As I look at his obituary pictures, I can’t help but feel a sense of longing. I wish I could have known him – that other side of him that his family, friends, and colleagues are sharing in their photos. They’re all smiling and laughin…
Category: Critical Care
A tale of two patients: one journey, two stories of courage
It was a busy night in the emergency department, as usual. I rushed from one patient to the next, trying to keep up with the constant stream of people coming in with various ailments and injuries. One patient, in particular, stood out to me that night….
A medical advocate’s role in the COVID ICU [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! In this episode, guest Sara L. Merwin, co-author of The Informed Patient: A Complete Guide to a Hospital Stay, shares her experience helping a family navigate their loved one’s hospit…
From hope to heartbreak: a story of loss in the ICU
Ms. Laura was a vibrant and feisty lady with a personality that filled the room. She had been my patient two months ago when she was admitted for an irregular heartbeat and COPD exacerbation. She was a smoker, and despite her heart issues, she had a st…
A personal journey through hospital-acquired psychosis [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join us for a touching and insightful episode with Natasha Khalid, a geriatrics fellow, as she shares her personal experience of dealing with ICU psychosis in a loved one. Natasha takes us …
The ICU experience that changed a young doctor’s perspective forever
As a healthy 30-year-old intern with an infant, I never expected to land in the ICU on a random Thursday at 10 a.m. As I prepared to start my first precepted thoracentesis at the VA, I suddenly began to experience double vision. Assuming it to be a wei…
The ICU nurse shortage: How cost-cutting is endangering patient care
Recently, I read an article by an ICU nurse that discussed the disturbing trend of replacing seasoned nurses with inexperienced ones in the name of cost-cutting. This issue is not limited to the ICU but is rampant in every area of nursing. As a psychia…
A heartbreaking yet heartwarming story of a pediatric neurology resident’s struggle and empathy
The pager beeps early on the first day of my inpatient pediatric neurology service week. The pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) would like us to perform a brain death examination on a young boy before potential organ donation. An apparently healthy b…
An angel in the woods: a tragic story and the gift of life
We lived in the woods. Five acres of trees. You could barely see the sky. We left the big city for this piece of heaven. And by chance, we met a couple that had a 5-year-old daughter. Our son was four years old. They became best friends. They’d s…
The isolation of the COVID ICU: the need for patient advocates
The COVID ICU is abuzz with monitors beeping and doctors and nurses rushing from bed to bed to care for critically ill patients, most on ventilators. The machines – dialysis, vents, pumps – sound off their rhythmic repetitions; breaths are pushed in an…
