DARK DAYS AND DARKER NIGHTS
"But right now his condition is still critical"
Dr. Katron frowned as she studied the latest notations in Dr. McCabe's chart. Despite the fever reducing drugs he was being given, his temperature was still rising. Dr. Delaney had ordered tests to determine the cause of the fever as well as a broad spectrum antibiotic. Setting aside the chart, she pulled on a fresh pair of gloves to check the head injury. Carefully removing the dressing, she looked over at the nurse and instructed, "I want the sedation discontinued and notified as soon as he wakes up."
"Yes, Doctor," the nurse replied as he was setting up a fresh dressing tray.
A check of the surgical site showed no obvious signs of infection and swelling. That meant it most likely wasn't the cause of his fever. They still hadn't ruled out the fact that it could be from a preexisting condition. However, as far as could be determined, the young doctor appeared to be in reasonably good physical condition, excluding his injuries.
"He hasn't started to respond to the antibiotics," Dr. Delaney said as he entered the cubicle. "And I'm beginning to hear fluid in both lungs. This may keep him on the vent longer than I originally planned."
"You thinking it's pneumonia?" the neurosurgeon asked.
"It's a possibility. If there's no improvement in the next six hours, I'll order something stronger," Dr. Delaney replied. He studied his patient for a moment. "If he makes it through this, he has a good chance at recovery. But right now his condition is still critical."
Dr. Katron finished replacing the dressing and picked up the chart to add her new instructions. "I just discontinued the sedation. Hopefully he'll be waking up as soon as it wears off. But the longer he remains unconscious, the greater the probability that he sustained some type of damage."
The trauma surgeon took the chart and added his own instructions, taking note of the latest temperature reading. At the moment all they could do was treat the injuries and handle any complications that might arise.
As soon as the neurosurgeon finished checking on Dr. McCabe, she headed into the next cubicle. This case was proving to be very frustrating for although the family members had been located, they were refusing to discontinue life support. And she really had no choice but go along with their wishes, providing all the latest medical care for a patient with absolutely no chance of survival.