Choices

Today my partner and I had to transport a patient from a acute care facility to the county hospital for a check up. The patient was non-verbal and had a tracheotomy (a surgical opening in the neck allowing the patient to breath with a ventilator). Unfortunately he was a little sick and was coughing up large amounts of thick, discolored mucous (graphic description for Tom). We had to suction out his airway every 3 to 5 minutes the entire time he was under our care. While suctioning the patient my partner half said to himself, "why'd I go to medic school?" That question alone sums up how we felt about this call.