Quick pre-shift check-in (December 3, 2022).

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Dear Inside Medicine readers,

Just a quick check-in on my way into the ER for my second overnight shift in a row. Last night was a tough night, but it reaffirmed why I love my job.

We saw pathology (i.e. illness) that I had never seen in 10 years doing emergency medicine. And we saw things I’ve seen every week of my career. The worst part was that I had to break bad news to several patients, which is always heart-breaking, especially in the ER. As hard as all of that was, my teammates and I did work we can be proud of. I slept like a rock today and am ready for another go-round.

I won’t go into specifics about any of last night’s cases now, in order to protect patient privacy. But in the coming weeks, I’ll loop back and talk about cases like these (combining cases or changing details to protect patient privacy) and others.

Tomorrow, I’ll have a post about RSV vaccines.

That’s all for now. Stay safe! And if you are out and about tonight, please remember not to drink and drive. Taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts are a lot less expensive than a DUI, and making that choice could save a life or two, or four.

Have a great evening!

—JF