New Feature: Midweek Patient Mania

I am toying with a new feature here at the blog. The name may change, but in the middle of each week, I want to share funny patient stories. They may be dumb things patients have done, or stupid things I have done during patient care. Regardless, I have to present the weird side of medical care and show that we're all not quite right.

I am on my ER rotation so I see a lot of people as they first present to the hospital. I hear a lot of stories. But this was a new one on me. Our hospital is a stroke center, which means that all ambulances with possible stroke patients are routed to our door. Whenever a possible comes in, we call a "Code S." This is not to be confused with a Code Blue (cardiopulmonary arrest) or Code Brown (patient pooped himself). Codes S warrant immedite attention so that we can determine the patient's story. Most strokes are clots (as opposed to bleeds). Clot strokes can be dissolved with a special medicine, but it must be administered within a few hours of the onset of symptoms. Once the stroke starts, the clock is ticking.

Not for my patient B. B came to me one Sunday night. I asked her what's been going on. She said she's had slurred speech, a droopy face, and numbness/weakness in the right side of her body. Let's watch.

Me: Oh no, how long has this been going on?
B: About two days?
Me: You mean two hours?
B: No, it started Friday afternoon.
Me: And it comes and goes?
B: No, it's been constant.
Me: Why didn't you come to the ER immediately?
B: I did. But when I pulled up, the parking lot looked pretty full, so I went to Burger King to get a Whopper, then went home and fell asleep.

I couldn't say anything. I was mortified. Typically our stroke protocol involves vital sign monitoring, EKG, urinalysis, CT scan, oxygen, aspirin, and blood pressure medications if needed. But I couldn't find a Whopper anywhere on the order sheet. Maybe I missed that lecture in med school, how you treat strokes with beef. So I pulled out my pharmacopoeia. Nope, hamburgers weren't in there.

Needless to say, B missed the three hour window for anticlot therapy. But, I am happy to note that she was discharged and made significant recoveries. She is through with physical therapy, and I think even driving again. So maybe Whoppers aren't bad for treating strokes....

Daily Training

Yesterday I did a recovery 45 minute run in Zone 2. This morning I did a recovery bike ride in Zone 1 and will swim this afternoon.