As seen on TV

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

Recently I had a patient tell me that if CPR was necessary, we would not have to break his wife's ribs because just the night before he watched House, and they just shocked a patient and then she was fine. (would have been funny if it weren't so sad)

What are your favorite medical TV inaccuracies?

I love the CPR with bending elbows, and how patients come out of surgery, still under because of anesthesia, but they're on room air, or maybe a nasal cannula.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

I just love looking at the IV pumps and the cardiac monitors during the TV shows. Pumps not powered on. Cardiac monitor showing perfect sinus rhythm when all of the sudden a "code" is called and the patient needs to be shocked..... Injecting people with pipettes... Injecting people at 90 degree angles into the neck/chest/ac. The amazing skills untrained criminals have at finding a vein good enough to inject with no effort at all (at a 90 degree angle)..

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It actually stresses me out how long it takes them to get on the chest in a code situation. Instead of cpr, the just stand there talking

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
What are your favorite medical TV inaccuracies?

From way back, the focus of the shows have always been on humanitarian themes.

I thought I'd edit a classic medical show's opening to make it more realistic:

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

"Casino Royale" where James Bond self-shockes himself into NSR

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

All My Children, 1970's. Cop is rushed into surgery after being shot. GLASS bottle of blood. Drip...drip...drip...follow the tubing down and it is being infused into his NG.

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Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

Some character did 5 chest compressions (yes, slowly with bent elbows) then pronounced, "I'm sorry, but he's gone."

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Have any of you seen "The Good Doctor"? I told my husband that I can't stand that show being on when I'm home. I swear they have not a single medical consultant for a MEDICAL SHOW and no writers have ever stepped foot into a hospital. My favorite scene was a bus on the way to a wedding crashed and a doctor got a list of everyone who was on the bus. She was walking around the ER and realized one person was missing so SHE went out to the crash site and searched for the woman. Then upon finding her she decided she had increased intracranial pressure so she asked a nearby firefighter TO LEND HER HIS POWER DRILL. First she "sanitized" it by pouring a gallon of alcohol on it AND THEN SHE SCREWED INTO THIS LADY'S HEAD IN A FIELD WITH A RUSTY OLD SCREW DRIVER. So much no.

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Specializes in ICU and Dialysis.

In the end of season 2 of Stranger Things. No spoilers, but they have to "sedate" Will for reasons. Will's mother does this by plunging an IM needle ALL THE WAY INTO HIS AC. I'll be surprised if he has a working elbow in season 3, honestly.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I love it when the ER docs are also the surgeons. And ya gotta laugh when you see them performing CPR on a patient who's fully conscious and talking, or when they shock someone in asystole, or when the doctors have all day to sit by a patient's bed and watch them sleep.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
they have to "sedate" Will. Will's mother does this by plunging an IM needle ALL THE WAY INTO HIS AC.

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