Also known as: Impalement near aorta
Drake Finn, a famous action movie star, is impaled by a metal pipe through the windshield in a car accident. The pipe is millimeters from his aorta and requires emergency surgical extraction on the trauma bay platform. He later develops DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation), causing his body to shut down with limited treatment options.
Also known as: Shock from blood loss
Drake Finn presents in shock with cool extremities and thready pulse after the impalement injury, requiring massive transfusion protocol activation.
Also known as: Dislocated hip
Sonya Finn, Drake's wife and passenger in the car accident, presents with a dislocated left hip (shortened and internally rotated leg) that requires manual reduction in the trauma bay.
Also known as: Broken arm
Sonya Finn also sustains a fractured arm in the car accident, which is splinted after stabilization.
Also known as: DIC
Drake develops DIC as a complication of his traumatic injury and massive blood loss. This condition affects his body's ability to clot and causes his body to begin shutting down with limited treatment options available.
Also known as: Brain tumor recurrence
Madeline, who had brain cancer four years ago in remission, presents with seizures after a fall. MRI reveals the cancer has returned with a tumor causing fluid buildup in her brain. She chooses to conceal this diagnosis from her son Jake to allow him to pursue his dream of teaching in Kenya.
Also known as: Prolonged seizure
Madeline presents actively seizing for eight minutes after falling down stairs, with seizures initially attributed to her history of brain cancer. She later develops refractory seizures that don't respond to Ativan or Dilantin, requiring paralysis and intracranial drain placement.
Also known as: Brain swelling
Madeline develops fluid buildup in her brain from the recurrent tumor, requiring placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD) to relieve intracranial pressure.
Also known as: Head laceration
Madeline initially presents with traumatic brain injury after falling down stairs and landing on her head, which triggers her seizure activity.
Also known as: CPVT
Toddler Dominic presents with episodes of sudden sleep after crying/excitement. Stress testing reveals CPVT, a genetic condition causing dangerous heart rhythms (ventricular tachycardia) triggered by stress or excitement. Requires lifelong medication and implantation of an internal defibrillator.