Every Minute Counts

Highlight of the day: There was a thank you banquet lunch for the study abroad students, and the food was great. There was a salad with bell peppers and tomatoes, and it was amazing. I put this onion mixture on it, not realizing how spicy it was. Just when I thought I was getting used to the spicy food, I was wrong again!

The medical "mail chute" was  awesome!

     There weren't any surgeries today, at least not before we left. I spent the day in the Emergency Room, and it was really interesting to compare it to the hectic ER at Hospital para el Niño Poblano. At Hospital Angeles, there were fewer beds in the ER, and of course the hospital was not limited to children. Possibly the coolest thing I have seen since we have been here was a chute for things to be sent to and from the ER. Lab results and medications could be sent through a tube, similar to the tube at the drive-thru in a bank. I was told that it is really helpful because then no one has to travel from a different floor or across the building in a time-sensitive situation.

This is one of the four
 observation rooms. There
were also three consultation
 rooms.  

    The patients in the ER today were easily diagnosed and mostly in observation rooms. A man, about 60 years old, fell and hit his head early this morning. He was diagnosed with vertigo and being observed while test results came back. A young woman, about 25, came in with a likely allergic reaction. Her arms were red, swollen, and splotchy. She also felt tightness in her throat. She was given a steroid injection to reduce the symptoms, and they were waiting for insurance approval to send her to the allergist for further testing.

These beds were for emergent patients. Today there weren't
any! There was also a pediatric room with smaller beds. 

     Right before I left, there was a boy about 13 years old who was rushed into surgery. In the ER, there are two operating rooms. The boy's parents were frantically filling out paperwork at the nurses desk, so the surgery could begin as soon as possible. Other than the entrance of the surgical patient, the day was pretty relaxed. I didn't mind the slow pace because all the doctors and nurses wanted to talk to me. We talked about Mexico, the United States, medical schools, private vs. public hospitals, and many more things. The best part is that they wanted to talk to me in Spanish. A lot of people here like to practice their English, so it was nice to only use Spanish for a few hours! It's hard to practice speaking Spanish at home, so every little bit I get to practice helps a lot.