ER Stories 15: Under the Influence part2 #selfie

A collection of things people in the ER have done while under the influence of alchohol, drugs or keyboard cleaner:

ONE: Drunk patient threatens to call his lawyer at 2 a.m. because we won't let him leave without a ride home.









TWO: High patient hits the call button every five minutes and every single time it is because she wants to know if we can paint the ER room's walls a nicer color.

ER Stories 14: ER Problems.

PATIENT ONE: HIT WITH A BAT, HEAD LAC

ER Stories 13: Longboarding & Steep Hills, #seniors2K14

Here is a very short ER Story

, brought to you by my brother Xavier:

#senior2K14

longboarding + steep hills =

ER Stories 12: Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA)

It's almost one.

12:35.

Uh.. it's sort of almost one.

Sigh.

We've stopped accepting new patients at this point. (That's the nice part about working in a health clinic in Ecuador: we can close up shop for an hour a day during lunchtime without much consequence.)

12:37....

ER Stories 11: Foreign Body (Eyes, Ears, Mouth & Nose!)

Note: These posts are intentionally vague (with no names, ages, or dates) so as to protect patient confidentiality. These stories are random and their publication dates have no correlation to the dates they occurred.

Many of these foreign body cases aren't even handled by the ER Doctor; they are often handed over to a physician who specializes in Ear, Nose, Throat Care. This post is not meant to be an educational how-to-treat these cases, but rather a blog post of my personal account of how certain, specific (freaking cool) cases have been treated. Really what I am saying to you here, is let's not try this at home folks.

Kids have a tendency to stick objects where they're not supposed to go.

Turns out, adults do that too.

Foreign Object in Eye

(http://www.surgical-tutor.org.uk/default-home.htm?specialities/ent/eye.htm~right)

random ER did-you-know

Did you know that we can place IVs in the veins of baby's heads?

It freaks parents out and hurts a lot more to place than one in the arm or hand, so it's the last option, but it can be done!

(And, actually, sometimes the veins in the head can be much better for an IV than the other options.)

http://community.babycenter.com/post/a40551538/my_baby_has_arrived_photo_bomb

The more you know..

ER Stories 10: Under the Influence

Note: These posts are intentionally vague (with no names, ages, or dates) so as to protect patient confidentiality. These stories are random and their publication dates have no correlation to the dates they occurred. The photos in this post are from medical websites featuring patients with similar injuries, but by different causes.

Patient comes into the ER with "foot injury".

I am taking Patient's vital signs.

I am impressed with the severity of the wounds on his right foot. They look odd, though and I've never seen wounds quite like them before. Some of his skin is pink and raw, and some of it tan, hard and looks burned.

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/17r2w1z9

"What happened?" I ask him, smiling. People usually love to tell their crazy how-I-ended-up-in-your-ER-tonight stories.

He paused.

"I got an infection.." 

That isn't a very helpful description. I figure it's personal and don't pursue it.

stress

Sometimes it's finals week AND it's short-staffed in the ER...

....and no matter how hard you try to "have a good attitude" and not stress, you're really stressed....

And sometimes you want to just crawl into a ball and wait for everything to go away.

ER Stories 8: Burnt Skin

[Entry from my journal on Wednesday, February 6, 2013]

[Only the first picture is mine. All other pictures included in this post are ones I found on the internet from patients with similar cases.]

Patronato was really busy in the morning. I did a lot! Lots of patients, a few shots and a really interesting emergency:

Denise (coworker) and Chanmi (Global Citizen Year 2014) in the office/waiting room of Patronato

Denise and I exchanged a funny look when we heard odd squealing from outside. We thought it may have been an injured dog. A few seconds later, a very frantic set of parents rushed into the clinic, carrying the source of the squealing -- a little boy.

ER Stories 7: My ER Story [STAPLES]

Over the summer of 2013, my family was moving homes. My boyfriend-at-the-time and I were dismantling a bunk-bed to fit into our moving van.

We lifted.

He got distracted.

He stopped lifting.

Heavy wooden bunk-bed fell on my head.

It didn't hurt that much ,

but it was bleeding quite a bit.

The ER visit was quite unimpressive.

