She was oil, and I was vinegar. We didn’t mix. Ever. Even though we wanted the best outcome for our ICU patients, we stood on opposite poles of the earth. Sometimes, there’s only room for one alpha dog, one ultimate bully. And that person w…
Category: Critical Care
From buzzer beaters to critical care
Twenty-four is the number of hours in a day that you have to change someone’s life, and it’s also the jersey number of my favorite basketball player, Kobe Bryant. Basketball has always been a passion of mine, and my desire to compete is the…
Unmasking the truth about ECMO [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join John R. Mehall, a cardiothoracic surgeon and physician executive. We explore the lasting impact of the global pandemic on hospitals in the United States, uncover the underlying financi…
From doctor’s journey in ICU to unveiling poisoning mysteries
Through a combination of coincidental privilege, silly circumstances, hard work, persistence, and perseverance, I ended up becoming a doctor. The journey post-graduation is a difficult one, as it introduces you to a world beyond books and examination h…
Life and death in the ICU: a night of heroism, tragedy, and budgetary battles
ICU: Our acuities were high, and staffing was low. Our ICU, with 24 beds, was already full. The staffing situation for that night was so poor that instead of our RNs having a 2:1 patient-nurse ratio, we were forced into 3:1 assignments. Despite the cha…
The heartbreaking reality of a nurse’s struggle: a father’s tale
I love two nurses. One of them is my son, and the other is someone very close to me. She’ll have her own article. My son has just finished his seventh 12-hour ICU shift. He’s wiped out, devastated, and shell-shocked. Let me introduce him to…
The inspirational journey of an 82-year-old WWII veteran battling cancer
He was 82 years old when he came into our ER, writhing in excruciating abdominal pain. After an ultrasound and a subsequent CT scan, the devastating diagnosis was revealed—end stage pancreatic and liver cancer. Despite enduring a pain level of 10, he m…
On the front lines of COVID-19: the untold sacrifices and heroic efforts of health care professionals
There is a phenomenon sweeping across various medical circles on social media that is forcing people to address accusations from those who were not on the front lines of COVID at the beginning of the pandemic. Though I have refused to pay much attentio…
Surviving the chaos: an inspiring journey of health care heroes
Calling all health care personnel: EMTs, paramedics, nurses, CNAs, respiratory therapists, police, firefighters. All of you. You’ve been cursed at, spat upon, hit, and scratched by fingernails. You never got that 30-minute break during those 12 l…
Awakening the dormant elements of humanity
When I was first paged about Mr. P, I braced myself for the worst. He had already had three “code greys” called—the hospital code for aggressive behavior. When we met him on his hospital bed, he was bound by restraints on his wrists and ank…
