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MILITARY
MEDICINE

Working at the VA provides
an eye-opening experience

By Scott DePaul, MD

“CODE BLUE, 4A, room 422. CODE BLUE, from me, a crowd amassing. While anxiously making my way
4A, room 422.” Cue the lights, sirens. there it did dawn on me if the patient had even understood what
I meant by “coding,” probably not, but from all the bells and
Our Sunday morning rounds had just started to whistles and general urgency of the situation, I think she mostly
gain traction when they were brought to a shrieking understood.
halt by the god-like voice emanating from the intercom. The
pleasant, elderly Hispanic woman who offered her time to such I entered the room to find my senior resident at bedside flanked
announcements was more accustomed to inviting everyone to the by a crash cart and three nurses. In the bed lay a middle-aged fe-
weekly catholic mass, not declaring medical emergencies. This male. Even at first glance, one could tell the recent years had been
was different. tough. One nurse rhythmically pushed on the patient’s chest, an-
“I’m sorry ma’am, but I have to go. A patient is coding.” other grabbed the Ambu Bag to assist with her breathing, while
With those words, I abruptly ended the interview with one of the last nimbly worked the pads from the crash cart and activated
our more challenging patients and hurried out the room. I could the defibrillator.
already see bodies flying toward the door just two rooms down
“So, what’s the status,” I stated calmly.

38 San Antonio Medicine • August 2017