After a long day of clinic yesterday, I had the privilege of working a 7p-7a ER shift. It was a typical ER night, with strep throats, urinary infections, and drug withdrawals inter spliced with the more serious cases.
One case was especially tragic. The ambulance brought in a guy who had been out celebrating his 21st birthday drinking. What seemed like a mild problem- having too much alcohol led to a cascade of events. He must have gone outside the bar, passed out in the 3-4 degree winter night. He likely had thrown up multiple times, and breathed in the vomit, over and over again - too drunk to know better. So there they found him - laying in his vomit, not breathing, and cold enough to die. I first saw him as they rushed him into the ER, already with a tube down his throat to breath. He was not responsive, and almost blue from the cold. Will he make it? Unsure. His lungs are full of the vomit, which causes multiple problems... how long had he not been getting oxygen to his brain? another problem. Damage to his heart? His kidneys? unknown.
The shock his parents must have gone thru, as we called at 2 am to let them know their son, on his 21st birthday was on the brink of death and in our ER.
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