Diagnosing my first death
A heart with no beat
The experience:
I have seen a few dead bodies before (family members). So this wasn’t really a NEW experience for me, however, it still felt different. Was it because it was in a hospital setting and that dead patient was an example of what I was trying to prevent as a doctor? Was it because the patient looked peaceful on their death bed that touched me?
I don’t really know, all I know is that it felt different and weird and it made me appreciate life. The patient is someone who I will remember for as long as I live. I did not get to speak to them, but their name will stick with me forever.
How to do it:
To diagnose death you’d want to call out to the patient and see whether they respond in any way (movement, random noise, eye movement). If there is no response, you can start examining.
Eyes:
Check the pupils for any reaction when you shine a light. The pupils should be fixed and possibly dilated.
Carotids:
Feel the carotids for a pulse. If you auscultate, and it hasn’t been long since the patient passed. You will still hear blood flowing.
Heart:
Listen to the heart for any beats for at least 2 minutes. You may hear crackles if the patient hasn’t been dead for long.
Lungs:
Listen to the lungs for any breath sounds.
Hands:
Check capillary refill time and the colour of the hands. You can also check the radial pulse.
Pain:
You need to stimulate pain and see whether there is any kind of response. Press on the finger or the trap muscles.
As a student you may not need to do this but remember, the next steps are to document and inform the relevant people.
Here is a link to Geeky Medics and on more information on death diagnosis: https://geekymedics.com/death-confirmation/
Song of the week:
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🚶🏻♂️ About me:
My name is Habib and I am a 5th-year Medical student currently in Cyprus. I grew up in Tanzania (Hakuna Matata is from the local language of my country and the second tallest mountain (Kilimanjaro) is found there).
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