How did you connect family members with hospitalized loved ones?
We set up a system for them to FaceTime into ICU rooms. Even if
patients weren't communicative, family could still speak to them. It was
extremely gratifying to see a patient who wasn't doing well begin to
recover and talk with family for the first time. Seeing these interactions
was quite moving.
Is there a single moment that stands out for you more than others?
A younger patient wasn't doing well when he came in. We struggled to
get him to wake up and get his lungs working. Once we managed his
lung infections and extubated him, he was able to go home. We cheered
him on when he left, which was emotional. When he got home, he had to
climb 16 steps to get into his house. He insisted on walking those steps
himself — and he did. It exemplified the determination of individuals we
were caring for. These types of successes made us push even harder for
some patients who I didn't think were going to make it. Many did and are
on their way to recovery right now.
What do you hope comes out of the pandemic for Anesthesia?
I hope it serves as a reminder of the many skills we bring to the table.
We can scale up, provide care outside of our day to day and do it well.
We can handle a crisis, make critical decisions and handle anything
thrown our way with poise and calm. You need these skills to keep
patients alive during a pandemic.
OSM
Dr. Garvin (garvins@hss.edu) is an assistant attending anesthesiologist at the
Hospital for Special Surgery and clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology at
Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
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