October 14, 2009

• I’d Tap That!

  I have been neglecting those of you who still come here, I know. I also know that this meta-regretting is a typical way for me to start posts lately. So by way of brief apology, let me just say I do miss those of you who i have virtual conversations with, and I will make more of an effort to at least comment, if not post more on my own.

  That said, I finally began service on the wards today! Yes, my 2 months of night float are over, and now I am back to a more classical residency block…admitting patients, rounding on them, and treating them until they get better, get transferred, or get dead. Ideally less of the latter.

  Now I am a fairly proactive person, so when the resident was handing out patient assignments I volunteered for the liver patient. Liver patients tend to be complicated, as since the liver metabolizes most drugs and produced the majority of clotting factors and proteins, pts with defunct livers have a ridiculous amount of things they cannot be prescribed or have to be monitored closely to prevent multitudinous complications.

  One of these complications is known as Ascites. It is basically a fluid buildup in the abdomen due to loss of proteins by the liver. But while i could get technical all day, lets consult Dr Google for a picture, shall we?
  

  The main way to treat an ascites that has gotten this bad is to drain it. That’s right, just stick a needle in and deflate the belly by draining all the liquid into vacumn sealed liter bottles. Did I mention the yellowish ascitic fluid can occasionally be reminiscent of beer

  That’s right, my first day on wards and i was setting up my own microbrewery!

  So cheers to my first completed procedure of the year! Anyone want a stella?

  • 1:06 am
  • 5 Comments