TROUBLED PATH TO BROKEN MEDICINE

Book excerpt: "There is another patient being extracted from the other vehicle. They should be on their way in about thirty minutes." the charge nurse answered, "I will be standing by." for Dr. Kirk Frei, this would turn out to be the worst shift of his ER career so far. He heard the radio and was thinking of what was happening with the first patient, what he would have to do. Suddenly the radio crackled again. "We have the second patient from the accident, whose BP is 70 palpable. He has got chest and abdominal injuries, and we think a lung is down on the right. an IV has been established, his heart rate is 132, and he is having trouble breathing. We will be there in five." "Roger," said the charge nurse. Holy Jesus, thought Dr. Frei. the first patient isn't here yet--a severe head injury that was called in earlier from an MVC, and they said it would be thirty minutes before this one would arrive. Now he would have to think and act fast. the first patient would have to be intubated right away and, based on the vital signs and report, probably had a severe brain injury only, and intubation would be all that he had to do for him. the second patient would take more attention based on the vital signs, and Dr. Frei was thinking how he was going to handle both when they arrived.