I had been up all night working with a new intern, his first night shift. We got slammed with ER admits, transfers from OSH and floor consults. I triaged the straight forward cases to the intern to allow me to stabilize the sickest.
He arrived in the ED in PEA arrest and the trauma team began resuscitation. I joined the team and took control of resuscitative measures. I informed the attending on call of my clinical assessment and transferred him to the unit. We worked on him some more and kept his heart beating although we all knew he was already brain dead.
Then you walked in and broke down into tears... You called his name and cried some more. You spoke to him about your 2 daughters and how they needed their father. You spoke of the camping trip and how the family vacation had turned into a nightmare. You spoke of how God had found a perfect mate for you and how much you loved him. All the medical explanation and treatment plan didn't seem to matter... and it shouldn't have. I was lost for words. The RNs, RTs and everyone else in team continued working... with teary eyes.
You wanted to be left alone with him, and we all complied. I had 2 admits waiting in the ED, and continued working. The call came around 0550. He's heart had stopped. No resuscitation as per your wishes. You had already witnessed it 3 times and couldn't handle a 4th.
I examined the body and pronounced him dead. We sat there is silence. "He was a brilliant man", you said. "An electrical engineer. It is now too late. He is gone."
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