Last Monday, we had a difficult case in which a young patient after a C-section for her first baby could have lost her life without Caitlyn's vigilance and clinical judgement. The patient had a uterine vascular injury during a routine C-section. The injury was recognized and repaired after moderate blood loss that did not require blood transfusion. The patient had required vigorous fluid and colloid resuscitation during the surgery, but she had stabilized and the rest of the team felt reassured that the situation had resolved.

Thirty minutes later, the patient was in her recovery room under Caitlyn's care alone. While performing the patient's scheduled uterine massage to monitor for bleeding, Caitlyn noticed that the bleeding amount and pattern were abnormal. It would be understandable if Caitlyn had bided her time and waited for the next exam to be sure of her findings, but Caitlyn recognized that something was very wrong and the patient needed an immediate response. She brought the team back and activated all of the resources necessary to begin emergency transfusion and return to surgery. Five hours and 21 units of transfusion product later, the patient was safe. I can't say how long this patient had before her blood loss would have caused her to go into hypovolemic shock. Given some of the low pressures we saw during the rapid response, I don't think it would have been long.

Often in these cases, the patient's life can be saved, but a hysterectomy is required. Thanks to Caitlyn's caring, vigilance, and judgment, the response was initiated early enough that there was time to save her fertility as well as her life. Several doctors and nurses played key roles in this effort, but Caitlyn deserves the credit for the diagnosis and response that made it happen in time. We have so many really good nurses in this department. Caitlyn's excellent care for this patient is a shining example of the qualities that make me proud to work here.