Also known as: Liver injury
The central case of the episode - a motor vehicle collision victim with catastrophic liver injury requiring extensive surgical intervention, multiple attempted repairs, and ultimately an innovative partial liver autotransplant. The surgeons debate between damage control closure versus continued attempts at repair.
Also known as: Kidney cracked in half
Carl's kidney is severely damaged ('cracked in half') from the accident. The surgeons debate between partial nephrectomy versus removing the kidney entirely to save time, ultimately performing a partial nephrectomy despite the time constraints.
Also known as: ITP
Edwards diagnoses this rare autoimmune platelet disorder as the underlying reason Carl continues bleeding despite all interventions. The body destroys platelets as fast as they're transfused. Treatment with high-dose steroids is complicated by the absence of a liver to metabolize them.
Also known as: Shock from blood loss
Carl is severely hypotensive on arrival and continues bleeding massively throughout the surgery, requiring dozens of blood transfusions. His blood pressure drops repeatedly and he eventually goes into cardiac arrest requiring internal defibrillation.
Also known as: V-tach
Carl develops V-tach during the surgery, which rapidly progresses to V-fib requiring multiple rounds of internal defibrillation and cardiac medications before achieving a stable rhythm.
Also known as: V-fib
Carl progresses from V-tach to V-fib, requiring internal cardiac defibrillation and prolonged cardiac massage by Meredith before achieving return of spontaneous circulation.
Also known as: DIC
Initially suspected as the cause of Carl's continued bleeding (abnormal coags and D-dimer), but Edwards recognizes the true diagnosis is ITP rather than DIC.
Also known as: High potassium
Carl develops dangerous hyperkalemia as a complication of his liver failure and massive trauma, requiring treatment with calcium and bicarbonate.
Also known as: Ear infection
Mentioned in passing as one reason Meredith couldn't sleep at home - her daughter Ellis had an earache that kept her up.
Also known as: Pancreatic tumor
Richard reveals his mother died from Stage III or IV pancreatic cancer when he was young. This backstory explains why he personalizes patients by creating detailed narratives about them, turning 'John Doe' into 'Gail' to honor his mother's memory.