Save of the Month! September 2013

Welcome to Save of the Month! where each month we recognize a resident who went above and beyond to make a great save in the ED. Nominations are solicited from the faculty each block and we pick one resident for recognition and embarrassment on this blog.

This month’s edition goes to . . . Dr. Eli Brown!

Here’s the story:

The patient was a 79 year-old man with multiple medical problems including end stage CHF on home hospice. The patient was brought in for worsening respiratory distress and shortness of breath. The patient was not DNR.

Eli talked to the family and had the patient made DNR then spent time making sure the patient was comfortable with morphine and avoiding many of the invasive procedures this patient may have gotten (he had abdominal pain and Eli discussed with the family possible CT and everyone agreed that this would not change his management). He even arranged for the patient to have his own room with chairs so the family could be by his side.

The patient died with his family at his side without an ET tube or pressors or in an ICU. While he might not have “saved” this patient’s life he went above and beyond in saving him the unnecessary care and procedures that many of these patients receive.

A few days later the Internal Medicine attending came down to the ED to thank me for the care that this patient received, but I could take no credit. It was all Eli.