April 23, 2006, 8:57 am

Another Successful Trauma Resuscitation!

This is exactly how I feel right at this very moment.

I was only supposed to stay for four hours last night but it turned into a full, busy, non-stop night shift.

Eight full hours.

When I was only psychologically prepared for four.

The funny thing is, this photo is actually from a Viagra ad!

I kid you not!

Just the thought of Viagra is enough to produce profound psychosis.

I’m more intererested in the coffee.

Of course, I don’t really look like this.

I have a blue robe.

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The patient was an older woman.She had experienced a mishap in her kitchen.

Knife vs. finger.

Bleeding had been hard to control at home.

Pre-hospital care had included placing a band-aid over the laceration, which was fairly soaked with what was now dried blood.

She wasn’t sure if she needed stitches or not.

Well triage was full at the time, so I proceded to remove said dressing at the nurse’s station, very carefully so as not to re-induce bleeding.

The dressing was removed successfully.

No resumption of bleeding.

In fact, there was no cut.

“Where’s the cut?” I asked. Might as well have said “Where’s the beef?”

We looked all over that digit.

We pried apart what looked like a break in the skin, we prodded and poked and scratched out heads in wonder.

We did everything except amputate the finger and send it to pathology.

So we did what any self-respecting ER would do.

We sent her home with a baggie of anti-biotic ointment, bandaids and a few 2×2s in case it started bleeding again.

And a magnifying glass…..