Under Pressure

Kameron King, M1, Class of 2027

This patient was just like all the others, and I treated her the same. With genuine care and love. She was the last patient of the day. Unfortunately, her procedure was unsuccessful. She came into recovery slightly irritated and under the post-anesthetic influence. After a short recovery, we rescheduled her procedure for numerous reasons. I was a Patient Care Tech in the Main Operating Room at a large hospital and my job was to get her to the car safely. A job I had mastered throughout my time in this role, so I thought nothing of it.

I had achieved a wonderful rapport with her, I would even consider us friends following the unlikely events that would shortly ensue. However, she was unique, not only because of her demeanor and hopeful personality, but her physique. She was 375 lbs. This did not stop her from smiling, laughing, and enjoying life to the fullest. As we laughed, and chatted about our lives, her husband got the car. Little did I know, this would be when everything changed.

I follow the protocol to a T; lock the wheelchair, patient on my right, wide gait for easy car access, and a sturdy foundation. I help her out of the chair, one hand entangled with hers and the other grasping the waistband of her pants.

Her left leg goes up to enter the passenger side of the vehicle. SNAP!
Her right leg breaks.

She immediately drops to the ground screaming in pain. As an aspiring medical student, there were very few things I knew how or what to do. Blood was going everywhere. Given the circumference of her leg, I only knew one way to acutely stop the flow, squeeze it. With her thigh in a chokehold. I begin yelling for help. I asked for tourniquets, gauze, a stretcher, and a transfer board to get her to the ER. With the simple supplies I had, I wrapped 4 tourniquets around her leg and placed many layers of gauze around the exposed tissue and held pressure.

After a few minutes, other medical personnel began to arrive. It took approximately 6 of us to maneuver the board under her in such distress and move her onto the stretcher. As we entered the ED, I was asked by the attending to give a rundown of what happened. Honestly, I don’t remember what I said because it all happened so fast. I was also just so concerned about the patient that I couldn’t even think about myself. Until my nurse manager was made aware of what had happened and came to the ED to see me. Her first words were “Wow, you have a lot of blood on you.” After some time, I had changed and the initial shock of the events had gone down, the on-call orthopedic surgeon came up to me and said “You know, you started this, why don’t you come and finish it.” He knew I was entering medical school in the fall and since I had worked in the OR for a couple of years at that point, he let me scrub in and assist with the reduction and fixation of this wonderful woman’s procedure. This was my initial spark for orthopedic trauma.

I stayed that evening until 8:30 to make sure she made it to her room. Over the next few weeks, I would check on her to make sure she was recovering well. Not only did this experience propel me into a better understanding of what patients have to go through every day, but also the unexpected things in medicine and how to be a strong advocate for patients. I will never forget the patient who put me under the most pressure at such an early point in my medical career.