Ever tried smoking?
Perhaps hospitals were a little hasty in becoming “smoke-free” zones – next time I lead a code I might see if anyone volunteers to be the pipe operator for a good old-fashioned tobacco smoke enema…
From Eisenberg, MS. Life in the balance: emergency medicine and the quest to reverse sudden death. 1997; Oxford University Press.
One of the earliest and most graphic accounts of resuscitation by tobacco enema dates from 1746. A man’s wife was pulled from the water apparently dead. Amid much conflicting advice, a passing sailor proffered his pipe and instructed the husband to insert the stem into his wife’s rectum, cover the bowl with a piece of perforated paper, and “blow hard”. Miraculously, the woman revived.
Lawrence, G. Tobacco smoke enemas. The Lancet 2002; 359: 1442
Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at The Alfred ICU, where he is Deputy Director (Education). He is a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, the Lead for the Clinician Educator Incubator programme, and a CICM First Part Examiner.
He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives. He was one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) has been recognised for his contributions to education with awards from ANZICS, ANZAHPE, and ACEM.
His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.
On Bluesky, he is @precordialthump.bsky.social and on the site that Elon has screwed up, he is @precordialthump.
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