This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
blogs.scientificamerican.com
This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
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Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#2Med students don't know shit. And don't do shit. But I suppose it's still an interesting perspective.
Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#3This article puts a human touch on a human situation, from their point of view. As a volunteer firefighter I see more stuff than you normally would on average and it gives you a different perspective. For instance:
Before I got into this field, I always thought of firefighters, paramedics and doctors as magical superheroes that can fix anything. As long as you make it to their doorstep you'll be fine. This is not not always the case. the amount of people who are unsaveable would shock you. Even in the very best of care.
That's not a slight on firefighters, paramedics or doctors in the least bit, I'm just saying from statistics perspective there are way too many things out there that will kill you no matter what. They really are superheroes in the sense that they do extraordinary things every day and they always bring their A game. They do things you just wouldn't think possible because of how much they push themselves.
I've also seen what is described in the top article of this blog. When you see someone pass and you see just how much was done to save them. Even a 90+ year old person who at best would have a good year or two left, and I've seen doctors pull out all the stops and work just as hard as they would anyone else. The only difference is the patient is even more fragile at this stage. Life is life and they get it.
I've seen people work and struggle when it was very clear things are over. CPR that goes on long after the patient is past the point of no return. I've never seen anyone "throw in the towel" too early and I've seen people push and fight when everyone in the room knows what the outcome will be.
In short, everyone should read things like this and get a glimpse of this perspective. I don't know what you can take from it, but it sure will make you appreciate first responders and ER personnel more. At best it will make you appreciate life more.
Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#4This article puts a human touch on a human situation, from their point of view. As a volunteer firefighter I see more stuff than you normally would on average and it gives you a different perspective. For instance: Before I got into this field, I always thought of firefighters, paramedics and doctors as magical superheroes that can fix anything. As long as you make it to their doorstep you'll be fine. This is not not…
The odds of resuscitation from ACLS(advanced cardiac life support) if you suffer cardiac arrest in a hospital setting is somewhere between 1-4% IIRC. The chances of a successful revival are already low. Once you pass the 10min mark you are really just hoping for a miracle...but it happens. Rarely, but it does.
Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#5The first article about the guy who died during a hip replacement surgery (?). It's terribly sad for everyone else, but when I go, that's one of the best ways I can imagine it happening. You go down optimistic for a better future where your hip is working again and just . . . never come back up. Dramatically preferable to years of battling with cancer or a gradual dip into dementia, at least for the victim. Especially if you've led a full life and are only going to be here for a short time more anyway, as is often the case with people who start breaking bones in old age. For the family, my heartfelt condolences.
Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#6Wow, this is a really moving blog. It shows you their point of view.
Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#7This article puts a human touch on a human situation, from their point of view. As a volunteer firefighter I see more stuff than you normally would on average and it gives you a different perspective. For instance: Before I got into this field, I always thought of firefighters, paramedics and doctors as magical superheroes that can fix anything. As long as you make it to their doorstep you'll be fine. This is not not…
I'm a biomedical engineer and have been working with surgeons for a few years. I'm always impressed with their perspective given the situation of surgery. To the surgical team, its just another day in the office. To the person on the table, it is one of the most important days in the life.
I have been fortunate enough to be invited into the OR to observe a few surgeries. The first time, I was shocked at how casual the situation was to the people involved. The atmosphere is more like a workshop than you see on TV dramas involving surgeons (music playing, people chatting about what their kids and weekends, etc. like told in the article).
But after thinking about it some more, this is the atmosphere that's needed. Everyone is calm and collected, and not going to make a mistake from being stressed out. Being stressed out at work every day simply isn't sustainable. Some of these surgeries are tough jobs too, involving standing for hours in awkward positions (which can lead to long-term injuries). These men and women are true professionals - even on routine work they sacrifice their own comfort and well-being for the welfare of their patients.
Agree that it is good to make the perspectives of the original article more widely seen to appreciate what they do!
Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#8This article puts a human touch on a human situation, from their point of view. As a volunteer firefighter I see more stuff than you normally would on average and it gives you a different perspective. For instance: Before I got into this field, I always thought of firefighters, paramedics and doctors as magical superheroes that can fix anything. As long as you make it to their doorstep you'll be fine. This is not not…
The odds of resuscitation from ACLS(advanced cardiac life support) if you suffer cardiac arrest in a hospital setting is somewhere between 1-4% IIRC. The chances of a successful revival are already low. Once you pass the 10min mark you are really just hoping for a miracle...but it happens. Rarely, but it does.
I'm not sure what the exact medical events were that transpired in this case, but the rescue team who found this person performed CPR for 4 hours continuously, and she made a full recovery: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/04/06/skier-tree-well-mira...
Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#9Med students don't know shit. And don't do shit. But I suppose it's still an interesting perspective.
> Med students don't know shit. And don't do shit
That seems like a fairly blanket statement? Care to explain?
Re: This May Hurt a Bit: Harvard medical student's blog
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
The odds of resuscitation from ACLS(advanced cardiac life support) if you suffer cardiac arrest in a hospital setting is somewhere between 1-4% IIRC. The chances of a successful revival are already low. Once you pass the 10min mark you are really just hoping for a miracle...but it happens. Rarely, but it does.
I'm not sure what the exact medical events were that transpired in this case, but the rescue team who found this person performed CPR for 4 hours continuously, and she made a full recovery: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/04/06/skier-tree-well-mira...
Thats exactly why they keep going with CPR long after the point of calling it. If the patient presents even the slightest of signs they'll keep going and it resets the clock. I've never been involved in a 4 hour instance of this, but an hour or more is not uncommon if there is any sign of revival.