Just back from work. Had a 70 year old chap involved in an accident. His motorcycle was bumped off by a car. But it was great to see everybody work so efficiently....organised chaos was what it was. He has got some really major injuries. I hope he makes it. I have worked in trauma before..In one of the busiest hospitals in India. Has always made me realise that everything in one's life can change in a snap. We have seen distraught families, wifes, daughters, mothers and husbands, sons and fathers devastated by accidents. The story is typical. Somebody goes to work. Doesn't come back in time. And the family gets a phone call(if they have a phone) or a kind autorickshaw driver calling at their home to tell them that their son/whoever has been in an accident and has been taken to such and such hospital. I would have expected 3 years of such experiences would make one numb to the emotional side of things...But it never does. One can only do so much to hide emotions and to appear strong. Clinical detachment it is called.
The worst of partialities is to withold oneself, the worst of ignorance is not to act, the worst lie is to steal away. - CHARLES PEGUY (1873-1914) A few months ago, I was faced with an exceptionally difficult situation. It was fairly routine to start with. A 68 year old man was brought into A&E with a leaking abdominal aneurysm. He was in hypovolemic shock and I was the surgical doctor on call. It was obvious that he needed urgent surgery and I spoke to the vascular surgeon on call and agreed to transfer the patient to the oeprating theatre while he got to the hospital. The patient was on the operating table, fully anaesthetised, 30 mins after I first saw him in A&E. And, he was deteriorating fast. The consultant anesthetist asked me if I had clamped the aorta before. I said that I had never done it before though I had assisted numerous aneurysm surgeries and knew how to do it. I said I probably could do it if the situation was desperate. At this stage, I asked the theatre s
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