Indexing Title: MJCABAHUG’s Medical Anecdotal Report [04-8]

MAR Title: Surgeon of a Surgeon’s friend

Date of Medical Observation: Nov 5, 2004

Narration:

It was a benign duty at the emergency room and about eleven pm, a patient was wheeled in by the security guard who was allegedly stabbed by an unknown assailant in the anterior chest.

I, being the one at the emergency room did my initial survey of the anxious patient.  Noting that patient had equal breath sounds, I assured the patient that he would be fine and ordered that chest x-ray be done on the patient and turned out to be negative from neither pneumothorax nor hemothorax.

I then did the usual emergency room orders.  The patient then settled on his bed calmly.   As soon as the relatives of the patient arrived, He was anxious again and sensing the patient was just exaggerating things I then talked and explained to the relatives of his condition.

I then went back to the table where I was reading a newspaper.  Two people then approached me and politely asked of the patient’s condition which I again narrated fully including my management.  The two thanked me and introduced themselves as doctors, a surgeon and an anesthesiologist.  I was taken aback but did not show it and just gave them a smile. 

Insight (Physical, Psychosocial, Ethical; Reinforcement, Stimulus, Discovery): 

It is very important to be able to know, read and have experience of the cases that you handle.  Just as in this case, the surgeon approved and did not even bother to suggest anything for the treatment of the patient.  This boosted my morale because I was able to treat the patient right, and was not questioned of my decisions.

And well in fact most of the times when you encounter such people you are ridiculed of your decisions because you are still a resident.  May this be a spark for us to study more about the cases we handle so we will be praised and not be ridiculed for any decision we may make.