Also known as: CHF
Denny's worsening congestive heart failure leads to a pulmonary embolism requiring emergency surgery to remove a clot. He requires opening his chest again and faces significant mortality risk during the procedure, which becomes one of the central cases during the 'death cluster' episode.
Also known as: OCD Harm (violent obsessions)
A 32-year-old patient with severe OCD involving counting compulsions, repetitive rhymes, and cleanliness rituals that caused him to freeze at a green light, leading to a rear-end collision. He sustained a blunt head trauma requiring craniotomy and brain surgery. His mother also had OCD and died by suicide.
Also known as: Ruptured spleen
A 30-year-old woman with a grade 3-4 splenic laceration from falling out of a tree during a thunderstorm while attempting to visit her ex-boyfriend. She initially refuses surgery based on her horoscope, leading to hemorrhagic shock and code blue in ICU. She ultimately dies despite emergency surgery.
Also known as: Bleeding vessels in throat
The Chief's AA sponsor presenting with upper GI bleeding from esophageal varices secondary to cirrhosis. Her previous TIPSS procedure failed, requiring a portacaval shunt surgery with only 50% survival rate. She is awaiting liver transplant.
Also known as: Liver scarring
Alcohol-related cirrhosis in a recovering alcoholic (6 months sober after years of sobriety) causing portal hypertension and backing up blood into the esophagus. Patient is on transplant list and requires surgical intervention.
Also known as: Head laceration
Blunt head trauma with spider-webbing on windshield from unrestrained driver hitting head during rear-end collision, requiring craniotomy for brain bleed.