Sunday, July 03, 2005
Dad is Sick
My dad had a heart attack at around 2000ish (estimated) on 30th June, he started complaining about discomfort at the left chest area at around 2015. Naturally the first thing I suspected was heart attack, since the symptoms fit. He was hitting his arm/chest area and was breaking out in perspiration.
I decided to bring him to see the GP downstairs (he didn't want to at first but I forced him to), cos I figured I wanted to get him to the nearest medical facility possible. I didn't want to take another 15 mins to reach the hospital without him being seen by a doctor. On hindsight, I should have just dragged him off to the Hospital.... but... well... sometimes you make decisions that are controversial when you analyse it later. I guess I was kinda hoping that it was not as bad as I had thought.
Anyway, he was seen promptly at the GP (there was no queue). GP took an ECG, announced it was a heart attack, and off we went to the hospital. This is where I started to think I should have skipped the GP. We went to TTSH by taxi (ambulance would have taken some time to arrive anyway and I felt my dad was stable enough for taxi conveyance). It was also fortunate that we got a taxi driver who knew the way to the clinic so he arrived very quickly. He sped us to the hospital and rushed to the Ambulance lane. I was worried that he might get booked for it and he said :"I don't care". That's one good guy there and I am sad that in my haste, I forgot to take down his Taxi registration number. Whoever you are, Thank you!
There was a short wait to be registered and have our temperatures taken at the ED before being allowed in, in ANOTHER spate of good luck, there was no queue for triaging. As such, my dad was triaged at around 2115 and sent off for consultation, ECGs and what nots.
Thus began a long long wait for my dad, as I was told to wait to be called, but to make a long story short, in the end my dad was sent off to ward without me knowing and it was only cos my mother was outside teh ED waiting... and saw them running off with my dad. If not, I do not know how long more I would have waited there at the ED.
They sent my dad to a general ward where the doctor (probably a consultant) decided that my dad needed to be sent to CCU. However, CCU was full and my dad went to SICU where they gave him IV Actilayse (TPA). He's been moved to CCU today.
Anyways, dad looks pretty ok.. just tired all the time. He's due for an Angiogram this monday. He's not admitted to having Angina yet, I guess that's tough for him anyways.
For me, I guess my decision to get him to GP first was not very good, since all they did was give him an ECG, and I didn't even ask for GTN... what the heck was I doing anyway. That there was a 20 min delay for treatment for my dad which I have since regretted. Also, the GP never recorded the drug allergy my dad had some years ago.. so we were unable to trace it... sigh.
Well, at least the Cardiac doctor told us that my dad came in very early, and so IV TPA would be more effective then if it had been if he came in after 12 hours. So I guess that 20 mins maybe didn't hurt too much? *I'm consoling myself here* *sigh*
And for you other medics out there who like to make examples of :"If it were your loved one lying there" Please don't. I never liked using these examples..... and I doubt I ever will. You are cursing people.
1 Adorations
My dad had a heart attack at around 2000ish (estimated) on 30th June, he started complaining about discomfort at the left chest area at around 2015. Naturally the first thing I suspected was heart attack, since the symptoms fit. He was hitting his arm/chest area and was breaking out in perspiration.
I decided to bring him to see the GP downstairs (he didn't want to at first but I forced him to), cos I figured I wanted to get him to the nearest medical facility possible. I didn't want to take another 15 mins to reach the hospital without him being seen by a doctor. On hindsight, I should have just dragged him off to the Hospital.... but... well... sometimes you make decisions that are controversial when you analyse it later. I guess I was kinda hoping that it was not as bad as I had thought.
Anyway, he was seen promptly at the GP (there was no queue). GP took an ECG, announced it was a heart attack, and off we went to the hospital. This is where I started to think I should have skipped the GP. We went to TTSH by taxi (ambulance would have taken some time to arrive anyway and I felt my dad was stable enough for taxi conveyance). It was also fortunate that we got a taxi driver who knew the way to the clinic so he arrived very quickly. He sped us to the hospital and rushed to the Ambulance lane. I was worried that he might get booked for it and he said :"I don't care". That's one good guy there and I am sad that in my haste, I forgot to take down his Taxi registration number. Whoever you are, Thank you!
There was a short wait to be registered and have our temperatures taken at the ED before being allowed in, in ANOTHER spate of good luck, there was no queue for triaging. As such, my dad was triaged at around 2115 and sent off for consultation, ECGs and what nots.
Thus began a long long wait for my dad, as I was told to wait to be called, but to make a long story short, in the end my dad was sent off to ward without me knowing and it was only cos my mother was outside teh ED waiting... and saw them running off with my dad. If not, I do not know how long more I would have waited there at the ED.
They sent my dad to a general ward where the doctor (probably a consultant) decided that my dad needed to be sent to CCU. However, CCU was full and my dad went to SICU where they gave him IV Actilayse (TPA). He's been moved to CCU today.
Anyways, dad looks pretty ok.. just tired all the time. He's due for an Angiogram this monday. He's not admitted to having Angina yet, I guess that's tough for him anyways.
For me, I guess my decision to get him to GP first was not very good, since all they did was give him an ECG, and I didn't even ask for GTN... what the heck was I doing anyway. That there was a 20 min delay for treatment for my dad which I have since regretted. Also, the GP never recorded the drug allergy my dad had some years ago.. so we were unable to trace it... sigh.
Well, at least the Cardiac doctor told us that my dad came in very early, and so IV TPA would be more effective then if it had been if he came in after 12 hours. So I guess that 20 mins maybe didn't hurt too much? *I'm consoling myself here* *sigh*
And for you other medics out there who like to make examples of :"If it were your loved one lying there" Please don't. I never liked using these examples..... and I doubt I ever will. You are cursing people.
Comments:
Yah well, the remark is not *really* a *curse* in the sense of laying a hex on people, I was meaning like scolding people. I still feel that it is rather insensitive to do it, if you do it all the time like I see some people do.
Once in a while to drive home a point... well, maybe acceptable, but not all the time lah. Gets lame and people get over it anyway.
Oh well, next time you become loctor.. you know ah!! Better prepsre GTN and record ALL allergies! Best is to apply for medic awas for pt also. Then your butt is SAFE ^^
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Once in a while to drive home a point... well, maybe acceptable, but not all the time lah. Gets lame and people get over it anyway.
Oh well, next time you become loctor.. you know ah!! Better prepsre GTN and record ALL allergies! Best is to apply for medic awas for pt also. Then your butt is SAFE ^^
