Entertainment

So I've mentioned in previous posts how nice it is to have job security. Another example last night being I walked in to the ED and noticed 5 ambulances just waiting in the trauma bay. I knew I was going to be working on the non-so-acute side last night so most of that I wasn't going to have deal with but a good feeling again none the less.

Another good thing about emergency medicine is the entertainment factor. I signed up for a patient whose chief complaint was an asthma attack. I thought this should be pretty routine. Chest xray and repeated duoneb treatments (usually) until they improve clnically, and then they can go home. When I walked in to the room I noticed a guy lying on the bed that did not appear to be in too much stress at the time. Then I looked in the corner and saw a large refrigerator-like dude sitting down in street clothes with a badge hanging from his neck.

"Are you a friend that happens to be the police, or are you the police?"

"I'm the police," he responded in a deep voice.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.

"So what happened?" I asked the guy sitting on the bed.

"Man, I was running the police and my asthma started acted up, and then they caught me!"

In my mind I kept wanting to ask, "so why didn't you call time out?"

Anyway, I've gotten to the point where I don't even ask why he was running from the police. I think it is funny enough the O.G. (original gangsta) had an asthma exacerbation while trying to escape. I treated him, and then I sent home. In this case, to jail. Good times in the ED. More to come...