During my final year in the teaching hospital we were passing through our rotations in internal medicine. During this rotation you are supposed to go for ward rounds in the medical wards, clerk and attend to patients, set IV lines, monitor the patient's vitals etc. I had become pretty good at setting IV lines for infusions and was one of the guys the nurses called if a line was proving too difficult.

Enter this patient, let's call him Mr Wale. Mr wale was a well built man, black and hairy. Very prominent veins. He was being managed for acute exacerbation of his PUD and needed an IV line set up. I was hanging around after the usual ward round and one of the nurses winked at me to come and help the house-officer out. I smiled and came over.

The house officer was sweating profusely despite the overhead fan blowing at highest speed. I asked what the matter was and he said he was not sure. He sounded very confused. there were three used cannulas of different sizes on the table. I asked if he was having difficulty getting the vein and he looked at me and said hesitantly "I'm not sure."

All this while Mr wale was watching the two of us warily.

I politely asked if I could give it a try and he quickly obliged. I asked for a large bore cannula, the veins were easy to spot, so i didnt think it would be a big deal. I cleaned the place with spirit and went ahead to insert the cannula. What happened next stunned me to my core.

The cannula couldnt penetrate the skin. I stabbed and stabbed and eventually the cannula tip got bent and i had to discard it. I picked another one and tried another vein. The vein moved sideways so I tried to stabilize with my thumb and the cannula and pushed.

the same thing happened! It was like trying to cannulate a shoe, the needle just wouldnt penetrate! I looked at the now destroyed cannula and looked at the house officer who had a look of sheer confusion on his face. Other medical students had gathered by now and we were all sweating and looking at each other.

"Wetin una wan inject me for?" Mr. Wale finally spoke.

"Sorry sir, we want to set line for you." I replied.

"Abeg na tablet i go take, I no wan injection."

"No sir, its drip we want to give you, its part of the management sir." Someone at the back replied.

Mr Wale sighed and seemed to be in deep thought. Then he called I and the house officer closer and whispered

"Abeg tell all these people make dem comot."

We shooed everyone away as instructed and came back to him.

"Make una give me 5 mins abeg. Close the curtain."

We were nonplussed but eventually did as he instructed. We waited outside his cubicle as he did whatever it was he was doing. Then he asked us to come back in.

"Oya give me the injection."

The house-officer asked for a new cannula and picked the first vein we had tried, close to the same spot.

It went in flawlessly.

We watched in amazement as blood filled the canulla and then I quickly got the IV line and set it up. MR Wale watched both of us with a small smile on his face.

"How?" I finally asked when i saw the house-officer was not going to say anything.


"Una be small pikin" Mr Wale replied. "Una no go understand"


This happened for real, I'm not making it up and I have never forgotten that experience.

....follOWing

Hmm

Nawa o.
House officers, I always find it funny whenever I see them sweating up and down.
They are trying sha, I can attest to that.

Oga Wale went to defrost himself.

After injection, he will freeze himself again.

Ikan be!

Scientists, where una dey?

Come help us out

Abi science no fit explain this one?