Dr. J, a seasoned anesthesiologist, was nearing the end of an unrelenting week in the OR when she was tasked with leading a team of resident trainees through a complex open repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm on a 56-year-old man. After working 60 hours, fatigue weighed heavily on her, but she pushed through, as always. This was the life of an anesthesiologist.
The OR atmosphere was tense, and blood loss was significant. Despite their best efforts in balanced blood and fluid management, the patient's condition quickly deteriorated. The patient was hypotensive and tachycardic, and oxygenation became increasingly difficult. The crackles of fluid-filled lungs seemed to echo throughout the room. Pulmonary edema. His heart, already strained from massive blood loss, couldn't handle the aggressive fluid resuscitation. For a brief moment, she felt the weight of the entire situation bear down on her – how a week of exhaustion may...
