Passing Time

I had a few minutes so I thought I would jot down a few brief thoughts from the last two overnight shifts I worked. One at the County and one at the General....

The Canadian Healthcare system sucks. Just because you have healthcare doesn't guarantee that you have access to everything. I could have an illegal migrant farm worker walk into the E.D. with a severed thumb, and he would have a hand surgeon evaluating his thumb and most likely reattaching it within a few hours. A Canadian citizen cut his thumb and was transferred to a receiving hospital who then spent the next 6 hours looking for an orthopedist who might consider operating on his hand. They then spent the next 2 hours calling U.S. hospitals to find a hand surgeon willing to take the case. He then spent another 2 hours trying to get transportation arranged across the border. We had accepted him to the County, but by then it was too late. He will have to do his work sans his thumb.

Psych patients drive me crazy. While I can go along with some delusions, it's the scarily quiet ones that freak me out. Questions that go unanswered. Or a question that is answered, "well the last time I felt like this I went totally crazy and ...." Ok, stepping away from the patient before they, "...." on me.

Why do people insist on driving while under the influence of anything? It just isn't safe to take 2 sleeping pills, chase them down with alcohol, and then decide you're hungry and NEED to get something to eat right now. Ride your bike, no. Walk, no wait. Just stay home and sleep.

Patients with pica are weird. We got this patient who likes to swallow things like pens and markers. Not sure if it meets the technical diagnosis of pica but close enough. The GI fellow told me they have scoped this patient multiple times and pulled out a variety of objects. He told me that they have several patients known for all the items they've swallowed. Also, we had to get psych involved because this patient can't be trusted in their room. Last time they were admitted they unscrewed the screws on their bed and swallowed those while waiting for their upper GI scope. So, they got a 1 to 1 sitter.

Um, weenises come in all shapes and sizes. Just saying. We put in a lot of foleys for traumas. Not judging, just noticing.

How come patients who come into the E.D. complaining of pain never take anything at home for it? And, why do they all seem to know that "that stuff that started with a d... dil-something, that they put in my IV, that works really well." One of my colleagues argued that we should have a Lortab dispenser in the waiting room because it would cut down on the number of patients we would actually have to see.

Why is it I can go to work for 12 hours having to shake my hand all day because my carpal tunnel is acting up and I'm having ulnar neuropathies (my ring and pinkie finger are falling asleep), but you need a work note and a prescription for Lortab (see could have used a dispenser here) because the toe you stubbed 3 weeks ago is "really bothering you" and you just can't handle your six hour shift sitting down and answering phones?

I really wish we had a Room Nine. When I was in medical school, the E.D. at Froedert had a back room where the drunks, inmates and psych patients were held. It was Room Nine. There was a seperate area with a few shower benches and a drain in the middle. "It puts the lotion on the skin or else it gets the hose again." Actually, no, but they did have a power hose for unruly patients. And, if someone had an accident, or on-purpose soilage, clean-up was a snap. About the time I graduated, the room had been converted as part of an observation area for 23 hours' admissions, but during that first year doing tag-a-longs in the E.D., it was the site for some very interesting patient encounters. We could use a Room Nine in our E.D.'s at times.

Did I mention I like polite patients? The ones that say, "no problem, I know you're very busy" and "thank you, I appreciate every thing you did for me tonight." On some nights, they're the bright spot of my night.... except for a messy trauma of course. Again, it's not that I want you to get hurt... I just want to be there when you do.

I have several days off to recharge. Teaching a procedures class in the morning and then hopefully some sailing. A dinner party on Thursday night. Then it's work the weekend. Till then, stay safe out there!