Great Reason to Call the Medics

Conversation I imagine happened relating to  a severely demented and bedridden patient I saw:

911 Operator: “Hello, 911, What is your emergency?”

Mr Denial: “It’s my father. He is less responsive than usual.”

911 Operator: “OK, is he usually awake and alert?”

Mr Denial: “No, he is pretty much of a vegetable.”

911 Operator: “Oh, so what is the Emergency?”

Mr Denial: “Well, [...]

Seriously?

How does one (i.e. a nursing home RN or MD) expect a 97 year old, demented and barely mobile patient to commit suicide? I guess she could fling herself out of the bed or get a hold of a knife and slash her wrists but hello, that is why you have been giving her Risperdal, Atvian, [...]

Ulterior Motive?

OK, I admit I did have a bit of a ulterior motive when I pressed hard for a patient to get a bed and up to that bad ASAP. Of course it was more of a “bonus” on top of the truly compassionate part of the story than the true motivation.

A lady was brought [...]

Didn’t Take Enough

I hate to say it but when I saw this patient that rolled in, all I could think was “you didn’t take enough”. He had stage 4 cancer and had checked himself into a hotel far from home with all his meds. He then OD’d on Remeron, Ambien, Insulin, and Oxycontin. For some reason, [...]

Sucks, But What do you Expect?

Man I know it sucks.  You came in for cough for several weeks and feeling “like crap”. You were told you had a sinus infection (which you probably did) but are not better.

The x-ray I did shows a nasty -assed thing in your lungs (see it on the x-ray?) which as it turns out is [...]

Help! I’ve Fallen and I can’t get up!

Yes, we may laugh at that vintage Life Alert commercial but sometimes it is for real. A woman pushed her button just like in that classic (although the dude going “I’m having ack!!! Chest pain!!!” is pretty funny in a morbid way too!) after she fell. Unfortunately, the CT above is what was going [...]

One Day You’re 45 and Fine

The next day you are found aspirating on your own vomit with decorticate posturing and right gaze preference. Shortly afterwards EMS intubates you and your are on a vent in the ER. Your blood work is horrible (renal failure and white blood count over 20K). You might think you are lucky [...]

Alcohol or Drug Addiction?

Don't end up in the ER! Get help at: addiction treatment