I know I'm talking a lot about work. I guess when that's all I've been doing that's all I have to work about. I got to work on a trauma today. From the time he got to the ER till we wheeled him into the Operating room I was with him. Working hard.
~ 30yrd old man. Blood alcohol level of .25, unrestrained driver thrown from the vehicle. Massive trauma to the head including a huge laceration just above his right eyebrow. I've never really lost my composure during the whole ordeal. But when the doctor cut open the bandages and stuck three fingers into his head, exsposing the skull, then asking ME to pour saline into the laceration to "clean it out" I will admit I did get a bit overwhelmed when grass and blood poured out. Think about a blood/grassclipping fountian coming out of your head. I then got to assist as he temporarily stabled the head laceration and assist as the doctor put two chest tubes into the patient. Of course being the tech I got to put in a foley cath and draw blood from the patient. All went smoothly too then it was off to CT so he could be scanned.
So a sign of a head injury is the person would be combative. Even though we drugged him up he was still slightly combative. Combative to the point that he was in soft restraints and to keep him still someone had to hold his legs down as he was being scanned (think of putting someone with a tube down his throat to breathe for him, multiple IV's, a foley catheter, and various monitoring equipment into a giant doughnut). Of course guess who got to put on a lead apron and hold his legs down? Let put it this way, I really hope that lead apron works. I would like to have children one day
So after the scan. Consults by doctors... he's off to the ER and the bomb drops. The place is packed. Patients everywhere. Overdoses. Suicide attempts. Chest pain. Nausea. Vomiting. You name it I saw it.
*lights a cig, drinks some tea*
... Off to do it all again tomorrow
~ 30yrd old man. Blood alcohol level of .25, unrestrained driver thrown from the vehicle. Massive trauma to the head including a huge laceration just above his right eyebrow. I've never really lost my composure during the whole ordeal. But when the doctor cut open the bandages and stuck three fingers into his head, exsposing the skull, then asking ME to pour saline into the laceration to "clean it out" I will admit I did get a bit overwhelmed when grass and blood poured out. Think about a blood/grassclipping fountian coming out of your head. I then got to assist as he temporarily stabled the head laceration and assist as the doctor put two chest tubes into the patient. Of course being the tech I got to put in a foley cath and draw blood from the patient. All went smoothly too then it was off to CT so he could be scanned.
So a sign of a head injury is the person would be combative. Even though we drugged him up he was still slightly combative. Combative to the point that he was in soft restraints and to keep him still someone had to hold his legs down as he was being scanned (think of putting someone with a tube down his throat to breathe for him, multiple IV's, a foley catheter, and various monitoring equipment into a giant doughnut). Of course guess who got to put on a lead apron and hold his legs down? Let put it this way, I really hope that lead apron works. I would like to have children one day
So after the scan. Consults by doctors... he's off to the ER and the bomb drops. The place is packed. Patients everywhere. Overdoses. Suicide attempts. Chest pain. Nausea. Vomiting. You name it I saw it.
*lights a cig, drinks some tea*
... Off to do it all again tomorrow