Believers Health

Insight at the Intensive Care Unit
By Rolando Suffos MD

There are many stories of people who have been clinically dead. Only very few of them can narrate what their experiences of such a stage were, but in all known to me cases their stories lacked scientific reliability.

That was so until I discussed the subject with a mature colleague and friend head of the Intensive Care Unit at the Havana Oncological Institute; a real battlefield with wonderful views to the Caribbean sea. There, while being transferred from the immediate surgical room to this higly specialized ward a woman who had been submitted to a major surgical intervention experienced a cardio- respiratory arrest. Despite the immediate resuscitation maneuvers, and other therapeutical measures, there was no response. So, after a longer than prudential time most members of the rescue team started to abandon their positions

Retreats are always frustrating and painful. Perhaps for these reasons, when engaged in resuscitation maneuvers, doctors ignore some signs of irrevocable death; even if they are compelling enough. Personally, I don’t like to go to bed thinking that with a little more of time and effort a life could have been saved. But everything has a limit. So it was in this case. However a nurse and my friend persevered beyond hope. While compressing and releasing the patient’s chest this specialist felt how the chief nurse slipped into his pocket a special identification card to be filled with the lady identity data.

What makes this card “special” is a string at one of its ends used to tie it to one big toe of the cadaver feet. That was a clear message for the last fighter: “Dear doctor stop wasting time.”

Although reasonable, that gesture hurt my colleague’s professional pride. So, more irritated than hopeful, he continued out of pure whim, or who knows, with his groundless efforts. To the general surprise –included that of my friend– the woman showed signs of life.

From that moment on, and for several days more, the back from death person's clinical condition was such that she remained unconscious, unable to breathe by herself and, therefore, connected to a respirator. Afraid of such a a critical status, my colleague took her under his personal care. Nothing ruined the miracle; the lady recovered.

As soon as capable to speak, the woman recounted to her doctor how she had been received in a very beautiful place by her deceased relatives. Looking at them, she patient realized that even when clearly identifiable, they were as they had been in their years of physical splendor. Surpassing this wonder, what really surprised her was to see her husband among those since long dead ones. She was fully aware that he was alive and in good health.

But she ignored something. Her husband had in fact died. The man was killed all of a sudden in an accident which took place when she was being submitted to the surgical intervention preceding her clinical deafh.

Note: Dr. Suffos will answer any email directed to: suffos21@yahoo.es