I ran across a great video on Instagram yesterday by one of my favorite GI docs, @docschmidtig. If you’re not already following him, you should, his videos are great! This particular one was funny, but also dealt with an interesting point, why do GI docs wait so long to scope someone with a GI bleed? I liked the video on my IG account, but this morning thought it merited a quick post of its own.
This is something I sometimes get frustrated by (or did until Elliot Tapper set me straight). I’ve got a patient with an obvious GI bleed. I call GI, expecting them to scope and fix the problem. And then it feels like they drag their feet over it. In this video clip, Schmidt explains why.
If you want to delve more into the management of GI bleeding. The aforementioned, always informative Elliot Tapper did an episode of our Critical Care Scenarios podcast not long ago on the subject. Listen here.
PS: If you’re a fan of the TV show M*A*S*H, in episode 4 of season 1, Chief Surgeon Who?, Hawkeye explains a similar rationale to Frank regarding why he’s waiting to operate on the patient in obvious shock.
critical care notes 