IR in trauma setting

[acepoint]

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I'm on the fence between ER and radiology for different reasons. I really love the radiology technical side of things and the problem solving, but I really enjoy treating acutely ill patients with life-threatening conditions.

I've been told by some that IR plays large role for some patients with critical illnesses. Does this hold true in the community? Are there high pressure situations in IR a regular basis (something I'd definitely want) or is it sit back and do a lot of access lines?

 

[colbgw02]

Considering the thread title, we really should differentiate between acutely ill and trauma patients. There are roles for the interventional radiologists in both, but trauma is and will largely remain the territory of the surgeons. Trauma centers differ in how they are set-up, but the two at which I've worked (including the busiest trauma center in the U.S.) don't involve the ER physicians at all. If trauma is what you love, then neither radiology nor EM are the best way to experience that.

IR docs are involved in acutely ill patients - lower GI bleed embolization, numerous different types of drain placements in septic patients, acutely black toes (getting taken over somewhat by the vascular surgeons) - but I wouldn't say that those sorts of things are the mainstay of an interventional practice. The majority of things an IR doc does can wait until the next morning.

 

[Labslave]

If trauma is what you love, then neither radiology nor EM are the best way to experience that.

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