The Digital Dental Surgeon

I did my last on call when I was in Johor. The paper pushing did not include on calls in its package, thank God but my wife continued to be on calls even after our transfer to the Klang Valley (she’s a clinic based dental surgeon). This morning she got a call from the hospital, a teenager involved in an MVA with soft tissue injuries and suspected facial fractures.

I never liked working in the hospital, hence the lack of interest in Oral Surgery. The hospital today is less hectic as it is a slow Sunday. Medical Officers running around playing catch-up with their surgeon much like little minions trailing their master. After much examination, the poor patient has a zygomatic complex fracture and perhaps will have to undergo surgery. A bit of suturing here and there and we’re done for the day.

One thing I noticed, the MO in charge of the particular patient did not wear gloves during the handling of the patient. She was doing clerking quite hastily before the ward rounds with the surgeon. The patient was having abrasion wounds on his hands and even some blood on the covers and blanky, yet she examined the patient without gloves.

As a dental surgeon, I really would not want to be in direct contact with the patient’s blood or even saliva. Would you?

Thank god this would be our last on call.

Cheers.

Popularity: 38% [?]