A quick contribution to this month’s Medical Monday. I am in the last week of Family Medicine and trying to finish of the mass of projects we have to present this week. Additionally I have just realised that my first set of exams (the B.Ch-part, a.k.a. Surgery) is in two months. I am not feeling prepared for that and will definitely need to focus more intently on studying.
Anyway, here is an incident that made me laugh. The rural hospital where I am working is relatively small and sometimes, patients sleep over at Outpatients’ Department while awaiting a bed. We start their treatment in the meanwhile, run tests and set up IV-infusions. The next morning, OPD essentially as its own “ward round”.
We were scratching our heads as to why a certain patient had not received her treatment overnight. Then we saw her IV line.
(As you can see, that IV isn’t going anywhere but down the drain.) As we are fairly certain that no nurse or doctor would have done this, the only conclusion we could reach was that the IV came out and the patient or a relative tried to “put it back.”
Regardless, we had a good laugh. This has got to be even funnier than when this happened.
Whispers Unto the Aether 
That is funny! But not funny that the patient didn’t get their treatment. Maybe they were too embarrassed to say something.
I think you’re right. They seemed rather bashful. I think it probably came out unintentionally. Fortunately she was fine in the end.
I agree with Jane!
Stopping by from MM — thanks for the laugh! 🙂 (But never good when something thwarts a patient from getting his treatment!)
Absolutely agree. Luckily she was okay 🙂
Thanks for linking up with Medical Mondays! Thank goodness you were there to fix the error!!
Aw thanks. Luckily we saw her early in the round!
That is awesome.
I have no medical training and even I can see there’s an issue there! Wow!! I’d hate to be the person who was responsible for that! Thanks for linking up!!
Fortunately the patient was no worse for wear that we could see. We suspect she pulled it out and was too embarrassed to ask for help overnight, because I don’t think any of the nurses would do that and leave it such.
Oh my goodness that looks like something I would do considering I have zero medical training! Hey at least it makes for an interesting story right ha. Hi from medical Mondays 🙂
Right! And luckily the patient was no worse for wear. And hi, nice to see you here! 🙂
Hehe good thing you guys caught that! Hope your rotations are going swell!
Thank you! They are going alright. A little tough but alright.