BlarrggghhhhThis is one of the worst call nights of recent memory; it's 3 a.m. and I just got home. I have no idea why I am compelled to post about this right now, but I might as well strike while the iron is hot. Be prepared for misspellings, cliches and general poor writing as there is no way I am going to proofread this when I am done.
I got admission Number One at 4:30 this afternoon (make that yesterday afternoon). He was no problem; an elderly gentleman who had fallen and sustained a minor fracture, also likely had a pneumonia. All would have been fine if I hadn't accidentally
locked my keys in the car like a frigging idiot upon arrival at the hospital. I went ahead and saw the patient while frantically calling around for help. I struck out with Security and teh Parking Administration had gone home. As a last ditch, I called V. God bless you, V.! She had just arrived home but came back to get me so I could retrieve my spare car key from my house.
Back at the hospital, I finished up Admission #1, walked to the car, put my key in the lock and opened the door triumphantly --
and got paged for Admission Number Two. Elderly woman with sepsis from a urinary tract infection. Low blood pressure. Diabetes.
Okay, she's done. I stopped off at the grocery store to pick up something to eat for dinner, got home took out the trash. It's now, oh, 10:30 p.m. I was paged with Admission # 3 as I walked into the house. I ate dinner and as I did I was paged with Admit Number 4.
Somebody up there hates me.
Back at the hospital, it's now midnight. I deal with #3, a rule-out MI, and go on to #4, a patient with pulmonary edema (think a very fast, very severe case of congestive heart failure). As I got Patient number 4 finished up, the ER doc came up to me and informed me that #2 was ruling in for a heart attack, probably brought on by her extremely low blood pressure and sepsis. As I coped with that, another ER doc informed me that #3 also looked to be having a heart attack.
"What the hell!" I shrieked. "Is it something in the water?!
Everybody's infarcting tonight!"
Did I mention there are no unit beds? NONE. The ER is "closed" - meaning that ambulances are not supposed to be taking patients to that particular hospital, since there are no intensive care beds available. Patients 2, 3 and 4 are still in the ER with no prospect of getting rooms tonight.
I have a full day in the office tomorrow. I'm going to bed. God knows whether I'll even be coherent when the alarm goes off in 3.5 hours.
Coda. The pager went at 6:15. Mambo Number 5: congestive heart failure. For God's sake, people,
lay off the salt!(I caved and signed that one out to the day doctor, who was very nice about it.)
posted by Dr. Alice at #
