As an emergency medicine physician, Justin Allen, MD, knows the next case to come through the department’s doors can present with any number of issues. One patient may be in cardiac arrest and the next could suffer from multiple injuries incurred in an automobile accident. Of course, the average emergency department also receives its share of less serious conditions, such as migraines and viruses.
That case variety is part and parcel with the specialty. Locum tenens opportunities, however, have enabled Dr. Allen to expand his skill set even further.
“When I am working in a more rural area, often, I have to handle the situation myself. Because of those cases I have encountered in my locum tenens assignments, I feel comfortable taking on [different] kinds of cases,” he comments.
Dr. Allen called on those experiences recently while on contract at a hospital in the Northeast when an older patient appeared to be suffering an allergic reaction.
“He was having a hard time breathing and was very nervous,” Dr. Allen recalls.
He decided to treat the gentleman with a dose of epinephrine, which provided some immediate relief. “But then he felt his symptoms coming on again,” says Dr. Allen.
Thinking the man’s condition was deteriorating, Dr. Allen was preparing to intubate to open his airway along with ordering another dose of medication. However, the patient, who only moments earlier showed signs of worsening, began improving again.
In weighing what factors could be causing the patient’s symptoms to take a such dramatic roller-coaster ride, Dr. Allen once again noted the patient’s elevated level of anxiety. That prompted the physician to reassess his treatment plan.
“I realized a panic attack could be causing the same symptoms I was attributing to an allergic reaction. I just held his hand and helped him understand that he was going to be okay,” says Dr. Allen.
The gentleman calmed down enough that his symptoms were alleviated; however, he was admitted to the hospital for further monitoring. Dr. Allen learned the patient was discharged shortly thereafter without complications.
“I feel wonderful when I hear stories like these,” says Robert Douglas, Dr. Allen’s Weatherby Healthcare consultant. “If it weren’t for his quick reaction time and knowledge, the situation could have had a very different outcome. It proves to me Dr. Allen is well-trained and very competent at what he does. He always puts the patient’s needs and concerns first.
“You can always count on Dr. Allen to do a great job clinically and to be well-received in the emergency department,” Douglas concludes.
