Motorcycle Diaries
Last weekend the majority of our traumas were motorcycle related. When it's motorcycle versus car or truck or tree the motorcycle never wins. People who ride them underestimate the dangers. In Florida there is no law that states you must wear a helmet. How can this be? The first fatality I ever saw in the ER was this exact depiction. The cyclist died while I was holding his hand.
The most severe injury I witnessed last weekend left the patient with a tibia and fibula that were shattered beyond recognition. The bones were so mangled that they were no longer in contact with each other. The scout image left us all speechless and in awe. The patient was alert and oriented and in only mild pain during his CT scan thanks to modern medicines. At the end of the scan when I asked him how he was feeling he told me that he was having some discomfort below his knee. I could only sigh knowing the struggles that lay before him.
We all know that riding in a car carries with it some grave risks but the experience on a motorcycle can send you to an early grave.