Again, kudos to all ER physicians out there... I don't know how you all manage to work in such a high stress environment, day in and day out.
I got called to our local ER, which also happens to be a level I trauma center. They were really swamped and stressed, as they had received 5 traumas all at once. One of them was a 17 yo kid taking a ride in the back of a pick-up truck with his friends after school. The truck flipped over and basically crushed him. He sustained a spinal cord injury at the T7-8 level, and was paralyzed from the waist down. I was called because they were unable to place a catheter in him.
The poor kid was beginning to realize he was seriously injured and kept asking the staff: "is my back really broken? Am I really never going to be able to walk again?"
I also saw his friend, a 16 yo boy, who had less severe injuries, but was still on a board with a C-spine collar, with multiple bruises and contusions. Despite the situation, both boys were unerringly polite and they both thanked me when I left.
It was heartbreaking.
- Keagirl
- I'm convinced that I am a frustrated veterinarian at heart. However, my unfortunate allergies to most rodents, felines and equines led me to the wonderful world of human medicine and the ever humorous field of urology.
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10 comments:
That poor boy! I hope he and his friend recover. It's refreshing when young patients are polite. It would be understandable if he weren',t given his circumstances, but he's obviously a boy of good character.
I think people that work in the ER have a calling to do so.
They do work hard and under a lot of stress.
That's horrible! I hope orthopaedics were able to do something for him.
On behalf of Emergency Physycians everywhere, thanks for coming in!
GruntDoc
Keagirl you have so much heart. I love the fact that you are a surgeon but you are so human. Any book deal in the works?
It gives me waves of nausea when I think about kids like this. I have 3 sons and unless they are safe in school or here at home, I worry.
I hope these young men have miraculous recoveries.
ER's can be dreadful. My very first time on my ER stint for my cardiology lab job was a man that had been crushed by a tree he was cutting down. His family put him in the back of their pick-up fearing the ambulance would take too long. He was gone before they got him in the truck but they held out hope. He arrived with only 1/2 of his head. It is an image that I will have forever.
Ditto, what Grunt Doc said.
I find that most urologists are very "ER friendly" and accomodating.
One of these days, I'm gonna have bribe one to show me some tricks of their trade in placing difficult foleys. Or at least get one drunk enough to reveal their secrets! Most of the time, the nurses tried, over a dozen time with different size catheters. Then I get a crack at it with numerous attempts using different size cathers and coudets as well... pulling the penis straight up toward the ceiling, angling it down toward the end of the bed, applying pressure at the prostate, pushing down against the bladder, some ativan, lots of KY and viscous lidocaine jelly....and finally give up after a few dozen exhaustive and frustrating tries as well. I then bow in humiliating defeat and have to place a consultation.
In comes happy-go-lucky, out-going urologist with the urology cart. One easy slip and it's in. Damn! Drives me nuts!!! Especially that smirk of triumph on their face. I swear, it's a heavily guarded secret that they'll teach to no one else except each other during some special secret session at a far and remote location where none of us mere mortals are allowed to know about or attend.
Thanks for coming in and being so pleasant, even though some of the procedures your specialty does has at times caused me to feel quite faint! LOL.
LOL! Very funny Charity Doc! :)
one of the 'worst' things i saw while in the ER was an MVA that came in with suspected spinal complications...a nurse came in to help a hand, and started putting in a foley. she warned the patient with "this might be a bit uncomfortable", and then continued. during the whole procedure, he had no idea what was going on, and kept asking "what might be uncomfortable?!"
couldn't feel a thing...:-(
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