She Only Has a Small Scar
I was working a shift with the trauma team. We roll the patient on her side to get her clothes off and notice she’s bleeding out of her back. There is a tiny exit wound and we piece together it’s a ricochet from our previous patient. She’s not breathing and has no pulse.
Instantly there are two liters of blood gushing onto the floor. We’re running her to an OR, when I notice she’s bleeding from every single opening in her body. Her body had used all its clotting agents. We transfer her to intensive care and monitor her for three weeks.
The family is having conversations about life support. The real twist happens six months later. I was working a shift and bring up this patient to my attending. A month ago at a follow-up visit, this patient walked in. After the traumatic experience, all she has is a scar from her thoracotomy. ED_Medicine