I went with an ambulance conduction to PGH last Wednesday. My patient was to undergo four-vessel cerebral angiography. We were at the ground floor waiting for the elevators (of which you have to knock on one so that the operator would know there are passengers waiting to get in) when we noticed several stretchers parked nearby. I guess somebody with a nasty wound was brought to the ER that day. The blood on it is pretty fresh, as one could really smell it from afar. The wife of my patient almost vomited on the floor because of the sight and the smell of it. She must have had a realization at that time on how bad it could get at PGH's emergency room. My co-resident said that, in PGH, you have to look for available stretchers yourself for your own patient. And if you fortunately found one, hold on to it, because it'll be hard to find another one next time. Good thing I came in with the ambulance.
This one, I think, is a reminder how much help our government hospitals need, as most can't even maintain their facilities anymore.
Labels: bloody mess, bloody stretcher, PGH
One Slot available in IM Residency Training Program of VRPMC
0 Comments Published by Prudence on Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 08:01.
Will You Be One of Us?
Labels: internal medicine, internal medicine residency, internal medicine residency philippines, residency training program, victor r. potenciano medical center, vrpmc
One of the things I learned in residency is the necessity of having a camera all the time because you'll never know when you'll encounter an interesting case. Also, it'll be easier showing the photo than merely describing what you've seen in a patient, especially during endorsements.The above photo shows erythematous macules and nodules with hypopigmented areas of hypoesthesia in a female patient who presented with cough and high-grade fever. Turned out that she's been having these lesions for a long time. And after all the tests, we found out she could be a case of SLE with concomitant Hansen's disease. She's better now after the prescribed steroids.
The second photo shows urine of a patient complaining of diarrhea and fever. She said she noted that her urine becomes as dark as Coke after she takes Metronidazole. It becomes tea-colored several hours after. As for this, we haven't been able to resolve the issue because patient did not consent to further tests and went home after her diarrhea and fever has been treated.
Well, of course, the camera can be used for non-work related purposes but I'm tickled by the idea of collecting photos of interesting cases in the ward. It'll be good to have a pool of cases which I could use for grand rounds and other conferences.
I think the World of Medicine is already eating up my life haha.
Labels: camera, Hansen's disease, leprosy, medical tool, SLE
