"We Can't Kill Your Mother" and Other Stories of Intensive Care
by Lawrence Martin, M.D.
Table of Contents

NOTE: These stories can be downloaded in their entirety from 1st Books Library ($4.95). The book can also be ordered in trade paperback format for $13.50. For purchasing the downloaded or print versions, please go to 1st Books Library and enter the first part of the title in their search engine. Below are the first few paragraphs of ADULT RESPIRATORY DISTRESS

Joe Woodbury, 35 years old, was healthy until January 11, 1982, when he developed a scratchy sore throat, no different in character or intensity from what many of us suffer every year. Even in retrospect, those early symptoms suggested nothing more sinister than a minor upper respiratory infection. Two aspirin gave some relief, but that evening he also developed a slight cough, fever of 100 degrees and a general achy feeling. His wife called their family physician, Dr. Levinson, who reviewed the symptoms over the phone. Everything certainly sounded like the classic flu syndrome, which usually gets better in three to seven days. Dr. Levinson reinforced the need for aspirin and asked to be called in two days if there was no improvement.

The next morning Mr. Woodbury was worse. He ached all over and cough was painful, so he went to see Dr. Levinson, who listened to his heart and lungs and heard nothing unusual. Eyes, ears, nose and throat were normal except for a flushing of the mucous membranes. On the outside chance that this was a bacterial infection, he prescribed an antibiotic, erythromycin, to be taken four times a day. He reassured Mr. Woodbury and asked him to call the next day if he was no better.

That evening Mr. Woodbury developed a mild sensation of shortness of breath, what physicians call dyspnea. Partly for this reason he had a restless night and the next morning, January 13, was back in Dr. Levinson's office. Now there was also a new physical finding, cyanosis, a slight bluish skin color indicating insufficient oxygen in the blood. Dr. Levinson also found Mr. Woodbury's breathing heavier and deeper than normal. Everything pointed to a lung problem, so a chest x-ray was taken immediately. It was not normal. In the right lung was a grapefruit-sized, irregular white shadow just above the diaphragm, consistent with some type of pneumonia. Thirty minutes later Mr.

Woodbury was admitted to the Medical Center's ICU (intensive care unit) with a presumed diagnosis of viral pneumonia.