Be Proud, Doc :)

Last night, I had sleepless night shift. Amount of patients admitted to emergency room of Puskesmas, causing me and two nurses lacked of sleep. Every thirty minutes or one hour one patient came, asking for the medications. Me, with half eyes opened, tried my best to give the examinations and treatments that able to be given in a small health centre. But this, there was one patients stole my attention a lot. 

He was admitted in the early morning, when the sun began to rise, well about 5 or 6 at the morning. I was finishing the medical record of patients before him, and suddenly he came to emergency room 'carried' by 3 or 4 people, and from the far I saw him unconscious and well... not breathing. I run to him, and asking for the Ambu bag and adrenalin injection to nurses. No radial, brachial and carotic pulse palpated at first, then I finally got the pulse palpated, very weak pulse. I thought that was a DOA (Death on Arrival), and be ready to deliver the bad news to the family. I called the patient's name, trying to examine the conscious state of him. No eye opening. No response to pain stimulus. Until I came to the conclusion he had severe brain injury, he was unable to take a deep breath, gasping for air. I could only give oxygen mask,  and massive fluid infusion, and no mayo provided in health centre. I thought he was in poor yet stable condition until I saw him... Stop breathing.

Fast, I called for the help to assist the Ambu bag, found my way to get the plastic chair closer, climbed up to it and started giving CPR. I aggresively gave the intravenous fluids the due to the very weak carotic pulse. and unmeasured blood pressure. 5 minutes at firts, we got no response from patients. I examined his eyes, myosis at left and midriasis at right one. As long as the both sides didn't show maximum midriasis, I thought we still had a hope, then I continued giving CPR for 15 more. 

And finally I saw him coughing... and I could palpate his radial pulse. Strong enough. He regained ROSC. :)

That indescribable feeling came after. Be proud, doc, you all have the ability to provide the best medical treatments, to save one's life. No need to listen to those harassment and bullying, to those direspectful behaviours people show you about your profession. Go. Your patients need it. :)

How to save a life - Grey's Anatomy casts