Thursday, August 25, 2016

Hypoxic U-Toxic


At our Medical ICU at least 75% of admissions are designated as suffering from Sepsis. One of the issues; 50% of those will have a Toxicology screen showing evidence of Methamphetamine, with some easy going THC (marijuana). I guess the two of those, are the Yin-yang of the local street-drug supply. The end result, is that the dude's daily substance abuse issues, will severely impact the care delivered, and outcome of survival.

Hypoxic psychosis
Is the cause
Of his neurosis,
Hypercapnic
Overweight and fifty,
Says, he doesn't like C-PAP
Isn't that nifty?

Somnolent, unresponsive
In the Lazy-boy chair,
The wife can't awaken him
Get the Paramedics there,
Haul him to the hospital
On the megaton rig,
Sometimes the ambulance
Isn't even that big.

Now, it's up to us to save him
Then do it over, in six weeks,
He won't wear the C-PAP
'Cuz it blows up his cheeks,
And dries out his eyes;
Claims he can't sleep,
More likely it's the "Meth";
Is the logical leap.

His U-tox is positive
At every admission,
Methamphetamine and opiates
Affecting his cognition,
Morbidly obese
Untreated hypertension,
Weight, one-eighty kilo's
An honorable mention.

He will cuss at the doctors
And fight with the nurses,
His wife will give the stink-eye
While mumbling gypsy curses,
Then finally, when his brain clears
He pulls the breathing tube out,
Escapes the ICU;
He'll return, there is no doubt.

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