SHORTSTORIES

AS AN EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR OR NURSE, WHAT WERE SOME INJURIES YOU’VE SEEN PATIENTS ENTER THE HOSPITAL WITH THAT STILL PERPLEX YOU, EVEN AFTER THEY WERE TREATED? I once had a patient that had a chain saw injury across the top of his thigh. These injuries need to be assessed quickly for vascular and/or nerve injury. Everything was intact and there was just a bloody mess where the chain saw had morselized the top of his thigh and blue jeans. I was just reaching the point where the initial stress of the assessment and course of treatment were over and I could entertain additional thoughts. I started to think “This is weird. I just had one of these four weeks ago.”

At that very moment the patient said “Remember me, Doc? You stitched up my other leg about a month ago.” Same injury but the other leg.

I told him “No offense, my friend, but you need to find yourself another hobby.” www.facebook.com/AugustaRX