New Life in Chicago (English Version)

Chapter 17

First shift of the week going pretty well. I fill out the patient files, prepare discharge papers and take some samples when necessary.

Currently I am in the lift with a pregnant patient, Claire, whom I accompany to the delivery room when the lift gets stuck. I try to press the buttons but nothing can be done, it doesn't move. I press the emergency button. After a few moments someone answers me. I explain the situation and they tell me that the code orange has been activated because of a toxic explosion in the emergency room and that the lift cannot be unblocked. They will let me know when the lift can be restarted.

At the same time my patient starts to have contractions and panic because we are stuck. I look at my phone and fortunately I have a connection. I call Dr. Manning and explain that I am stuck in the lift with Claire and that she will have to explain how to deliver her. She says, "I'll give your number to a gynaecologist who will call you and explain how to do it. Under the patient's bed you must have a first aid kit, I want you to take it out and open it on the floor. You have to be able to put the patient on the floor and lay her down. I am going to hang up Malia and a doctor will call you back in a few seconds. »

To think I've been put with the simplest patients for the last few weeks and now I find myself having to give birth to someone, no pressure. I take the case out, open it and put it in a corner of the lift.

My phone rings, I pick it up and put it on the speakerphone "I'm Dr Grant. Malia, I'll tell you how to do it".

"All right, I am moving the patient to the floor" I say. At the same time I lift Claire up, have her sit on the floor before undoing the mattress from the bed, position her on the floor and help Claire to lie on it.

"In your briefcase, there must be gloves. You put them on and make your patient breathe deeply and continuously. You're not going to be able to do an epidural so she needs to breathe properly to be able to tolerate the pain as much as possible," says Dr. Grant.

"All right Claire, follow my breathing. You take a deep breath and then you exhale and continue like that. I'm going to have to deliver your baby here because your cervix is dilated to ten centimetres so I need you to do exactly what I tell you to make sure that everything goes well. So we just keep breathing calmly," I tell Claire.

Once she's calmed down, I say, "Dr. Grant, that's it, we're ready".

"Well you have to feel with your hands on her belly if the baby is upside down" says Dr. Grant. I do what she tells me, "Yes, that's good, I can feel the head down".

"All right, you have to make her push for ten seconds. Then you let her calm down for a few minutes and then you make her push again. That's until you can help her get the baby out with your hands," says Dr. Grant.

"Okay. Claire we're going to have to push for ten seconds. You take a deep breath and push" I say. "That's good, keep going Claire, now I can see the head, keep going". I continue to make her push until I manage to get the baby out completely, which lasts almost an hour.

"Dr. Grant, the baby is out, that's good," I say. "All right now check that he's breathing" she says. I listen but unfortunately I don't hear anything. I am starting to panic a little, especially since Claire starts crying when she doesn't hear her baby making a noise.

"He doesn't breathe doctor" I announce. "It must be his trachea which is obstructed by secretions. I want you to find something in your briefcase that you can use as a hoover," says Dr. Grant.

I look in the briefcase and I find an I.V. tube "I have an I.V. tube".

"All right I want you to put it down the baby's windpipe and put the other end in your mouth. I want you to suck it in until no more blood comes out," says the doctor.