This was at an adult ER, so everyone was kind of tense. We started a line and got ready to try to get this thing out. He was too anxious for me to do this without meds. I was going to have to sedate him, go in with an laryngoscope, and try to pull the unknown object out of his airway with some long foreceps.
I was scared shitless. Putting him down carried risks, and if I couldn't get out what was obstructing him on the first try he could die.
We pushed the ketamine (medicine to put him out), and he went to sleep. I got in and saw a metal object that was stuck in his valecula. When he would breath, it was moving into his airway causing the intermittent obstuction. It looked tiny, but as I started to pull it got longer and longer (thats what she said HAHA). I was afraid I was going to drop it into his airway completely from all the secretions. Luckily I got it out. The picture is below. It was somekind of bookcase hinge.
Another life saved. Another save without getting a thank you from the family. Oh well.
- ER Doc
10 comments:
Well done! And hah, if we would only work when thanks were guaranteed, we'd hardly work at all I guess. And that doesn't only apply to people in the medical world. Sad truth.
holy moly i cant believe you pulled that out of a childs throat!
That reminds me of one of those untold stories of the ER that you see on discovery health where this girl was bulemic and using a fork to make herself choke to throw up, but ended up swallowing the fork.
Thank you
From every parent who may need you for what you do.
Thank you.. from a grand parent..
I was scared shitless.
Your honesty is appreciated. I'm sure that anyone with a conscience would have felt the same way, but some wouldn't admit it. You did a great job!
Thank you from this reader. What a frightening experience.
As a baby my helpful older brother gave me pine needles, which I promptly tried to eat. A trip to the ER got them out of my swollen throat. Happily, I have no memory of this but I still give my brother grief about the time he tried to kill me.
Since the parents didn't say it: Thank you.
yes, that's the part that you attach to the metal rail inside the bookcase. once you have 4 in place, the shelf rests on them.
WTF. Usually people are thankful when you save a kid. But your hospital is even wackier than any I have ever worked in, what with your preponderance of cock ring problems.
What was it? Can't tell from the pic.
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