Monsoon Breeds Worms.

Hello hello,

Yes it has been a long time but that can entirely be blamed on strikes and allied postings and the fact that I took it upon myself to use this extra time to read and be prepared for my return.

Let's get on with it then...

This kid aged about 15 yrs comes to the casualty with severe abdominal pain accompanied with fever and vomiting since the past two days. He says he has had this type of episode in the past and is looking really sick. One touch to the right iliac fossa and he yelps in agony.

'Appendicitis' we all shout in unision. So, he's admitted, blood samples are sent and Dr. Broadwalk is called to set up the surgery. Yay I say, I get to do one more appendicectomy and take my tally over 10.

So, we take the kid in and remove his appendix. Simple right. Yeah Sure!

The kid isn't in the recovery room for five minutes that he starts writhing in pain and says he wants to vomit. Blame it on the anaesthetist right. Yeah Sure! Just as we go to take a look at him and tell him everything is alright, our kid taking the perfect cue decides this would be the perfect time to vomit out his feelings. Just to make us look like idiots!

This immediately reminds me of my paediatric practical exams in final year medical college where i was examining a newborn, had to pick him up to test a few reflexes and he reflexively SHAT on my hands.

Anyway, as I was saying 'Idiots', the kid doesn't throw up some ordinary vomit, its bile and within the pool of bile is one bouncing squirming honest to goodness live worm.

The kid's problem was not appendicitis but a severe case of round worms crowding his intestines. Like I said 'Idiots'. However, I am told that worms blocking the intestine usually present like appendicitis so we're ok.

Moral of the story : Don't chew your fingernails; you could get your appendix taken out by me.
(I'm sure this point is well taken by specific persons)

Till later

HOSPITALS ARE BETTER THAN PRISON!

With the whole Rahul Mahajan saga dominating the news channels, I was reminded of something so simple that it is overlooked in most hospitals across the country.

Almost every hospital has harboured a law breaker at some point of its existence.

Sometime last year, one of my bosses called and informed us that he was sending a patient who was to be admitted in our ward (let me just remind you that it’s a Surgical Ward) for treatment.

The patient arrives in the casualty and is referred to us, since he came with a reference letter, and we promptly admit him. Just one problem, he has liver disease, a Medical problem not a surgical one.

We admit him, work him up for all usual investigations, keep him well fed and later find out, through some hard questioning, (nobody is comfortable hiding from a Doctor) that he was to be arrested that evening, but if he stays for three days with us his bail will be approved and he will be out roaming the streets.

Now, let me clarify that he indeed had a disease, but it was not one that warranted admission to a hospital.

Point number two, he was send to a Municipal Hospital, not our bosses private set up because there could have been trouble there.

Anyway, this guy stays for exactly three days, gets up on his feet on the third morning and demands a discharge. He has just been informed on his cell phone that his bail has come through.

So goes the medical set up in our country. Jai Hind!