26 JUL 2010

John Cho, MD, Stephen Silvey, MD, Brian Cohee, MD

ICU/Trauma Doctors

I was fortunate enough to start a rotation in the ICU department, which is perhaps the most important department here at Landstuhl, as it treats the greatest number of severe combat injuries. I shadowed multiple doctors rather than just one, as certain patients were inactive while others underwent multiple surgeries. I first made the rounds with all the doctors as they discussed each patient’s symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and progress and took suggestions/advice from other doctors in the department. I also had a chance to watch a Cesarean section birth performed on a woman, which I did in the Labor and Delivery Department during some downtime I had during the day.

The most interesting thing I was able to do today was to watch a colostomy performed on a patient that was just having a routine colon cleaning. The original infection in the colon had started after the patient’s appendix burst and spread to surrounding organs. Upon opening of the colon cavity, the colon was enflamed and engorged, and the doctor’s came to the decision that a colostomy was the only way to allow the colon to heal properly. They were unable to stitch up the opening due to the size of the enlarged colon and threat to proper healing, so they vacu-sealed the opening. I was able to see the intricacies of surgeries performed on ICU patients, and how closely together these departments are tied together, at least and Landstuhl Hospital.

My greatest take-away from the ICU experience was an appreciation for how intensive and broad the medicine covered by these doctors is, and how busy their jobs can be. In addition to keeping to the patient’s health, most patients were aero-medevaced out, and proper flight-safe medicine had to be taken into consideration. Making rounds with the doctors and spending the day with them tending to their patients showed me how important their jobs were. Overall, I think that specializing in Intensive Care or Trauma is appealing, though I am not sure if I’d like to venture into that field.