I got four staples in my head.

The doctor explained that the needle from putting anesthesia on my head would hurt just as much as the staples, so we wouldn't mess with that. "This will hurt a lot," he said.

It hurt a lot.

Cute, huh?

ER Stories 6: Before and After - Amputated Toe
Next Wednesday, April 30th:ER Stories 8: Burnt Skin

More ER Stories

ER Stories 6: Before and After - Amputated Toe

Another ER Story from Ecuador:

Short Background Story to these photos: On my first week working in the clinic, I met a woman who recently had a good section of her middle toe/foot removed as an eventual result to her diabetes. I cleaned her foot every day and after a few months her wounds heal. 

Long & More Interesting Background Story: http://everydayambassador.org/2013/01/07/looking-up-from-sympathy-to-respect/

I am humbled to see the drastic before and after. Our bodies are miraculous.

Before:

ER Stories 5: Dislocated Hip

Note: These posts are intentionally vague (with no names, ages, or dates) so as to protect patient confidentiality. These stories are random and their publication dates have no correlation to the dates they occurred.

My first dislocated hip.

Very cool older woman with a great sense of humor.

Two nurses, me (ER Tech) and the doctor.

The doctor administers sedative, making the patient sleepy.

(We know she is out of it when she says "Doctor... I amm soo glwaoudd yoaahuu........ greaaaaadfdfa .. peeeee... ajlwoudlfajadfljad....")

One nurse charts.

Second nurse holds patient's hips.

 I help hold the rest of the patient.

Doctor props his knee up onto the bed and proceeds manipulating the leg. The goal is to put the bone back into its socket (called reduction).



THESE PICTURES DO NOT GIVE IT JUSTICE

ER Stories 4: Medical Gore

I geek out over medical gore.

I find the human body absolutely fascinating.

It's crazy to me that our bodies are so strong and so fragile at the same time.

Anyway, let's get to the good stuff:

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE :)

ER Stories 3: DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)

Note: These posts are intentionally vague (with no names, ages, or dates) so as to protect patient confidentiality. These stories are random and their publication dates have no correlation to the dates they occurred.

This is a sad story and it is difficult to tell, as I want to approach the subject with respect.

The first time I saw someone die was in the Emergency Room.

She was an older patient with a preexisting condition. Her family expected her to pass away soon, but her husband did not want to sign the paperwork to make his wife a "Do Not Resuscitate" (DNR for short.).

If a DNR patient's heart stops, we don't attempt CPR.

...............

Before this day, I had never understood why anyone would want to make themselves or their loved ones a DNR. In my uninformed mind it seemed like giving up; and giving up seemed weak.

.........................

The patient came into the Emergency Room as a CPR in progress; the ambulance had already started chest compressions.

ER Stories 2: It's a Boy!

Before I worked as an ER Tech in the States, I worked as a CNA in a little clinic in Puerto Quito, Ecuador.

We have a small Emergency Room and I got a lot of hands-on experience with the burning, the broken and the bleeding (and I loved it).

...........................

In this little clinic, we have a small room dedicated to giving birth. I knew about it, but in the six months I had been working at Patronato, we had never used it.

On February 7, 2013 I came into work to find that little room occupied by a doctor, nurse and mother in labor.

Um, what?

I stood outside the door for five minutes wondering if it was appropriate to knock on the door and ask to help. I tend to over think things. I finally decided it was an opportunity I could not pass up, and knocked.

"¿Quién es?" I recognized Dr. Rios' voice. "Sydni," I replied and he immediately opened the door, welcoming me inside; but not before he instructed me to scrub in.

ER Stories 1: Ruptured Achilles Tendon

Note: These posts are intentionally vague (with no names, ages, or dates) so as to protect patient confidentiality. These stories are random and their publication dates have no correlation to the dates they occurred.

1. Healthy Male Patient in his twenties presents to the ER with ankle pain.

Patient was playing basketball and reported he felt a snap followed by severe ankle pain.

Not the most exciting story ever; it's the diagnosis that is fascinating.

And the diagnosis isssss....

Mr. Healthy Male Patient ruptured his Achilles Tendon.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/achilles-tendon-rupture