Upgrade trauma code

We recently had an patient who came in after an MVC. She was hurt pretty bad, but nothing that was life threatening. We were holding her in the ER while waiting for an inpatient bed, and everyone kept walking by the room and giggling.

Why giggling?

Because in the persons car, safely placed in a carrier, was her very vocal kitty.

A very vocal kitty who, because it was cold outside and because family was still hours away, was now the proud occupant of a kitty carrier in the corner of the trauma room. Just picture the scene: grumpy trauma surgeon called into work in the wee hours of the morning, bleary eyed and annoyed at being dragged out of bed on a sub-zero night. ER staff, bright and perky and giggling hysterically every seven seconds. Trauma surgeon, placing a traction pin while the cat is yowling in the corner...non-stop...for a solid half hour.

It was beyond fantastic.

The owner ended up being okay, and was transferred upstairs. Family came to visit, and we promptly discharged the cat back to its family.

The best part, however, is that because the carrier was restrained, the kitty met the qualifications to not be trauma coded...

Proof that seatbelts do work!