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Everypony has a story to tell - even those that lost a few marbles along the way |
| Comic for July 28, 2018 | ||
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| No, at the moment, the only patient on the Freedman Wing with a red band is Rider. Allow me to explain. Hospitals are large, and it’s impossible for everypony working here to have all of the necessary details about every patient. On one hoof, an RN may be tending to the needs of only a few patients, but aids and specialists may see scores of ponies every day. Additionally, many, if not most, patients only stay hospitalized for a day or two, so there isn’t time for everypony to keep up to date on everything around them. So, hospitals use a standardized wristband system to keep things simple. Each type of band is a different color, and signifies a specific risk that the staff know to watch for when working with a patient. The most important wristband is the one every patient wears – the white one. Unlike the others, it’s just sturdy paper, and has each patient’s information printed on it. This includes their name, their room number, what doctor they are seeing, case number, and emergency contact information. For most ponies, this is going to be the only band they’ll need. Red bands indicate that their wearer has a life-threatening allergy. An allergy to nuts is a common example, though foals are often allergic to wheat or soy products. Rider happens to be allergic to cocoa; not the most common allergy, but it’s something to watch for nonetheless. Another allergy we have to be on the lookout for is an allergy to latex. This is a big issue, as a lot of medical supplies are made with it, so a green band is used instead of a red one to warn the staff that they’ll need to be extra careful with their supplies and these patients. Pink bands indicate that a limb shouldn’t (or can’t) be used for blood draws, IVs, or other procedures, and yellow bands mark a patient as a possible fall risk. These tend to be older patients that need assistance moving about, but you can sometimes find them on younger patients, especially when their condition makes them weak or dizzy. The last color, and my least favorite, is purple. A purple band means the patient has signed a DNR statement. This means that if something happens, like cardiac arrest, we can’t legally use emergency techniques like CPR or provide life support. While I’m obligated to respect sompony’s wish for a natural death, I didn’t go to medical school to just stand by and watch ponies die. Speaking of having to tend to other units, it looks like I need to visit the first floor; and that’s never a good sign. One of the drawbacks of being the on-duty psychologist, I suppose. | ||
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