My first out of a five-day IMU attachment at a private GP clinic was better than I expected. Never realized I could learn so much in merely 6 1/2 hours. Heheh. It's good, really good.... =)
Seen a couple of cases, but there are two which I find most interesting:
The first case was a 14-year old girl who was involved in a motorcycle accident. That occured when she was boarding the public bus at noon. The motorcyclist (who happened to be my GP's patient) brought her into the O.T. (Operating theatre) room. Other than a haematoma above her right eye and abrasians on her forehead, left cheek and upper extremities, everything else was fine. She (fortunately) did not lose consciousness nor felt dizzy at time of the accident. Her pupils responded appropriately to light as well. The only thing that worried the doctor a little was her drowsiness; she had to be lightly 'shaken' in order to be kept awake. Sensing this could be a result of her fast (it's fasting month in Malaysia), my GP persuaded her to consume some glucose first, before giving her an anti-tetanus shot. Her parents were promptly notified, and it was not long before they arrived. The GP reassured them that all was well at the moment, and advised them to admit their daughter to the hospital for observation.
The second was an Indian lady with a corn in her right foot. She had been putting it off for a month, but finally came to see a doctor as the pain was unbearable. An excision has to be done.....
Now one might find this a little odd, but this is the FIRST time I witnessed a surgery!
"Now how about the times you went to Seremban Hospital and Kuala Kubu Baru (KKB)Hospital??? Surely you've seen some minor surgery over there, right?"
"Wrong! Been there, yes. Seen fractures? Yes. Seen X-rays being taken? Yes. Seen nurses/ doctors drawing blood/inserting cannula? Yes. Seen wound dressings? Definitely! But minor surgeries? Nope....nadda, never seen them. What more major ones?"
*Smacks head* "Pity...."
And how do you think I found the experience? Well, let's put it this way.....I was already hypoglycaemic. I did not consume anything within the last 5 hours of my waking day. To top it off, I stood most of the time throughout my duty. And the fact that the patient yelped in pain during the local anaesthetic (LA) shots was already a little....'eye-opening'. So, what do you think naturally happened during the excision session? My hearing became 'impaired'- I couldn't hear nor comprehend what my GP said as he was explaining the whole procedure to me. Nor could I hear the patient anymore. I could see black patches. My throat went dry. There were palpitations. And I felt light-headed.
Boy, everything was so vivid then....
Now this has happened to me before. Once, I collapsed after a swimming session when I was around seven. The second time was in a stuffy, school science lab - thirteen then. I was not about to let it happen the third time round. No, at least not with the patient in sight. She was already in so much pain. A medical student collapsing in front of her would be too much to bear. So I did what many might have done: I excused myself from the O.T. room, and made my way to the dispensary counter. There I promptly sat on a chair, tilted my head upwards, and maintained that position till I felt slightly better (well, hey....there's no space to lie flat on the floor). Thereafter I took some water.
Went back to the O.T. Room. The minor surgery was already completed then. Sensing that I was not feeling well during the op, my GP asked if I would like some glucose. *grins* He then assured me that this is normal - many of his fellow colleagues fainted whilst watching an ongoing surgery during his med. school days, and that an IMU student collapsed in his clinic before.....*deja vu*
So the moral of the story is: Get a hearty breakfast before one assumes duty in a clinical setting!!!! =p
