Signs of the Collapse of Civilization

Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash

I would say that patients shooting up their own heroin in the ER was a sign of the end, but that’s positively ‘de riguere’ these days. I mean, every ER has seen this; or methamphetamine, or fentanyl or something else illicit used in a patient room.

Decades ago one of my patients came in for multiple recurrent shoulder dislocations in one day and her boyfriend actually stole a needle box from the wall and took it took his car.

Yawn. Seen it.

But as I poured over the news, wondering just how long it was until we fell into the chaos of the end of Rome, I realized that it isn’t so much the big things as the little ones that portend doom.

For instance, in order of gravity:

1. There’s no real coffee creamer in the ER. Only that powdered stuff. What are we, animals?

2. Sonic is out of straws.

3. Hospitals are out of CT scan contrast material.

4. The healthcare system has a serious shortage of Ativan (Lorazepam) used for sedation and for calming agitated overdoses or those in alcohol withdrawal.

5. We stopped seeing ‘Save the Children’ commercials and started being inundated with commercials to foster or adopt dogs. We see more commercials for dog toys than human toys.

6. Monkeypox might actually spread widely because we’re afraid to talk about how it, well, spreads widely.

I’m starting a shift. I may have to remove drugs from a patient’s vagina. The day isn’t looking promising.

Please feel free to comment and tell me the things that make you wonder if the barbarians have already crossed the Rhine.

Edwin