87 Flawless Makeup and Synthetic Tears (2/2)
Doctor in charge looked around and spotted Li Xiuying: ”Dr. Li could you please check the patients breathing and intubate?”
Li Xiuying nodded. One of the nurses prepared an intubation kit as Li Xiuying made her way behind the patient's head.
Doctor in charge: ”Someone get me a set of bloods and an ABG or a VBG.”
The defibrillator: ”Analyzing rhythm. Shock advised stand clear. ”
Doctor in charge: ”Stand clear everyone. Resident stop compressions and stand back.”
The doctor in charge administered a shock at 200 Joules.
Doctor in charge: ”Resume chest compressions. The patient is still in VT. ”
Doctor in charge: ”2 minutes.”
Defibrillator: ”Analyzing rhythm. Shock advised. Stand clear.”
Doctor in charge: ”Stand clear.”
The doctor in charge administered a shock at 250 Joules.
Doctor in charge reassessed the patient's rhythm: ”Stop compressions. Return of spontaneous circulation. Let's stabilize him. Nurse Ping could you inform the patient's family please?”
Two doctors continued to do an ABCDE assessment of the patient.
A resident entered the room and handed some blood test results to the doctor in charge.
Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. All the staff that had come from other areas of the hospital began returning to their wards.
”I haven't even had my morning coffee yet.”
”I'm happy we managed to stabilize the patient. If the patient had died it would have weighed on me the whole day.”
”Only about 17 to 20% of patients make it to discharge after a cardiac arrest.”
A first year resident still lingered in the room.
Doctor in Charge looked up from the set of results: ”Everything okay?”
First year resident just nodded.
Doctor in charge: ”Something on your mind?”
First year resident: ”Dr. Yao I just froze when the patient went into cardiac arrest. If nurse ping didn't put out the crash call and take charge I don't know what would have happened. I feel like a complete failure.”
Dr. Yao: ”Have you ever been involved in a crash call before?”
The resident shook his head.
Dr. Yao: ”After coming out of your shock did you help with management of the patients.”
The resident nodded.
Dr. Yao: ”In the future if you're the first one to reach a patient in cardiac arrest would you know what to do?”
The resident nodded again.
Dr. Yao: ”That's the most important thing. No one expects you to be able to run before you can walk. It's natural to be scared. Don't be ashamed to call for help. You'll be assigned this patient. I want you to follow his case from beginning to end.”
She then handed over the results to the first year resident: ”Tell me what you want to do next.” She grabbed the patient's drug chart, finished prescribing and handed it over to the nurse.
First year resident looked at the results: ”The patient has a serum potassium level of 2.0mmol/L. I would like to give 10 mmol/hour of potassium I.V. under ECG control using an infusion device.”
Dr. Yao: ”Good. The patient has severe hypokalaemia. Is there anything else you want to prescribe?”
First year took a moment to think before replying: ”Magnesium sulphate?”
Dr. Yao: ”why?”
First year: ”Magnesium enhances potassium uptake and helps maintain potassium levels.”
Dr. Yao: ”Good.”
Li Xiuying finished connecting the patient to a ventilation machine
After the first year resident left, Dr. Yao turned to see Li Xiuying staring at her.
Li Xiuying made her way to Dr. Yao and stood in front of her.
Dr. Yao got a little defensive at being stared at so openly: ”Dr. Li is there a problem?”
Li Xiuying: ”Lunch tomorrow 12:30.”
Dr. Yao was confused: ”Are you asking me to have lunch with you tomorrow?”
Li Xiuying nodded.
Dr. Yao was still confused but as she looked into Li Xiuying's eyes she felt she couldn't refuse: ”Erm okayyyy?”
Li Xiuying then left the room happily. She thought that she and Dr. Yao had some things in common and perhaps they could even become friends.
Dr. Yao looked at the unconscious patient: ”Do you know what just happened? Because I sure don't.”
Dr. Yao started checking the monitors.
The two doctors who were assessing the patient looked at each other both of them shared the same thought ' Dr. Yao is weird'.