Triage notes

Before entering my new patient’s room, I read his triage notes. “Diarrhea at 0300. Mucous membranes moist, patient playful, drinking Gatorade at triage. No fevers, no signs of distress.” I looked at my watch and noted that he had only had diarrhea for a few hours. This should be an easy patient, which was exactly what I needed at the end of this long shift. I walked into the room and introduced myself to the family. The boy was around two years old and was sitting on the examination table. He looked calm, but was working hard to breathe. This was not consistent with diarrhea for a few hours. The parents were Spanish-speaking only, so maybe there was a miscommunication at triage? I began examining the boy. Everything seemed fine- his breath sounds were clear, no fever, and he appeared well-hydrated. I bent down close to him to lift up his shirt to see if he was retracting (using extra muscles to breathe). That’s when it happened. “GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!” he screamed, raising his hands up in a claw-like fashion while making a scary face. Startled, I jumped back, now fully awake. “GRRRRRRR!!” I growled back, tickling him. The triage nurse forgot to note that my patient was a little dinosaur. After he stopped giggling and doing his dinosaur breathing, he looked like a healthy little boy. Not wanting to spoil the doctor’s fun, I forgot to mention the patient’s reptile-status when she asked about him before entering the room. A few minutes later I heard another “GRRRRRRRRR!” followed by the doctor’s laughter and, “Would you please grab this dragon a popsicle?”

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