ER
Before the ambulance crew arrives, everyone knows the outcome. Pulseless rhythm for more than 20 mins is not a good sign, the patient is rushed into the resus room. The arrest team go through the drill. When they are sure nothing can be done, students and anyone else who feels like it, are encouraged to give chest compressions a go, it’s a great training opportunity. Resuscitation! A slightly more advanced form of Operation! - that game you played as a kid. A nurse pushes open the door,
The family have arrived. [She gives a meaningful glance]
Everyone sobers up and remembers what has actually just happened. This exciting training morning is about to be the worse morning of these people’s lives.
Things are tidied up, syringes put away, a blanket is placed over the private parts of the individual in question, the students are told to get off the body and someone professional-looking (not the cleaning lady) takes over the CPR. Chairs are arranged around the trolley. An air of calm fills the room as the family are ushered in, they begin wailing, sobbing at the sight of the blue lips and multiple drips.
Please wake up son.
The head nurse presses them into the chairs by the shoulders, she whispers that it has been over 40 mins and soon the life support techniques will have to stop. They nod. The consultant doctor clears his throat to draw attention to his existence.
One more set of compressions, and if there is no pulse we will have to stop. 1, 2, 3…
(in this time powerful prayers for miracles are being muttered)
…28, 29, 30. Check the pulse!
No pulse.
[pause] A small child, grabs at the consultant’s trouser leg; eyes like saucers.
Ok, one more set …and then that really is it.
Again it begins- the count to thirty. No pulse.
[the young wife looks up, pleading.]
…This is going to be the last one. The last one everybody! LAST ONE!
The professional-looking person preforming the chest compressions curses silently under their breath, it’s tough work.
This time it really is the last one. The pupils are checked. They are fixed and dilated. (The family don’t know that it is impossible to assign meaning to this. The drugs that have been administered produce much the same effect as death.) But it’s procedure.
The wail goes up again. Suffocating sobs. This is the recommended practice now, bringing the family in before the death is declared.
If pre drinking is being called “pr-inking” should this pre waking be called “Pr-aking”?
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linocut said:
I don’t want any of you guys around when I die.
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kitey posted this
