One thing after another

One of the cornerstones of being a good doctor is being aware of your own limitations and seeking appropriate help as required.

It’s becoming evident to me that since starting on a career in anaesthetics, my job has morphed from “recognising potentially serious conditions and getting help” to BEING the help that people call when things are starting to go tits up (or, more often, when it’s REALLY hitting the fan).

So, today, on the last of my days on call, I’ve been called to help in the treatment of:

A woman in A&E Resus with major trauma who later died on ITU
A woman with severe anaphylaxis who went to ITU and survived and was fine
A woman with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy who survived and was fine
A man who had a cardiac arrest on one of the surgical wards who died
A man with a perforated bowel and multi-organ failure who is holding his own on ITU
Two young people with acute appendicitis who are fine now.

Today has been busy, stressful and I’ve had to be fully focused with one emergency after another, but I did everything that was required of me (and more) and I’ve given my all for the people who needed me.

That said, I’m looking forward to having a few days off to recuperate and to recharge my batteries.