Phones

She came in with a GP letter, "please see this patient with a view to hospital admission and IV fluids". Sure. She looked too well for a hospital admission, but she'd had gastro for two days and a recent collapse, so I'd run a bag of fluids.

I explained as much to the patient and she looked up from her phone and replied, "good luck".

Why?

"Last time they had 28 tries at putting a cannula in, and they had to get the anaesthetist in and even he had trouble. I have really difficult veins".

Nice, thanks. I palpated a vein - felt ok.

"My veins are all shot on that arm, they're no good, he destroyed them" the patient informed me, before turning away to text on her phone.

And in went the cannula first try.

"That didn't even hurt!" she exclaimed, "Aren't phones amazing!"

Sigh