Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Blue Gunk

Triage nurse reports - intentional overdose of unknown substance 5 minutes out, GCS of 4(pretty much completely unresponsive), ingested approx 6 hours ago, non intubated, no response to narcan, BS normal.
Trauma room gets ready people bustle about getting ready. Patient arrives, nasal airway in place, attached to cardiac moniter, IV's started, GCS closer to 7, unknown blue gunk on the cheek and all through one side of the patients hair. ER doc arrives, Comes in for a closer look and.. and.. I can barely say this ..picks up some of the blue gunk and tastes it!!!
ZOPLICONE
she declares to the stunned room who can't believe she just did this. "taste it" she says her her resident who follows her every step (she refused).

I must admit that I did not actually witness the actual act, happened to be the moment I was not in the room but really this is the blue gunk that looks like a cross between battery acid and blue icing, the blue gunk that by my estimate got to where it was after being partly digested.. and she tasted it. Made me think medicine had digressed about 300 years!!!

That my friends was pretty much the drama of the day. The rest a brain busting day full fasinating learning opportunities, I can not believe the stuff I am learning so so cool.

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