I get to finish out 2015 on nights at St. Vincent's. Of course my Attendings have completely booked the ORs with the biggest bestest cases this week. Every night I start thinking maybe I'll stay and do a case or two post call. Then every morning comes and all I want to do is sleep. Must. take. more. caffeine.
Last night at 10pm I get a page from medicine. Poor timing on their part is beside the point. Some guy had been trying to shoot himself up, missed the vein and instead now has a golf ball size abscess in his arm. I called my senior so I could verbally trouble-shoot possible complications considering its proximity to the cephalic vein. Such as, what if this lump was not an abscess but a pseudoaneurysm, or the best move to get control should I hit the cephalic.
After gathering supplies in the ED, my senior thought it a great idea to then run up the stairs to the 10th floor. Brilliant. Not so brilliant. In my out-of-shape state my heart was pounding so hard my hands shook. I then had to take up a scalpel and stab a guys arm. :/
Thankfully, while I stabbed, my senior gave the patient a lecture on how dangerous IV drug abuse is, and how lucky he is this infection didn't go straight to his heart. In the end, the pus came out while the blood stayed in... well, most of it at least. ;)
Don't Do Drugs Kids!
Much Love.
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