Today was an eventful day to say the least. We saw sixteen patients in the afternoon which is nothing we’re not used to at this point. The patients varied in age and injury. Dr. Williams found himself treating a toddler for a supracondylar radius fracture in one room and carrying an out intra-articular (in joint) shoulder injection in another room. These types of cases tend to set Dr. Williams back in schedule a bit especially if the patient is refusing to cooperate like the toddler with the broken arm. Often other cases need more tentativeness from the doctor’s part, where further investigating is needed in order to find the cause of the problem. In cases such as these, the doctor rules out the bigger “problems” first. An infection, for example, is a problem all physicians dread because it can lead to the loss of a limb or death if it is not identified early. Infection is always a factor to consider when assessing a patient with continued pain after a total join replacement. If a doctor is able to rule an infection out, he or she would then look for any defects in the mechanisms of the replaced joint—this can be done by reviewing 3D radiograph images such as CT (computed tomography) or bone scans.
Among the other injuries we saw today, were ankle sprains, hip fractures (which require surgical intervention through intramedullary nailing), coracoid and acromion fractures as well as ATL (anterior talofibular ligament) tears. It was exhausting for the staff to catch up after the multiple setbacks but the afternoon had its up’s too. I was especially surprised with myself because I was able to handle an embarrassing situation professionally. As Dr. Williams was helping a patient off the examination table, the patient passed gas but I was able to compose myself and not show any sign of disgust or disrespect. I guess we all will have to be put in similar situations at some point and it’s important to reflect positively upon the person you are and the place you work in.
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