February 24, 2013
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A lifesaving comma
Our bodies are amazing at keeping a wide variety of electrolytes precisely monitored to maximize its efficiency.
Several elements and chemicals can drastically (and often horrifically) alter our ability to function if they become even a little deviated from the norm.
Our sodium, potassium, chloride, pH, carbon dioxide, oxygen and many more are continuously checked and rechecked to be sure we are functioning at our prime.
So I had a fine young man coming in with “exhaustion.”
He didn’t have diabetes, but his significant other did. She also felt “exhausted” two days ago, and, when she checked her sugar at that time, it was critically low at 88 (which is actually in the normal range).
She figured that since her severe fatigue had been from her low blood sugar (which is wasn’t), then his must also be from low blood sugar. So, logically (illogically), they checked his sugar today and found that he was also was exhausted from a low blood sugar of 105 (which is also normal).
So… now follow this closely here,… they came to me to help heal him from his disease process (that he didn’t have) so that they could go to their regular doctor (where they should have been in the first place) to tell him that he needed to be put on medications (that he didn’t need).
Oh, and they smelled like pee.
I digress.
I digest.
I ditch mess
I dig vest.
<ahem>
I also had to educate a few people about the importance of a comma.
I was told I had a priority one patient arriving in 2 minutes with stabbing chest pain. Normally this makes me worried about someone with a possible heart attack or serious lung issues. As it turned out, he had been stabbed in the chest.
Stabbing chest pain…
vs.
Stabbing, chest pain.
Then later in the shift I took care of a patient that had a listed chief complaint of vomiting diarrhea. Man that must be the worst aftertaste after puking you could ever imagine.
Remember your commas people, they can be lifesaving
!
Comments (2)
I can see how getting stabbed in the chest might cause chest pain. There might be a connection there.
My job includes transcribing or translating conversations. One of my favorite snippets from a translation I reviewed (by a friend who never uses commas):
A: “How are you doing?”
B: “Shit right here.”
The first couple smelled of pee!