So, today marked the third shift in a row where a patient of mine died. That makes 4 in three shifts. That is more than average. And depressing. Today we got a guy in his 70’s who basically suffered a massive MI (or some sort of arrhythmia) while driving and wrecked his car. Arrived in arrest and there was nothing that multiple shocks, multiple drugs, and a boat-load of compressions could reverse. He was not from nearby so it took some time to locate relatives and his regular doctor. When I called the doc, he sounded like a kind of elderly guy – imagine the doc in the Norman Rockwell paintings. Anyway, when I told his patient had died, he was so sad. He was nearly crying as he told me he knew the guy for 35 years and that the patient always brought him back special chocolate and wine for the doc whenever he visited Italy. He told me he was going to go to his funeral. That is a good doctor-patient relationship.
I often wonder how doctors disengage emotionally from their patients. Especially doctors who have an on-going relationship with the same patient for some time.
I imagine it’s very difficult in a different way for an ER doc, because usually that doctor/patient relationship is not in place in the ER, right?
Still, I’m sorry to hear about the concurring deaths.
If I become a doctor and go into family practice, I hope I have some relationships like that.
I’m sorry you’ve had a rough few days.
[...] anybody can find out who this family doctor is, let me know his phone number. I want him for my primary physician. [...]