posted on May 26, 2021 by Mike Krentz

Time is Life

Excerpt from DEAD ALREADY by Mike Krentz

One person who comments on today’s blog will win a $25 BN gift card!

(Dr. Zack Winston cannot fathom why his former patient, Carl Barnett, succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest. Perplexed or not, he must cover his assigned duty shifts in the ER. His boss, Dr. Dennis King, makes an unscheduled visit.)

Monday back in the ER, Zack was slammed with patients. In addition to the expected tide of individuals who put off ailments and injuries over the weekend to hoard precious leisure time, a morning-rush-hour multi-vehicle fender-bender on the nearby Capital Beltway added to the workload. A flock of would-be victims walked in to “get checked,” many with visions of insurance settlements dancing in their heads. He spent the morning “meeting and streeting,” triaging and treating a mix of sick, injured, and worried-well. The latter tended to be the most demanding.

The pace slowed around three o’clock. He used the hiatus to guzzle his homemade health drink (like his post-run concoction but with more protein). He was still hungry. Screw it. He hustled to the hospital food court, bought a half-pizza, and hurried back to the ER lounge to eat while he had the chance.

Dennis King entered as Zack shoved a second wedge of pepperoni and cheese into his mouth. Dennis carried a manila folder in his right hand. He was on “admin time,” a day of desk-riding and computer-clacking, not a revenue-generating clinical shift.

Still chewing, Zack greeted him with a head nod.

Dennis saw him glance at the folder. “Autopsy report.”

Zack wondered if Dennis knew he had spoken with Eric Wolfe. He swallowed the food. “And?”

“Clean coronaries. Cause of death signed out as arrhythmia.”

“Good news, right? Not for Carl Barnett, but for us. He didn’t have pre-existing coronary disease, so how could we anticipate his cardiac arrest?”

Dennis scowled. “We can’t discuss that case. I have a document in my hand. I never mentioned a patient’s name.”

Monica Harris appeared in the doorway. “Doctor Winston, chest pain in One.”

Zack tossed the pizza crust into the box, took a quick swig of his drink, and followed Monica to the treatment area.

They reserved Bed One, closest to the resuscitation room, for evaluation of patients with acute chest pain. Carl Barnett had occupied that space three days ago. Today’s tenant was a sixty-two-year-old pudgy fellow in obvious distress. Monica spoke into Zack’s ear. “Abrupt onset of crushing pain in his mid-chest while mowing the lawn. Wife drove him here.”

Pellets of sweat dotted the man’s forehead. Wide, frightened eyes surveyed the surroundings while nurses and techs started an IV, positioned a green-plastic nasal cannula to deliver oxygen through his nostrils, and pasted EKG leads to his chest and extremities. Zack shook his hand. Calloused yellow-stained fingers, sallow skin reeking of stale tobacco. “How long since the pain started?”

“Maybe an hour.”

“Ever had it before?”

“Not like this.” Breaths came in shallow, rapid puffs.

A tech handed Zack the completed EKG. What he’d expected. “ST elevation in the precordial leads. Call a STEMI. Start the protocol.”

The unequivocal EKG, along with the acute symptoms, age, obesity, and smoker status, confirmed ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI; an evolving heart attack. Sudden blockage in a coronary artery had interrupted blood flow to a region of the heart. The muscle—myocardium—was dying but not yet dead. Zack recalled the axiom: Time is muscle. Muscle is life.

At Bethesda Metro Hospital, “Time is muscle” meant urgent heart catheterization to open the occluded artery with a tiny balloon threaded to the heart via catheter from the femoral artery in the groin. They had a narrow time-window in which to restore circulation to the compromised heart muscle before it became a hunk of inert tissue; or worse, the damage spread and killed their patient. Their goal: “door to balloon” in less than thirty minutes.

“Code STEMI, ER. Code STEMI, ER.” That announcement over the PA system summoned a specialized team to the patient. Meanwhile, the ER staff administered chewable aspirin (as a blood thinner), morphine by IV (to relieve pain and anxiety and reduce stress on the heart), and IV heparin (another blood thinner for the catheterization).

Zack stepped aside for the clamorous arrival of the STEMI team, led by Dr. Sevati Prakash, head of cardiology.

He passed her the EKG. “Textbook.”

Sevati skimmed the tracing, nodded, and approached the patient. “Sir, I’m Dr. Prakash, a cardiologist. You are having a heart attack, but we will do all we can to reverse it. I am taking you upstairs for heart catheterization. We expect to remove a clot in one of your coronary arteries, then we will place a stent to keep the artery open. Understand?”

The man nodded, a mask of terror frozen on his face.

Sevati gestured to the team. “Go.”

In an instant, a gaggle of six attendants wheeled the bed with the patient, attached IVs, oxygen tank, and heart monitor out of the room.

Zack stood alone in the abandoned space and looked at the timer on the wall. Twenty-two minutes from the patient’s arrival.

Time is life

Mike Krentz

Mike Krentz

Mike Krentz writes medical suspense, psychological thrillers, and military fiction featuring complex characters and relationships.

Born and raised in Arizona, Mike earned a classical degree in English from the University of San Francisco, a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and a Master of Public Health Degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Following a civilian career as an emergency physician, Mike rededicated his professional life to serve America's Navy and Marine Corps heroes and their families, and to honor their sacrifices in defending our freedom and way of life. His last active duty assignment was as 7th Fleet Surgeon on board the flagship, USS BLUE RIDGE.

After retiring from the US Navy, Dr. Krentz continued his service as a consultant supporting the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center. Upon completion of that mission, he returned to his earliest life passion as a full-time writer.

Dr. Krentz sits on the Board of Directors of The Muse Writers Center, where he teaches fiction writing and leads an advanced fiction studio.

Mike's fiction works include the DR. ZACK WINSTON SERIES of medical conspiracy thrillers, the MAHONEY & SQUIRE SERIES of military women's adventure fiction, and a standalone psychological thriller, ANGELS FALLING.

You can find Mike online at: MikeJKrentz.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

https://mikejkrentz.com

Mike Krentz Contest

Mike Krentz is giving away free download codes from Audiobooks.com for the ANGELS FALLING audiobook to two winners.

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4 thoughts on “Time is Life”

  1. bn100 says:

    nice excerpt

  2. Amanda Dalon says:

    Medical suspense is a newer genre to me. I’ve dabbled in a few books. I can’t say I have read anything by Mike, I’m excited to dig into his works. I like the flow of this excerpt, definitely checking his books and web page.

  3. Melinda says:

    Wow, I never knew working in the E.R. was so fast paced. I am definitely curious to read the rest of the book now and find out what happened to Carl Barnett.

  4. GB says:

    Enjoyed the excerpt, it certainly conveys the sense of urgency well.

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