Yesterday, like most days, my patients came in all different shapes, sizes, and situations.
Patient #1 was petite and frail, in her early 60’s, and only 5′ tall. She had the body habitus that we who work in the OR always love to see. Light as a feather, and easily lifted and re-positioned. Which we needed to do […]

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Grand Rounds 4.08 is being hosted by Dr. Anonymous this week. Check it out - he’s hosting 2000 miles from his home. A grand job - don’t you just love the internet? Thanks, Doc, for including me in this week’s edition.
A grateful wink to RT 101 for the positive mention, and an acknowledgement of the collegial relationship that […]

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At XYZ Hospital, we perform at least a half a dozen tracheostomies every week. Done largely for VDRF (ventilatory-dependent respiratory failure) - these surgeries are performed on patients who are unable to be weaned from a ventilator, or are facing longterm ventilation management for their condition. The longer an endotracheal tube sits in a person’s trachea, the greater […]

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I get called to do intubations all over XYZ Hospital. Impending respiratory failure and airway protection are usually the two biggest reasons for inserting endotracheal tubes in patients. Very often, when I arrive at the patient’s bedside, I am met by:

a first year intern
a fourth year medical student
an ER or ICU resident
an EMS student

with an eager, wide-eyed, hungry […]

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Picture a dark and scary place. Hot dank stale air. Gooey drippy viscous fluid, seemingly everywhere. Pulsating walls with shiny, glisten-y coatings. Hidden deep cavernous places. The unknown.
Does this conjure up nightmare images for you? A house of horrors? A dragon’s den? Welcome to the oro-pharyynx, also known as the back of your throat. I spend a large […]

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