November Notes, Day 25

"Baby Huey"

There are a lot of studies on why emergency physicians have such a high burn-out ratio as compared to other specialties.  ED physicians know why we do... we see and treat patients on the worst day of their lives, or on the day they decide to make ours the worst ever.

Like, Baby Huey.  They were morbidly obese... so much so that they measured around about the same amount as their height.  And, they didn't want to do anything for themselves:  

couldn't move themselves from the ambulance gurney to the hospital bed, they actually asked if the paramedics could "carry them over" 

couldn't decide if they wanted to lie down or sit up, so they constantly were yelling out

into the hallway for the nurse

kept asking for: something to eat, something to drink, some ice chips, another blanket,

blanket's on the floor, blanket's too cold, I want to sit up again

and couldn't seem to make it to the toilet to pee although

the toilet was in the room about 3 steps away from the bed.

So they peed on the floor.

When staff came in, they said that they "do that at home"

and the daughter "just cleans it up"

but now "I've wet myself and I'm cold and I need another warm blanket..."

Thank you, Sir, why yes, I will have another...