Wednesday, February 20, 2008

A little conversation from last night

Setting: Tuesday - 6:30 p.m. 30 minutes before I am supposed to get off. I have been at the VA since 6:30 a.m. I get a call that I have a new patient in the ER. I am grumpy, because that means I won't get to go home on time.

Me: So Mr. ------, what brings you in to the hospital today?

Mr. ------: Well, I been having deez chest pains right hur (points at chest)

I proceed to ask him every question in the book to try and determine the cause of his chest pain. After about 10 minutes of interrogation we haven't come any closer to determining why he has chest pain. He is young, healthy, has no cardiac history, yet he gives a history that really sounds like cardiac chest pain...

Me: Hmmm, this is really puzzling. So, are you sure there is nothing you can think of that might have started this chest pain?

Mr. -------: Well, I have been smoking crack cocaine for about 7 days.

Me: Ya, that might do it...

3 comments:

Becky said...

You might want to add that question to the book for next time. Then it won't take so long to get to the root of the problem. That is seriously sad.

Anonymous said...

haha oh my goodness...

AD said...

Yeah, I don't recall drug screening being protocol for chest pain work up. Poor guy. I saw an echocardiogram of a crack abuser once and the heart was barely moving!
Nice picture of the guy from SNL. That's funny.