A Typical Saturday Night at the Emergency Room What is a typical Saturday night in a busy hospital emergency room like? Well, that is more or less a rhetorical question, because there actually is no typical Saturday night in a busy emergency room. Some things stay the same, even some patients are the same, but everything typical? Never! Related: 5 Questions to ask your Interviewer
7:00 p.m.- an auto accident involving a car and a motorcycle was called into the ER. The driver of the car had only minor injuries, however the motorcycle driver was very bad off. Upon arrival, this 38 year old patient had multiple injuries, including a severe injury to his right leg. He was unconscious, and doctors advised family members he would be going to surgery. Two hours into surgery doctors advised the family that the patient would lose his right leg from the lower thigh down, and that they were still operating and attempting to stabilize. At 4:00 a.m. the family was told the patient was, out of surgery, however he would not make it. He lived 4 more hours and passed away with a fiancé, two children, and his parents at his side. 8:45 p.m.- A 16 year old boy came into the ER with his friend, bleeding heavily. He was attempting to impress his friends by catching a machete in midair. Not only did the young man need sutures, he needed surgery after cutting through tendons and nerves. 9:30 p.m. A 22 year old pregnant female arrived with her sister beside her holding a towel to her abdomen. The patient's boyfriend was upset and stabbed her with a box cutter. The patient and sister were both hysterical. It was later revealed the knife entered the abdomen, however, missed the uterus by less than one inch. Sutures and time to recover would be what the patient needed. Social services were called in for a consult. 11:00 p.m. The police arrived with a very irate patient, saying that the patient had swallowed a handful of pills. For safety reasons the patient was restrained, and later had his stomach voided of the contents, before heading off to jail. 11:45 p.m. A 48 year old man was at the ER with the insistence of his wife. He was experiencing chest pains earlier and although he insisted he was fine, his wife had other ideas. As the nurse started his EKG, it was obvious there was a problem, then he spoke up saying he didn't feel well, right before coding. Thankfully, staff got him back, and he was moved to the cardiac unit. His wife returned for a visit 3 days later, thanking everyone that saved her very “stubborn” husband’s life.
Five hours in the emergency room, and these could be some of the cases. Of