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A night in the Beth Israel emergency room
By adamg on Mon, 07/30/2007 - 8:21pm
A resting heart rate of 190 sends Lyss to the ER, where they keep trying an IV drug called Adenosine to slow her heart:
... By this time a crowd has gathered in my little curtained hellhole. I am not sure what's so interesting about me. It's a busy night in the ER. Don't they have a shooting or stabbing to attend to? I survey the scene. So many people in such a small space staring at me is only freaking me out more. "All these people in here is not helping my heart rate go down," I say. I can't remember too much after that, as they finally found that elusive third dose and had given it to me again. Pain. Fire. Stiffness. Limp. ...
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Comments
Beth Israel
Beth Israel is the worst hospital on the face of the earth.
say more?
That is not a very useful statement standing by itself. Care to elaborate a bit?
Ayup
Please elaborate or I'm thinking it's a comment worth deleting.
I'll stand up...
for BI Deac.
my doc is associated with BI Deac. I recently had a very scary (to me) problem, I was seen that same day, and was referred to a specialist at the medical center, who I again saw very quickly and further tests he ordered were able to be scheduled for the next day. All in all, I felt they took damn good care of me through something that turned out to be nothing at all.
Plus any time I've had to ask my doctor about minor things she's called me back the same day. Maybe I'm used to bad service, I don't know, but BI Deac has done well by me.
Me too!
Through out my lifetime, I have had doctors at several Boston hospitals and have had to visit many of the emergency rooms. I found BI to be a wonderful hospital. I see my doctor at Glover in Needham now as it is more convenient but if anything (God forbid) serious were to happen I would insist we go to BI over Glover. Something about Glover is just TOO old school.
That being said, for an emergency room in a large urban area, I found BI to be the most calm and professional. MGH and BUMC seem (in my silly opinion) to have to deal with more of the trauma cases and it causes a more chaotic feeling. I always think of BI and NEMC emergency rooms as those to go to when a friend or family member has a need.
I think any visit to an ER or ICU is something that is difficult to walk away from and give it a high grade. The nature of the visit is always upsetting. I agree it is strange to hear the moaning and bodily sounds all around. I also wondered about the patient information. There is little else to do but listen in to what is happening on the other side of the curtain. Families in ICU have nothing else to talk about than their loved ones medical care and share experiences.
Sorry for your hospital visits lately. I know several nurses and they all hold the ER nurses up to be the toughest ones. I can't imagine having that job. I always admire them and feel guilty for that time in the seventies as I stood there screaming at them with tears running down my face. I know they were not happy with the situation either, I just need to scream at someone. Sorry to those nurses wherever they are.
ER'
I've spent a lot of time in ER's with my mother and have often wondered about privacy rights. While I've never felt hers were violated, I've often wondered about the people forced to lay on gurneys in a ring around the nurse/doctor stations at the Brigham. You can see and hear EVERYTHING that happens to these poor folks who don't even have the benefit of a curtain to shield them.
Maybe ...
Could one reason for the house-of-horrors sound track in the ER be the need to keep track of everybody? It seems at least part of the ER experience is waiting until people can see you, treat you, etc. If they hear you crash or scream or the person with you notices a drastic change and calls out, the staff can hear that and respond. Otherwise, they might end up with people decompensating without notice or warning and not being noticed.
ICUs can be really annoying too
I remember a loved one recovering from open heart surgery. I could tell by reactions (despite sedation) that noise and flashes of light from the TV were bothering him. I shut it off.
I hit the restroom and came back and shut it off again. I had been up almost all night and it was driving me batty too. The nurse complained "that's my show". Oh Yeah? Ever hear of a VCR? That what you are getting paid for?
I was so tempted to pull a Jerry Springer worthy maneuver with the nearest chair. Too bad for her I was way too tired and simply gronked the remote when she left the cubicle.