[A  critical carol : Being an essay on anemia, suffocation, starvation, and other forms of intensive care, after the manner of Dickens].

[A critical carol : Being an essay on anemia, suffocation, starvation, and other forms of intensive care, after the manner of Dickens]. Anaesthesist. 2020 Oct 13;: Authors: Lewandowski K, Bartlett RH Abstract Somewhere in the USA, shortly before Christmas, tipsy Charlie Cratchit intends to cross a street but is hit by an oncoming city bus und suffers severe trauma: serial rib fracture, femoral fracture, fibula fracture, splenic, pancreatic and bowel ruptures. He is operated on in a maximum care hospital and then transferred to the critical care unit. From then on, an anonymous, very experienced physician continuously takes care of him. Four nights before Christmas, the ghost of the famous British physiologist Ernest Henry Starling appears at the patient's bed. The ghost involves the anonymous physician in a dialogue and is very interested in the inserted Swan-Ganz catheter, then he disappears. He repeats his visits the next 3 nights. On the first occasion he is displeased with Cratchit's low haematocrit, the second time he dislikes the mechanical ventilator settings, and on his final visit he is concerned with Cratchit's clinical nutrition. At first, the anonymous physician is indignant with the ghost's criticism and indoctrinations, but then recognizes that ultimately they are the key to Cratchit's convalescence and acts accordingly. Successfully! Following the ghost's proposals, he changes the ventilator settings, transfuses 3 ...
Source: Der Anaesthesist - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Anaesthesist Source Type: research