Also known as: Gunshot wound to the back
Six-year-old boy shot in the back by his brother with a gun left unlocked. Bullet entered at C7-T1 region causing vertebral fracture and potential cord injury. Required emergency surgery with bolus methylprednisolone and exploratory surgery to assess damage.
Also known as: Drug relapse
Seventeen-year-old female with recurrent suicide attempts presents with overdose of vodka, brandy, Valium, Flexeril, and Darvon. Required gastric lavage with Ewald tube and activated charcoal. She is a frequent ER visitor with substance abuse issues. Returns at episode end with another overdose requiring intubation.
Also known as: High calcium levels
Patient with end-stage lung cancer presents with altered mental status, confusion, and agitation due to elevated calcium levels from the cancer. Treated with normal saline and Lasix diuresis.
Also known as: Severed finger
Man accidentally severed his finger while boning fish. The finger was lost in a crate of fish on ice. Medical team had to search through the crate to find the finger for potential replantation.
Also known as: Knife in the heart
Patient with white supremacist tattoos stabbed in the chest during a hate crime altercation. Knife lodged in left ventricle of heart. Required median sternotomy and careful extraction with tamponade to avoid coronary arteries.
Also known as: Battered child
Infant reported to have fallen from second-story balcony. Upon examination, x-rays revealed a footprint on the child's back, indicating physical abuse rather than accidental fall. This discovery led to Doug Ross physically assaulting the father and involvement of Domestic Violence detectives.
Also known as: Anemia from poor diet
Child from low-income family with recurrent colds, falling asleep in class, severe malnutrition, and rotting teeth due to inadequate diet. Diagnosed with anemia from insufficient iron intake due to poverty.
Also known as: AIDS
Russian-speaking child with advanced AIDS requiring placement in hospice care at Sunshine House. Carol considers adopting her but faces resistance from her fiancé Tag due to the terminal prognosis.
Also known as: Neck injury
Young boy stuck his head into a mounted tiger head trophy, causing the teeth to jam into his neck. Required bone saw to remove the tiger jaw and sutures for the neck wounds.