April 20, 2019
“Mr. Jones,” I asked after I introduced myself to the old man on the gurney and his two adult children. “I hear you have something stuck up your backside?” “Yes, I’m afraid so,” he responded a bit sheepishly. “May I ask what it is?” I inquired curiously. “A shampoo bottle. One of the travel-size ones,” he responded. “Oh boy,” I…
April 20, 2019
The overweight middle-aged man was propped up on the EMS gurney and flanked by two police officers as he was being rolled in through the ambulance entrance. He was alert but somber and looking down at his blood-stained white shirt. “What’s that all about?” I asked the secretary, Dannie. “EMS called a little while ago and said there was a…
April 19, 2019
“Hey Doc,” said Darrel, one of the nurses, with a smile, “you should probably come see this psych patient EMS just brought in a little while ago. She’s bat shit crazy. I can’t get anywhere near her to place a line.” “Yeah?” I closed out of a patient chart and looked up, “What’s she up to?” “Man, she’s drooling and…
April 17, 2019
Is Superglue a safe alternative to Dermabond for fixing minor cuts? It is safe–just not as good! Superglue and Dermabond are both in the same family of plastics (cyanoacrylates), but there are important similarities and differences. They both adhere readily to skin and form a strong seal. However, Superglue dries in a stiff fashion and flakes off in stiffer shards,…
April 14, 2019
Mr. Jones was sick. You could tell from across the room. He was shriveled like a prune and was moaning like a goat. As the paramedics unloaded him onto the gurney, I asked one of them for his vitals and my hunch was confirmed. “Blood pressures are about 70 over palp, heart rates in the 130s, and we couldn’t really get an oxygen…