I Love New Docs, Part 1

A few years back, I was working in a little bitty 10 bed community hospital ER. After 3 am, there were 2 nurses, a tech, and a doc on until 7am. Needless to say, some of the best stuff happened after 3am.

We had a guy in his early 60's come in for chest pain. His workup had been negative so far, but we were hanging on to him to do repeat labs and such. His daughter was at the bedside, and they were laughing and talking like they were sitting in the living room drinking Coke and playing Scrabble. (Or drinking beer and playing Poker, depending on who you are.) Three of us were sitting at the nurses station drinking Coke and playing Poker (cuz we were just like that.)

From down the hall we hear, "Dad? Dad? Somebody help meeeeeeeeeee!" (It was an ear-piercing shriek by the end of the multi-syllabic "me".)

We all dropped our hands (which frankly, I didn't mind, because I was getting my butt kicked anyway) and ran (well, they ran. I don't run. )

Upon my arrival to bed 5, I found a hysterical daughter, a pulseless, apneic patient, a freaking out Doc, and a nonchalant RN. I headed for the patient's face, attached the BVM to the wall, started ventilations and watched the fun begin.

Freaking Out New ER Doc: "Oh my God! He's in V-tach!"

Nonchalant Nurse Who's Seen and Done Everything: (as he begins compressions) "Yup. Why don't you wheel that crash cart over here."

FONERD: "OK. Right. Now, I need somebody to push Epi, and we need another line, and...."

NNWSaDE: "Doc, how 'bout we try some electricity first?"

FONERD: "OK. Right. Let's get the paddles and charge them......."

NNWSaDE: "Doc, it's just us three. How 'bout you grab the paddles and come over here with them?"

FONERD: "OK. Right. Here you go."

NNWSaDE: "Doc, how 'bout you squirt some of this pretty blue gel on his chest and hit the charge button."

FONERD: "OK. Right."

Defibrillation ensues. Sinus Rhythm returns. Patient begins breathing. etc, etc.

About a minute or so later, patient's color has returned to that of a live, breathing person, not that of a dead, blue guy. He starts to come around. FONERD is no longer freaked out. Now he is totally amped. I'm talking bouncing off the walls amped.

Totally Amped New ER Doc: "Did you see that? He was in V-Tach, and I shocked him and now he's Sinus, did you see it? did you? huh?"

NNWSaDE: " Yup, Saw it, Doc. I was right here. Front row seat. Saw the whole thing."

Previously Dead But Now Alive Patient: "What happened?"

TANERD: "Dude! You DIED! You were DEAD! And I brought you BACK!"

Pumping of fists and other testosterone laden behavior ensues.

Gotta love 'em!