Paramedic to doc:
“Car wreck: head injury

In ER room 1:

They:
Cut off his clothes
Jab in needles
Shove in tubes
Pound his chest

They write in his chart.

He has:
Multiple contusions
Lacerations about the face
Broken femur
Profuse blood loss

They notate data.

They pronounce:
He’s psychotic
Not thinking straight
Confused

Paramedic to doc:
“Schizophrenia”

In ER room 2:

They:
Cast wary looks
Strap down his arms
Extract blood for labs
Post a guard

They write in his chart.

He has:
Voices he’s hearing
Agitation
A long psychiatric history
Delusions

They notate data.

They pronounce:
He’s psychotic
Not thinking straight
Confused

And they record facts.

No one ever makes mistakes.
Hospital records are always accurate.
Charts never get switched.
Doctors and nurses are infallible.

“This will go into your permanent record.”
“We’ll be doing a background check.”
“Thank you for applying…we regret…”

I read recently that they plan to make a
national medical data base…