Doctor, help! No pulse! Fifteen years. Doctor, help! . Start compressions. Check file. For max. Start compressions. . Doctor, help. No line. Check neck. No pulse. . Thirty beats. Two breaths. Thirty beats. Two breaths. . Line in. Adrenaline stat. Two breaths. Asystole. . Fifteen years. Previously well. For max. Asystole. . Thirty beats. Two … Continue reading Asystole
medical
A kidney for a life
On Wednesday I saw a patient in one of the renal clinics who reminded me that human beings are made of goodness. It was a busy day, one of those days where you feel like you are being pulled in a million different directions; frayed on every end. I had so many tabs open in … Continue reading A kidney for a life
A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
Would he be willing to take a pill that plays games with his testosterone? My money's on no. It would ruin his libido he'd say. It would affect his fitness, his training, his body composition he'd say. Testosterone is not something to be played with he'd say. But oestrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, FSH? Sure, why … Continue reading A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
Internal Medicine. A science or an art?
Every speciality will claim that it is the best. Surgeons will tell you that they are the most skilled. Family physicians will say that they make the most holistic difference to people's lives. Obstetricians will argue that they are responsible for two lives in one. But there is something special about Internal Medicine. It is … Continue reading Internal Medicine. A science or an art?
Farewell, Brackengate!
Today was my last day at Brackengate Hospital; the tin-can COVID hospital where I have spent the past fifteen months; the Hospital of Hope. I was a part of the Brackengate team from day one. I watched the empty warehouse form into a colourful 300-bed hospital, with a rainbow "it will be ok" drawing above … Continue reading Farewell, Brackengate!
Doctors, let’s be kind to each other.
Why are doctors so quick to criticize one another? What is it about the medical culture that enables us, not only to easily recognize but actively seek out one another's mistakes? When did we forget that we are all human? Why does it take a colleague losing their life over a mistake before we show … Continue reading Doctors, let’s be kind to each other.
Medicine over the Mountain
My year of community service in Oudtshoorn is drawing to a close and it has been quite an experience. Working in the periphery is a whole different ball game with its own challenges and frustrations, but also plenty of growth opportunities. I can honestly say that I would have turned out a totally different doctor … Continue reading Medicine over the Mountain
Junior Doctors
Junior doctors. We spend our entire day caring for people, trying to save their lives. When spend 26 hours at a time on our feet, looking after people during their illness. When we go home after those 26 hours, our exhausted brains don’t stop thinking about the patients we saw during our shift. We continue … Continue reading Junior Doctors
What is your emergency?
As a doctor working in a district hospital, I spend my night shifts (and a fair amount of day shifts) working in casualty. Another name for casualty is Emergency Department - so you would assume that I spend a lot of time handling emergencies right? Wrong. Casualty is just another word for “Glorified 24-hour Clinic” … Continue reading What is your emergency?
#unemployeddoctors
I started my internship in January 2016. I was terrified. People’s actual lives were now in my hands. At the same time I was excited. This is what I had dreamt about since I was five years old and told my mom I was going to work in a “hostiple” one day. It was the … Continue reading #unemployeddoctors
jessicaaugusta 