Part II – The Accident
It was Monday morning and the telephone rang. It was the beginning of another busy work week, and John saw the caller ID. It was Lynn. He picked up the phone, afraid of what his wife was going to say. He knew that was a bad attitude, but he was tired and thought that Lynn didn’t appreciate that he was under a lot of pressure, too.
“John? I’ve been in a car accident! Laura’s okay and I’ve got a few little cuts. They are taking us to the hospital as a precaution. I drove off the road and hit a tree. I don’t know what happened. My head began to pound, I felt dizzy, and it was like the earth moved.”
John was annoyed and frustrated, but did not want to add to his wife’s problems.
“Don’t worry, Lynn, that’s why we have insurance. As long as you and Laura are not hurt, that’s all that counts. Are you sure you’re okay?
“We’re fine; just a bit shaken.”
“Let me wrap up here. It should take me about half-an-hour to get to the Emergency Room.”
“Sorry,” said Lynn as she hung up the phone.
John looked at his watch as he opened the doors to the ER. Good, he thought, 25 minutes. He could hear Laura crying. The nurse was trying to comfort her and was relieved when the baby stopped crying and started leaning towards John.
“I guess I don’t have to ask,” said the smiling nurse as she handed Laura to John.
“The doctor’s in with your wife. He shouldn’t be too long. There was a multi-car accident on the highway, and they are sending them to us. It’s going to get busy very soon.”
At that moment the doctor appeared, walked by John, spoke to the nurse, and walked outside to an ambulance that was pulling up to the ER.
John went to see his wife. She was pale, crying, and was holding the right side of her face in her hand.
“Oh John, I am so sorry about the car.” John sat on the corner of the bed, holding Laura with one hand and his wife’s hand with the other.
“Don’t worry. Cars can be replaced, you girls can’t. Are you okay?”
“Yes, but my face feels like one giant toothache.
Laura stretched her arms to her mother, and Lynn smiled as she took their daughter. John stood up and looked at the chart hanging on the bottom of the bed.
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| ECG | Normal |
| Heart Rate (b/m) | 84 |
| Blood Pressure | 160/98 |
| Breathing Rate | 16 |
Questions
Is Lynn exhibiting any new signs or symptoms?
Are the data from any of Lynn’s tests above or below normal levels?
Could any of the new signs or symptoms have been caused by the accident?
Are any of Lynn’s problems consistent with the data on her chart?
What circulatory problems could arise from Lynn’s signs and symptoms?
With the above signs and symptoms in mind, do you wish to speculate about Lynn’s condition?
Originally published at http://www.sciencecases.org/face_pain/case2.asp
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