Saturday, October 02, 2010

CV-ICU ... part 1 ... hearts

ICU ... much more intense and faster paced. First day was orientation and just hanging around to learn about the patients and the units.

For the last 2 weeks, I've been in what they called the heart units, pretty much all patients have some sort of heart surgeries or are on artificial hearts. These patients wer very sick.

For the 1st week, the unit had more thoracic patients than hearts but it definitely turned around the second week. Heart patients then started rolling in like crazy. All it takes was one day of multiple admissions with several people going nuts with plenty of work for us. It was fun though. My co-resident working on a patient withthe fellow and the NP was busy with other surgeons rounding on their patients and phone calls. So I was pretty much covering for whatever else going on for other patients. It was a definite adrenaline rush.

By now, I have already done multiple central lines, arterial lines and even tried a bronchoscopy. Bronchoscopy, oh my!. It's a video game in medicine

It's been so fun; there are just so much hands on things to do. Really glad that I'm anesthesia. it's tiring and takes up so much of energy, but I really think it's so worthwhile for me. Totally enjoying it.

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