0-60 MPH in this ER. 23 patients one night, 5 the next. Even the phone calls were boring; the Lady on Elm anonymously called to see if Sherry was working although I knew it was her. Nervous Lady called to see what time we closed. Then called back to see how late she could come in for x-rays. Then called back to see what time the lab opens. She does this several times per week, we suspect she is really a mole for the Suits to try and catch us in a lie.
My hospital mandated competencies were all up to date, People magazine was read, and the place was stocked and tidy. There is only so much internet surfing you can do since most sites are blocked. That left us generally free to listen to the scanner and catch up on all the delightful antics of the community in which I work.
There were about 5 calls for local police / ambulance to a nearby apartment complex for this and that; fall on floor, unresponsive but breathing, back ache, suspicious activity. Annika, a lovely per diem radiology tech was taking advantage of the quietude to make a phone call on the veranda (ambulance bay) when she noted the Whole Nine Yards speeding by with lights and sirens; 2 ambulances, an undetermined number of fire apparatus, every police car in town. Double overdose in the same apartment complex. Now would be a good time to commit a crime in town, but not to have a medical emergency.
The victims were known to abuse lorazepam according to dispatch. Well, I though as I got out the IV drug handbook. Let me read about administering flumazenil and how to reverse benzodiazepine overdose since I haven't done that in years. Just on the off-chance that the patient might be brought to my ER. Remote, but possible.
Mac noticed the commotion outside and inquired as to what the call was; he also noted that I was looking up drug reversal recipes.
"Where is your I-O stuff?" he asked. "If we get it ready, we won't need it"
Good call. We amused ourselves with code cart stuff while we waited. And waited. And waited.
We didn't need either the I-O stuff or the flumazenil, but at least I put my down-time to good use.
