Coincidences 3

Here are some Emergency Department coincidences that were noteworthy to me.

Three T’s

I did my internship in emergency medicine at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey Pennsylvania. One shift, I worked with an attending physician named Ted and a senior resident named Todd. So, we had Ted, Tad and Todd on duty at one time.

Where Is My Son?

The mother was called to the emergency department after her son had been injured in a car crash. On arrival, she found the patient was not her son but had the same name. She was very relieved but wondered where her son really was.

Elderly Couple with Matching Injuries

An elderly man was driving his car with his wife riding in the front seat next to him. They were struck from the rear by a school bus. The bus hit them with such force that the bench seat in their older car was knocked back flat onto the rear seat.

When they arrived in the emergency department, she was complaining bitterly of neck pain and her neck was very tender. He was quite comfortable though he did have some neck pain and tenderness.

X-rays showed they both had fractures of their second cervical (neck) vertebrae. They were both admitted to the same room in the hospital for care of their fractures.