Friday, August 10, 2007

Don't always pick up your phone

My patient is a healthy 28 years old guy. He is having bilateral (two sided)hernia repair. Easy procedure, slow surgeon - boring, but in our field, boring is totally OK. And then the phone goes off. I pick it up:
-"Hello"
-"Hello" - really old person's voice - "Is it Doctor Mesnick's office? This is Marvin Dombrovski calling, my wife.."
-"Sir, this is an operating room in the hospital, you got the wrong number"
-"So, Doctor Mesnick isn't there?"
-"No, it's an operating room, we are in the middle of surgical procedure here"
-"Surgical procedure? But doctor Mesnick is not a surgeon, he is a..regular doctor, but you know, he is very good, nice doctor, he gave me this blood pressure pills, and it's normal now; good, very good doctor"
-"Sir, just check your number"
-"I would, but my wife's got the number"
-"So, ask your wife"
-"I would, and I've tried, but she is not responding, she is on the couch, I thought she was sleeping, I called her, she didn't answer, that's why i am calling doctor Mesnick - he told us to call him if there is a problem"
-"Wait..your wife is not responding!? Did you try to wake her up? Is she breathing?"
-"What? You want me to pinch her or something?"
-"Yeah, yeah.. try that, and then if she does not wake up call 911"
-"Wait, don't hung up, I cannot dial 911"
"Why?!"
"I can't really see very well"
-"But you called here somehow?!"
-"Well, I've been trying to dial doctor Mesnick's office all morning, but keep on getting wrond number.."
-"How long has your wife been unresponsive?"
-"I don't know..an hour or two"
-"OK, go check on her, give me your number, I'll call you back"
I wait for 2-3 minutes then call back:
-"So? Did she wake up?"
-" I don't think so, I pinched her as you'd told me"
-"OK, stay put, I am calling 911"
It takes some time to explain the situation to 911 dispatcher. In the meantime, my patient is doing fine - stable, the surgeon is just finishing one side and has another to go.
-"Hello, Marvin! I have called 911, they are on the way, can you check on your wife and see if she is breathing? And if she is not..do your know how to do mouth to mouth..?"
-"She is breathing, all right, she is not only breathing - she is screaming at me that i have pinched her, thanks to you, doc!"
-"Wait, Marvin, so, she is OK?, I have to call 911 and cancel.."
-"No, don't call, they are already here, maybe they can pinch her again, so she stops screaming"
"OK, Marvin, take care now, I gotta go"
"Wait, doc, could you find doctor Mesnick's number for me in case something else happens, so,I don't have to call you back?"

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