The Only Home We’ve Ever Known
Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of everyday life we can lose a sense of perspective. It is easy to get bound up in our own little universe and become filled with self-importance.
Quick Case #04
the case. An 85 year old female is bought to ED with right hip pain. She was found outside after unfortunately spending the night on the ground. This is her ECG.
Dundrum Quay (posted in tribute to Seamus Heaney)
Barnacle encrusted stumps remain.Thrusting, vertebral fossils From tidal glar pools and rising silt. The bar is no longer dredged: Time gently smudges over noisy, dark, Dangerous memories: Coal-black, Bent-backed, Hard men stooping – Their iron shovels grate on coal, Organic…
no retreat, no reversal…
the case. a 79 year old female returns to ED with left sided chest pain & dyspnoea. She was recently admitted following a fall with rib fractures (including a flail segment) and a small haemothorax.
palpitations & presyncope…
the case. A 54 year old female presents to ED with an ‘odd sensation’ in her chest. This has been occurring intermittently for 2 months but has now increased in frequency & severity. She reports 3 episodes earlier today associated…
nasty big pointy teeth…
the case. A 2 year old infant is bought to your ED with a painful right hand. She claims to be have been bitten by the family dog 2 days earlier…
Quick Case #03
the case. 42 year old female presents to ED with a 4-5 day history of central chest tightness. She has poorly controlled type 2-diabetes.
Health care – do we (and HOW do we) really CARE?
This is a re-post of a rant I let slip on a colleague’s FB page – he had just published an article in the local rag (The Mercury) with some great points about future directions in health care provision. His…
more knackered neonates…
Following on from our first knackered neonate – here are some rapid fire cases of unwell little ones…
a knackered neonate…
the case. You are working in a district hospital and are called to the Special-Care Nursery to assist with an unwell newborn infant. She was born 2 hours ago at 39 + 4 weeks gestation, to a primip mother who…
better late than never…
The case. An obese 86 year old female is bought to ED by private car with a 5-6 day history of progressive dyspnoea and fevers. She is promptly rushed into the resus bay in extremis with cyanosis & poor respiratory…
Quick Case #02
the case. It’s 3am in your typical ED. The waiting list has hit 25. Your resus-bay is full of patients awaiting beds in the ICU. You are having a chat with your intern about the PERC rule and avoidance of…