Life Flight Nurse Suffers Brain Clot
A nurse who was one of the passengers on a Life Flight helicopter that crashed last month had surgery Friday night to relieve the pressure on her brain caused by a blood clot, a UC San Diego Medical Center spokeswoman said.
The nurse, Mary Ann Yorkoski, 28, admitted herself to the hospital after complaining of headaches, said spokeswoman Pat Jacoby. Yorkoski was diagnosed as having a subdural hematoma, a clotting of blood caused by an excessive blow to the head.
“It’s like a bruise,” Jacoby said. “The blood collects over a period of time to the point that it creates pressure on the brain. This is what was causing the headaches.”
Jacoby said the surgery was successful, and 100% recovery is expected.
Yorkoski was one of three passengers on a helicopter that crashed May 9 on Interstate 5 in La Jolla. The pilot, Dave Patrick, 37, suffered a concussion in the accident. The third Life Flight crew member suffered no serious injury.
It was the first time a Life Flight helicopter had been involved in an accident since the service began in March, 1980.
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