Saturday, January 9, 2010

Piblokto!

I dont know if it is true but it sure seems that the weather affects how busy the ED is. Hot sticky nights seem like a good time to stab someone or to have a major MI and the place is packed, but these frozen nights, the ED is a ghost town. Well, with the exception of some of our regulars and homeless two carbon beverage lovers. The real excitement is when the psyche cases start coming in. This is usually the time of year when they come out of hibernation and begin to act up. You know they are crazy right away because the drunks start moving away from them. I used to think that it was the shorter days that caused people to go nuts in winter, but when I went out into the cold to get into my car and froze my but off, I realized what it was, all that "Crazy Global warming BS".

4 comments:

SeaSpray said...

Our LOCAL ED gets *slammed* in the winter. Skiers/snow boarders,falls (ice),flu,MIs,Fri/Sat nite drunks,fights,MVAs,other URI's stomach virus',strep,etc., etc.

Volume may not be much compared to what you are used to but is proportionate to the size of our hospital/staffing. I never noticed a lot of psych patients. But I didn't work full time. I remember one ED doc did not have the patience at all for them and with great disdain one night expressed his opinions loud and clear. :) I figured it's because they want to fix patients up and ship them out the door or to a room and they can't fix those patients... but take up beds and time getting them admitted into mental health.

I miss all that. I wish I could go back in time. :)

You said "You know they are crazy right away because the drunks start moving away from them." That's funny! :)

That "Crazy Global warming BS" is enough to make anyone CRAZY!!

SeaSpray said...

I don't really wish I could go back in time. I know sounds silly. Just people were alive and I didn't even know humans had ureters. :) And life had its challenges then too.. just different.. but we've gotten through.

If time didn't move forward ..I wouldn't have the blessings either that I DO have now.

Always a trade off. :)

Unknown said...

Six months ago I enjoyed reading your blog because it was humorous and informational. Now it's just shrill rightist propaganda. As a Canadian, I love socialized medicine and have benefited from it in several medical emergencies. Two years ago I developed congestive heart failure. My stay in the hospital cost me nothing ... as did months of home care and clinic care.

I may not be poor, but I am retired and my medical costs would have drained my bank account. Private insurance here is as expensive as it is there ... and I can't afford much.

Cut the crap and realize that people do have a right to quality health care. I admit that some patients will abuse the system, but why dwell on them? Most patients need your help. But the classes in crass greed you took in medical school don't allow you to see the other side to the health care issue.

Throckmorton said...

LeRoy:

I'm sorry I am late getting to your comment. I am of the belief that "having a right to something" does not mean "having a right to get it for free". I am glad that you are doing well after your heart failure, and am especially glad that it did not result in renal failure. I am taking care of two Canadian patients who have renal failure and could not get timely dialysis in Canada. Luckily, they have relatives here in the states and are now getting it.

One of the biggest saboteurs of the delivery of health care is the government. The more government involvement, the more inefficiency and the higher the price. In other areas of our life we can negotiate and choose what we want and how we want it. This is not true in healthcare. Others have made that choice for you. In Canada, that choice has been made that limits dialysis for patients over 65 by the government.

I sincerely hope that you will not have another episode of CHF. If you do and renal failure occurs as a result, I hope we will still have a system that will allow you to come and receive dialysis.