Scott is in the US on home assignment and Steph went to Madang for a vacation, so no one who likes OB was here to round on the ward. Susan asked us who wanted to do it, and all of us said we would, but none of us really wanted to, so she drew our names out of a hat and I won. I don't mind OB ward, it just isn't my favorite and if I could choose, would choose to have someone else round there each day and I would much rather be on peds or medicine. But for the past week, it has been my home. So I have enjoyed getting to see the little babies along with their mommies.
OB ward can be quite stressful as there are 2 lives at stake and when things go bad, they can do so quickly if you aren't paying attention. The first day I was covering the ward, I come back from lunch and find a lady around 34 weeks who is bleeding from her vagina. The biggest concern is a placenta previa, and an ultrasound confirms that, and confirms the baby isn't doing well with a HR in the 80s. The baby is preterm, but mom and baby aren't going to survive if we keep the pregnancy going much longer. I quickly phone Jim who agrees to do the section and the baby needed some resuscitation after birth, but is hanging in there now.
Thankfully, nothing that exciting has occurred the rest of my time on D ward. Lots of healthy moms and new babies who are going home for Christmas, a great Christmas present.
