Alex Langridge 2025-09-19T19:14:35Z
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Rain lashed against the ER windows as the gurney crashed through doors, wheels shrieking on linoleum. "Thirty-two-year-old male, uncontrolled bleeding from nose and gums, fever spiking to 104!" a nurse shouted over the din. My fingers left damp prints on the tablet - this wasn't textbook coagulopathy. The intern's eyes mirrored my panic; every second pumped more crimson onto the sheets. Then my thumb found the blue icon hidden between pharmacy apps. Three taps: bleeding diathesis, acute fever, n
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The fluorescent lights hummed like angry hornets as I stared at the blood smear slide, my palms slick against the microscope. Third-year residency's hazing ritual: solo night coverage for hematology consults. Mr. Davies' labs screamed disaster – platelets cratering at 15k, schistocytes dancing like shrapnel across the peripheral smear. My pager vibrated again. ICU wanted answers now. That familiar acid reflux taste flooded my mouth, the one I'd gotten since med school whenever coagulation pathwa