Friday, October 07, 2016

Technical Difficulties


Please wait, we are experiencing technical difficulties...........we've all done it at sometime or another. Accidentally did the one thing, and it caused the other thing. Solve the problem, and you're a better engineer.

I almost sent her soul
Down heavens fairway,
After I stopped
To clean her airway,
Just a little faux pas
With the suction device,
An improper position
Well, she almost paid the price.

Assessment and decision
I'm fast on my feet,
Troubleshooting with friends
At the bedside we meet,
Setting Oxygen on blast
Via bag-valve-connection,
Returned her to baseline
On final inspection.

Refreshed my memory
Old knowledge relearned,
Like Shakespeare once said
The worm has turned.

2 comments:

Oldfoolrn said...

Reminds me of 1970's problems with MA-1 ventilators. There was no alarm to sound if pressure in the circuit dropped due to a loose or broken connection. If the endo tube uncoupled, things looked good from a distance; bellows expanding = patient being ventilated. I think a good number of patients met Jesus because of this oversight.

Fibril_late said...

Old Fool;
What a memory you have. Prior to my Nursing tour of duty, I was educated and employed as a Respiratory Therapist x 5 years. You are spot-on regarding ye olde MA-1; praise my pumping bellows, that is exactly what happened. Nowadays, it is so much more difficult to blame the machines, even though they are far more irritating and bothersome. Now that all of the tubes and connectors are plastic, things fall apart much more often, and all kinds of horrid alarms shriek and moan.
As always, thanks for your insights.