So I am on a call at a maker of surgical implants, and they made a comment that they are ramping up for the start of "Trauma Season". What we call "riding season" or "racing season" or just plain "spring and summer" they call trauma season. Ouch. I wear a helmet when I ride, and seeing how they screw people's faces together after an accident, I will continue to!
I saw some interesting stats from the state police that showed a sharp upward spike in accidents starting in May/ June. Their reportable accident info showed post-graduation teen driver accidents/ injuries/ fatalities topped the list. But whatever... trauma season or just spring and summer, be careful out there.
My wife should have some good stories about the E.D. here in Daytona next week....bike week.
Memorial day weekend of 2007 I took a friend to the hospital in Grayling MI to have fish hooks removed from his fingers. There was quite a waiting line. A guy got his toes using a weedwacker wearing sandals, 13-14 year old girl drove a golf cart off a bridge into a crick with 2 other kids aboard, 2 teen age boys hit head on while playing chicken on ATV's,etc... I walked to the bar and told him to get me when it was over. I sat there for most of the afternoon before the doctor pulled the hooks from his fingers.
The local ERs know when the motocross tracks are finally open...when the waiting room fills up with helmets and colorful riding gear.
Hospitals have a love/hate relationship with two-wheelers. Overloads thier capacity, but fills all those donor lists.
I work for a company that makes implanted devices for treating prostate cancer. I was surprised to learn that it has seasonality, but it does. Mostly because people don't want to interrupt their holidays with treatment. From several weeks before thanksgiving until new years is the slow season. Big bump after the new year, and a fairly even workload the rest of the year.
pilotbraden wrote: Memorial day weekend of 2007 I took a friend to the hospital in Grayling MI to have fish hooks removed from his fingers. There was quite a waiting line. A guy got his toes using a weedwacker wearing sandals, 13-14 year old girl drove a golf cart off a bridge into a crick with 2 other kids aboard, 2 teen age boys hit head on while playing chicken on ATV's,etc... I walked to the bar and told him to get me when it was over. I sat there for most of the afternoon before the doctor pulled the hooks from his fingers.
Why ruin a day on the lake. My dad would just cut the barb off, silde the rest of the hook back out and continue fishing. If there was ice left in the cooler he'd tell us to hold some and we'd feel better.
DILYSI Dave wrote: I work for a company that makes implanted devices for treating prostate cancer. I was surprised to learn that it has seasonality, but it does. Mostly because people don't want to interrupt their holidays with treatment. From several weeks before thanksgiving until new years is the slow season. Big bump after the new year, and a fairly even workload the rest of the year.
A bit of personal interest here. Are sales up or down? IOW, by the sales can you tell if the cancer rate is going up or down, or does better detection/awareness make that an almost impossible discussion? Thanks.
Per Schroeder wrote: My wife should have some good stories about the E.D. here in Daytona next week....bike week.
Freudian slip, there? Does this mean Harleys really are a compensation thing?
Nope, most hospitals refer to the ER as the Emergency Department—it's a whole lot more than one room.
In reply to Leach:
The barbs were in the bone. It happened on saturday night, three fingers on one treble hook. He was removing a bass from a Rapala when it gave a good shake and impaled him. I cut the treble apart and was able to remove one of the pieces by pushing it through. He slept that night with his hand in a bucket of ice and salt. We thought that his hand would be numb in the morning. It was, but as soon as he put the forceps on the hooks he said that it felt like grabbing a sparkplug on a running engine. A shot of novacaine and the doctor ripped them out. He is now known as Cap'm Hook. It did not ruin the day, it was the high light of the weekend.
Per Schroeder wrote: Nope, most hospitals refer to the ER as the Emergency Department—it's a whole lot more than one room.
Damn. Well, that ruins a good joke.
Duke wrote:Per Schroeder wrote: Nope, most hospitals refer to the ER as the Emergency Department—it's a whole lot more than one room.Damn. Well, that ruins a good joke.
No it doesn't. I think he made that bit up.
triumph5 wrote:DILYSI Dave wrote: I work for a company that makes implanted devices for treating prostate cancer. I was surprised to learn that it has seasonality, but it does. Mostly because people don't want to interrupt their holidays with treatment. From several weeks before thanksgiving until new years is the slow season. Big bump after the new year, and a fairly even workload the rest of the year.A bit of personal interest here. Are sales up or down? IOW, by the sales can you tell if the cancer rate is going up or down, or does better detection/awareness make that an almost impossible discussion? Thanks.
Unfortunately, our sales have a lot more to do with what procedure Medicare is reimbursing at the highest rate in any given year, than with a) cancer or b) what is best for the patient. And that is dependent on who hired the best lobbyists.
Seeing from the inside how medicare reimbursement rates pervert the medical treatment market has not improved my opinion on the state of government involvement in healthcare.
In reply to pilotbraden:
Wow, I never did it that bad thankfully
Pushed a few hooks thru fingers while on an extended fishing and camping trip in the Okefenokee swamp. One camper went white and passed out when I pushed the barb out. Gotta use booze to disenfect the area if you think of the stuff that might be in the water. 
pilotbraden wrote: In reply to Leach: The barbs were in the bone. It happened on saturday night, three fingers on one treble hook. He was removing a bass from a Rapala when it gave a good shake and impaled him. I cut the treble apart and was able to remove one of the pieces by pushing it through. He slept that night with his hand in a bucket of ice and salt. We thought that his hand would be numb in the morning. It was, but as soon as he put the forceps on the hooks he said that it felt like grabbing a sparkplug on a running engine. A shot of novacaine and the doctor ripped them out. He is now known as Cap'm Hook. It did not ruin the day, it was the high light of the weekend.
Oh HELL no!!
Duke wrote:Per Schroeder wrote: Nope, most hospitals refer to the ER as the Emergency Department—it's a whole lot more than one room.Damn. Well, that ruins a good joke.
At least you got to it before I did!
1988RedT2 wrote:Duke wrote:No it doesn't. I think he made that bit up.Per Schroeder wrote: Nope, most hospitals refer to the ER as the Emergency Department—it's a whole lot more than one room.Damn. Well, that ruins a good joke.
Sadly, it's true. Now, imagine your PCP (Primary Care Physician) telling you that you should head straight to the ED for some imaging... Uhhh, Doc?
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