“Code green to 18” - a common announcement over the intercom during a night shift in the emergency department. What is a “code green”? A “code green” means a staff member is requesting assistance with an unruly or combative patient. This could mean somebody threatening violence to staff, themselves or another patient, but it could also mean they have actually gone through with their threat! Luckily that doesn’t happen often.

What do guns and machetes have in common? They can both be used to hurt and kill people, usually causing some serious bodily harm. Where I work it’s not uncommon to have 5 or 6 gunshot victims come in on any given night. Stabbings are less frequent, but we still see a lot. Most are puncture wounds, often causing damage to the organs underneath. Gunshot and stab wounds don’t always require surgery, some are stitched up in the emergency department.

Being a level 1 trauma center and a major regional hospital, we see a lot of trauma patients cross through our doors. We see everything from car accidents, stabbings and gunshot wounds to falls and simply broken bones. Some are more serious than others. Some have more interesting stories behind them. Never a dull moment in the emergency department!