Intern's Log

Nothing much has happened except that we have 2 new patients to monitor. I’m hoping that 2 patients will be discharged tomorrow, so as to lessen the load of patients in this area. 

Food monitor later, support person for 3 North 1 and 2 in case they need me later.

31 hours to go!

Here’s to another routine day in the pay wards!

The one thing that topped off my duty for day 7 was a memorable thing for me.

But not in a good way.

For the operator to page an announcement at 5am meant something different:

It was a code.

I rushed down to the ER with my duty mates and saw somebody being resuscitated back to life. All of the guys who were there, including me, were given the chance to pump the patient’s chest.

The moment I started pumping, the feeling became quite unreal for me. To perform a procedure that I’ve been doing on dummies during Red Cross trainings back in college and med school was just unforgettable. I pumped and pumped, until my body grew tired. I called for a sub, then I waited 3 turns before I went for it again.

After we were relieved of the resuscitations, I went back to my station to finish my vital sign totals. Almost 30 minutes later, the operator called another code. I rushed back to the ER and started another round of pumping.

It’s hard to describe that feeling when you’re pumping somebody back to life. As the heel of my palm (tama?) was on the patient’s chest, it felt like I was pushing against a board. Due to the prolonged pumping, as I was doing it, I felt a snap under my palms. It rushed into my mind that the patient’s sternum gave way already. It signalled that the patient was nearing flatline, despite the vigorous pumping. 

Later, the resident called off the resuscitation, and we just waited for the heart to stop.

The ECG strip read 3 faint, distant beats…

…then 2 beats…

…then one…

then none.

Flatline.

The time of death was called, the relatives of the deceased couldn’t help but grieve, and I was in silence - deep silence. 

It was the first time that I saw somebody die right in front of me, and it was just plain sad.

May God grant peace onto that person.

Instead of going the distance of a double duty, I was advised by our resident-in-charge that I can only do duty until 8am tomorrow..

The guys who will do the duty tomorrow will be the ones who will back up my area-mate who will be gone tomorrow because of family commitments.

At least I’ll have another 2-day vacation.

15 hours to go!

After 2 days of rest, I’m back again at my natural habitat: the pay wards. 

I’m on skeletal duty again, meaning that only the JI-on-duty will be on a 24-hour shift. The pre-duty and from-duty JI’s will have their day-off today. 

My other group mate’s lucky: she’ll be off for 4 days. She started her day-off yesterday, and she won’t be going to duty tomorrow because of a family gathering, and also on Monday (which is her supposed from-duty status) where we will be on a holiday leave again.

Today started out quite fine. One patient who only needs 4-hour monitorings, and two 1-hour monitoring patients, in which 1 patient shifted to 15-minute monitorings because he was being weaned off the mechanical ventilator.

Weaning off the patient from the mechanical ventilator is a taxing job. This entails monitoring the patient every 15 minutes for 14 1/2 hours until the weaning is complete. 

Other than that, the other monitorings are just chill.

Now I’m just looking at a WEANner, WEANner, WEANner, ‘coz he’s a WEANner, ‘coz he’s a WEANner…(in the tune of Winner by Jamie Foxx) hahahaha