Southlake Regional Hospital Visit, Emergency Room Observations, Part I

Southlake Regional Hospital Visit, Emergency Room Observations, Part I

Jan 7, 2012
One Comment
Unfortunately, we have managed to visit the Southlake Regional Health Centre, Newmarket. Matthew wasn’t getting any better so we packed ourselves on Tuesday evening and headed for the Emergency room. With all the flu and cold bugs going on during this mild weather conditions we hated the idea of going to the emergency. Last thing we wanted is to have another bug to follow us from the hospital back to our home.

Since our last visit about 2 years ago a lot has changed.

More hand sanitizers, face masks for children, and tissue boxes everywhere. Waiting area enlarged with air purification system installed above. No smoking on the hospital premises and close by. That was refreshing as I am very and I mean very sensitive to the second hand smoke. During my travels to Japan I think I lost first layer of skin on my face just from the second hand smoke.

I saw improvements, but, but I continue to see lot of waste.

We arrived and waited about 2 minutes when our number got called by the triage nurse – ‘35‘. Two nurses attended us, one to ask questions and write everything down and another to take all the measurements such temperature or weight. On the side note, there is always that one person that makes you feel, why are you here for?

Fast Track, Southlake, Not So Fast


After triage we waited few minutes for the registration and then we were moved to the Fast Track area. Kind of ironic because it wasn’t that fast at all. Probably it all depends how severe the condition is then you get fast tracked. We spent waiting about one hour if I recall. This must have been good day in the emergency as I happened to notice that everyone was a bit more relaxed. It is always easier to deal with someone under less stress.

When waiting I recall looking at this purple bluish poster on the wall. The message was clear – wash your hands. Most of the germs travel from hand to hand (and who ever said that touch cannot be powerful, it can kill you). Oh I get it, the increased number of hand sanitizer bottles throughout the emergency room.

Wash Your Hands


Well that does not stop the hospital from having a mess. The sanitizer bottles, face masks, boxes of tissue and reading material such magazines spread out in the every waiting area. It is just messy. Dirt and dust floating and not to mention some microbes attach themselves to dust (okay, this may be an extreme). I never touched any of the magazines that day, never did in the past and will not in the future. I just read posters on the wall or now with TVs being installed watching takes the boredom away or even worries.

Microbes and Dust, They Go Together


Now how about all the inventory of stuff. We are a society that we have to have different tool for different task. Our lives are completely exaggerated with all the things around to use. I think it is the same with hospitals. The accessories to accommodate every need may not be necessary. Those rooms filled with supplies should be reduced – I think. And I don’t mean to shift it on the patient, because lately everyone seems to be doing so.

Around 10:30 pm we finally cleared the Fast Track and doctor S dropped by our compartment. Matthew was diagnosed with bacterial infection. Doctor S was a very nice and knowledgeable doctor. He explained to us in great detail what kind of infection it was, wrote down medical terms, explained the treatment and prescribed antibiotic. We were very pleased. Aha, good day today.

Before doctor S left to attend another patient he told nurse to give Matthew a double dose of antibiotic. After few minutes she arrived with two syringes carrying them up high in the air. She carried them out from the pharmacy all the way to Matthew’s mouth. I just hope that she did not stop to chat and kept those syringes very clean during the short travel time. They were used to administer the medication through the mouth.

Another side note. Google is starting to be a very interesting tool for doctors to tell patients to use it. Doctors will explain the diagnosis and give us the medical terms and then they say here you can Google it yourself if you would like to find out more. I still remember when Matthew was born and was crying a lot first couple of weeks. My family doctor told me to Google colic but he did mention that Matthew was too young to be colic. Well I did Googled and it did not solve the problem, it actually scared me. After I did my colic research my child was sick with everything. When I finally got to talk to someone with common sense, Matthew was just a very hungry baby.

That day at the emergency we were happy that doctor knew exactly what it was. It is the unknown that scares us. Matthew is now much better. On the way out I observed much more but that will be in the Part II post.

About the Author

Anna Lozyk Romeo

I am living in Aurora and this is my photo journal blog. A picture says 1000 words - but not always, so I write. You don't have to travel 1000 miles to find a treasure - all I have to do is zoom through my lens and I will find it for you here in Aurora.

Comments:

  1. I hope Matthew gets better quickly! And don’t YOU get sick!

    Cool snail picture!