dimmed the lights and left him alone for a few minutes. when i went back, i asked him how he was doing, if he still feel the same, he said he calmed down a bit.

he added that it had happened to him way back, some years ago. i asked what caused it, he answered he sometimes get claustrophobic, feeling trapped.

about 5% of the population will experience panic attacks during their lifetimes, it affects more women than men, and appears to be inherited.

i have also read that most panic attacks usually peaks within 10 minutes and i saw this with chris. after a few more minutes with him inside the rig clinic he felt better, he got up, slipped his boots back, said thank you and went back to work.

he looked okay when i saw him today, as if nothing happened.