cr- mayo clinic
It was a summer afternoon.
We had just had our lunch
I still remember the sound his body made when it hit the floor.
Not dramatic. Not loud. Just... wrong.
I was standing near the nurse’s station, flipping through a discharge summary, when the shouting started.
"Code blue! Third floor stairwell!"
It was my third month as an intern. I ran without thinking.
The Collapse
By the time I got there, someone had already started CPR. A man, mid-40s, collapsed halfway up the stairs. No trauma. No seizure. No warning.
Sweat soaked his shirt. His eyes were wide open—but empty.
I joined compressions, heart pounding harder than his ever would again.
My senior, an emergency resident, Dr. Sudhir—our cool-headed attending—was already on scene, coordinating.
"Get the crash cart!" "Start bagging him!" "Push 1 mg epinephrine—now!"
For 30 minutes, we tried. We shocked him. We prayed between rounds of CPR. His pupils were fixed. His ECG was a flat line. We called it.
Time of death: 2:36 PM.
He died with his eyes open. Not in fear, not in pain—but in complete confusion.
The Questions We Couldn’t Answer
He had no ID.
His phone rang as we searched for clues—“Wife Calling."
We found a boarding pass in his bag. He had landed from a conference in Europe two nights ago.
He had no history.
No hypertension.
No diabetes.
No bad habits.
A well-dressed man who took the stairs and died on the fourth step.
Later, we spoke to his wife.
She said, "Raj joked about jet lag and complained about a sore left leg. Must’ve twisted it at the airport and laughed."
His wife said he’d just had a full-body checkup two months ago. “Perfect,” the report had read. Her voice muffled in agony as she was talking and a loud cry broke out.
I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t.
So What killed him?
They took the medical history.
They rechecked his heart.
Dr. Sudhir wasn’t satisfied. He pulled the EKG strip one last time.
"Look," he said, pointing to the leads. There it was: S1Q3T3.
“Could be a massive PE,” he murmured. “We may never know for sure.”
Subtle.. Classic.. Terrifying..
A pattern most new interns would miss. A pattern that whispers,** “Pulmonary Embolism.”**
The Truth Surfaces
An autopsy was requested—his wife wanted answers.
She needed to understand what monster had stolen her husband on such an ordinary day.
The pathologist, careful and curious, cut deeper.
Inside Raj's lungs were thrombi—giant blood clots clogging both pulmonary arteries like corks in a bottle.
Travel, immobility, dehydration—the usual suspects.
It broke off and lodged in his pulmonary arteries like a bullet to the lungs.
His heart had tried. Oh, it had tried.
But there was nowhere left for the blood to go.
In his left leg, snaking silently up his veins, was a deep vein thrombosis—a clot that had formed during that 14-hour flight, just waiting to rise.
When it did, it struck like lightning.
He never had a chance.
The Silence That Follows
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
I kept hearing his wife’s voice: "He said it was nothing."
I kept hearing my colleague’s whisper: “Medicine punishes what we miss.”
The Lesson in Tragedy
Raj never knew he was at risk.
No one told him to wear compression socks.
No one warned him that a little leg pain after travel might be a silent scream from the circulatory system.
There was no chest pain. No breathlessness. Just a stumble—and a curtain closing.
What I Learned That Day
- Pulmonary embolism can kill without a warning.
- Jet lag, leg pain, and a long flight? Not benign. Red flags.
- Never ignore subtle EKG findings.
- Sometimes, you lose patients—but you better learn from them.
To My Fellow colleagues
If you're reading this, remember:
It’s not always about what screams at you. Sometimes it’s about what whispers quietly until it’s too late.
Don’t let the next Rajesh walk past you.
A Note to Readers: What You Should Know
Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is a condition where a blood clot travels to the lungs and blocks blood flow. It's fast, it's deadly, and it often strikes without warning.
You don't have to be sick to get it. All it takes is:
- A long flight
- Prolonged bed rest (like after surgery)
- Dehydration
- Sitting too long without movement
If you've recently been immobile or traveled and you experience:
- Sudden breathlessness
- Sharp chest pain, especially when inhaling
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dizziness or fainting
- Swelling or pain in your leg, especially the calf
Act fast. It could be a Pulmonary Embolism.
cr- cluelessmedic, tumblr
S1Q3T3 pattern is rare - this is deep S waves in lead I, Q waves in lead III and **inverted **T waves in lead III
So What to do if you have Suspected PE ??
If you or someone around you has symptoms like sudden breathlessness or chest pain:
- Call emergency services immediately. Time is critical.
- Keep the person calm and seated or lying with head elevated.
- Do not give food or drink. Medical intervention is needed.
- If they collapse:
- Start CPR if trained, and continue until help arrives.
How to Prevent PE
- Move every 1–2 hours during long trips.
- Stay well-hydrated.
- Wear compression stockings if at risk.
- Avoid smoking.
- If you're on birth control, have clotting disorders, or had surgery—talk to your doctor.
Early diagnosis saves lives. It could save yours. Or someone you love.
Why This Story Matters
Because it wasn't supposed to end like this.
Because every ER doctor, every intern, every paramedic must learn to suspect the invisible.
Because PE doesn't wait for textbooks.
And maybe, if one more person reads this story and recognizes the danger signs, someone else will live to climb that staircase—and all the ones after.
Thank you for reading this story.
Through these real-life experiences, I hope to shed light on silent threats that often go unnoticed until it's too late. Stay tuned—I'll be back soon with more medical stories that not only engage but also empower you with knowledge to protect yourself and your loved ones. Together, let's make awareness a habit, not an afterthought.