Fourth of July in the ED

[Febrifuge]

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Yes, I'm proudly flying my clueless Pre-Med colors here, but this will be my first Independence Day working, and I'm curious about what previous July 4ths have been like, for various EP types. Do you have any good stories? Is this a non-event, or from 3 to 11pm is there a good chance I'll be hearing residents say things to me like, "no, I need the ring finger. That's the index"?

(If you care to, please mention how easily available fireworks are in your locality, and whether your ED typically sees much trauma on a day when the citizenry is not blowing itself up.)

 

[mikecwru]

Yes, I'm proudly flying my clueless Pre-Med colors here, but this will be my first Independence Day working, and I'm curious about what previous July 4ths have been like, for various EP types. Do you have any good stories? Is this a non-event, or from 3 to 11pm is there a good chance I'll be hearing residents say things to me like, "no, I need the ring finger. That's the index"?

(If you care to, please mention how easily available fireworks are in your locality, and whether your ED typically sees much trauma on a day when the citizenry is not blowing itself up.)

July 4th is usually busy but usually because of alcohol, cars, and being summer more than fireworks. Last 4th, there were more fingers blown off on the days around the 4th than actually on the 4th. Fireworks are "illegal" but very easy to get.

mike

 

[NinerNiner999]

With a sense of irony, I will be in charge of the Burn ICU and Plastics unit over July 4th. God Bless America.

 

[docB]

In my experience the 4th is hot and drunk.

 

[beanbean]

Something about summer...people have been cooped up waiting for nice, warm weather. When they get it, they mix in copious amounts of alcohol and they tend to lose their minds. July is a dangerous and special time for those individuals who plan to compete for the annual Darwin awards.

To those of you working on the Fourth - it is sure to be a festive time for all!

 

[Scrubbs]

My experience of the 4th was pretty time dependent last year... earlier in the day, we ran a small drunk tank and just waited for the other shoe to fall. It was almost eerie how quiet it was for a time. But, somewhere around 7pm, the *****s started rolling in... traumas, shootings, car accidents, 15 year olds with EtOH's over 400... no good fireworks injuries though 🙁

 

[Katee80]

It's now midnight in the capital of Canada and the fireworks have finished. It's a cool night with a huge full moon in the sky....let the games begin! 😛

 

[Scrubbs]

Bump and Happy 4th of July!!!! Don't forget to share your stories of the fools you see today!!!

 

[Febrifuge]

Aside from the Stars & Stripes MC Hammer pants on one of the attendings (anybody remember Zubaz?), the Fourth was not that special for us.

How about (depending on region) y'all, you all, you lot, or youse?

 

[docB]

Aside from the Stars & Stripes MC Hammer pants on one of the attendings (anybody remember Zubaz?), the Fourth was not that special for us.

How about (depending on region) y'all, you all, you lot, or youse?

And so you restrained him of course and shot him full of Haldol. 😀

One of the docs in my group came in on Halloween last year dressed like Super Fly. Great costume, 2 foot afro, 3 inch gold eyelashes, the works. It was great. However I recall her having to deliver bad news to a family like that which is why I generally keep it down.

 

[peksi]

Ok, so here was the July 3/4th experience at at our institution:
A total of 35...35 traumas in 24 hours including 2 multi casulty events with 4-5 victims and scene deaths in both. 5, yes 5 children 10 y.o. and under with femur fractures.

Additional pathology included
- A 4 hour priapism (not mine!).
- Ruptured globe
- 2 MI's
- 1 shoulder reductions
- multiple COPD exacerbations
- a crush/ r/o CS- (Stryker)
- 2 trauma intubations
- 2 GI bleeds
- Hip reduction
- Ankle fracture reduction
- Cirrhotic/paracentesis
- multiple lac repairs
- ED US included 3 + FAST, 1 plural effusion, 1 DVT
- Oh and of course belly pain..belly pain... ( i won;t say it a third time or i may get a knock on the door by someone complaining of.... you know what,.

I can't even remember or am not aware of the rest and these were just resident cases that I was the attending staffing in one part of our ED and at one hospital. Truely one of the busiest trauma days I've seen. Lets just say I plan to be off 1/3/05 to 1/5/05!!!

Paul

 

[Sessamoid]

Ok, so here was the July 3/4th experience at at our institution:
A total of 35...35 traumas in 24 hours including 2 multi casulty events with 4-5 victims and scene deaths in both. 5, yes 5 children 10 y.o. and under with femur fractures.

Wow, that's impressive! Let see, at my institution on July 4th, we had... Hmm... I have no idea, because I was at a friend's house drinking margaritas and watching the fireworks. 🙂 Back in residency, Cinco de Mayo was our big trauma-rama.

 

[ERMudPhud]

Back in residency, Cinco de Mayo was our big trauma-rama.

That was true for us to. It got to the point where I wondered if it was really the holy day for the patron saint of drive by's.

Juneteenth was also a big day.

Peski,

Were you the attending on all 35 traumas plus all the rest of the stuff you mentioned!!? I hope you had a lot of good resident help.

 

[docB]

Juneteenth was also a big day.

Juneteenth?

 

[ERMudPhud]

Juneteenth?

http://www.elecvillage.com/juneteen.htm

 

[Febrifuge]

Juneteenth?

Goodness, just how white is Las Vegas, anyhow? 😉

http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm

"...Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free."

"...A range of activities were provided to entertain the masses, many of which continue in tradition today. Rodeos, fishing, barbecuing and baseball are just a few of the typical Juneteenth activities you may witness today."

And don't forget the street parades and whatnot, with the ensuing ETOH abuse and personal violence! Much like Cinco, or Mardi Gras, or Pride, or your local team winning a championship. Big crowds = EM fun, but of course.

 

[docB]

Goodness, just how white is Las Vegas, anyhow? 😉

http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm

"...Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free."

"...A range of activities were provided to entertain the masses, many of which continue in tradition today. Rodeos, fishing, barbecuing and baseball are just a few of the typical Juneteenth activities you may witness today."

And don't forget the street parades and whatnot, with the ensuing ETOH abuse and personal violence! Much like Cinco, or Mardi Gras, or Pride, or your local team winning a championship. Big crowds = EM fun, but of course.

I don't know why I've never head of that. Vegas isn't that white and Philly, where I went to med school, sure wasn't.

 

[peksi]

Peski,

Were you the attending on all 35 traumas plus all the rest of the stuff you mentioned!!? I hope you had a lot of good resident help.[/QUOTE]

No I was not the attending on all 35, I was the attending on about 12 of these. We have 2 attendings on the A/B core where the traumas come in...sometimes 3. We did call in a back up attending as the "dung" did hit the fan. Furthermore many other trauma patients were sent to other hospitals that needed Level 1 trauma care and eventually were sent to us...I was'nt even counting these 8-10 folks.

Paul

 

[Sessamoid]

I don't know why I've never head of that. Vegas isn't that white and Philly, where I went to med school, sure wasn't.

Vegas is fairly white and didn't exist at the time of the emancipation (according to 2000 census less than 10% African-American and falling due to the influx of Hispanics and Asians), compared to the places where Juneteeth originated (Texas and the rest of the Confederate South). Philly is a bit removed from the Confederate South. The holiday is, in my experience, largely celebrated in Texas and deep southern states, and even then it's not a huge deal like Independence Day.

Obviously, I know about Juneteenth due to my med school alma mater. 🙂