Saturday, 14 August 2004 - Another First

Today we received a MEDEVAC patient with right lower quadrant abdominal pain.  The Battalion Physician that evacuated her thought she might have an appendicitis.  For some strange reason we have seen a bunch of appendicitises lately.  We have removed 4 in the last month.  I don't know the significance of that, but it is a bit strange.

The patient was a young female, and she did in fact have right lower quadrant pain (which is where the appendix is located).  She also had nausea and a decreased appetite.  Upon further questioning the patient admitted that she had not had her period in about 10 weeks...  oops.  "Could you be pregnant?" we asked.  "Uh, maybe."  Sure enough, she was pregnant.

So now the picture changes.  In a pregnant female with nausea and right lower quadrant pain you have to make sure she does not have an ectopic (or tubal) pregnancy.  Well an ultrasound revealed that she did in fact have a baby in the uterus and that there was not an ectopic pregnancy.  We did some blood work and she had an elevated white blood cell count to 17,000.  Another ultrasound showed that she may have an appendicitis after all.  Our stellar general surgeon decided to take her to the operating room to remove her appendix.  As he suspected she had an appendicitis. 

I don't know this for a fact, but I'd be willing to guess that this is the first time an appendectomy was performed on a pregnant woman in a combat zone!

Finally, I want to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!

Today my parents celebrate 38 YEARS of marital bliss - congrats to a dynamic duo!