“Rapid response North 5 room 52, rapid response North 5 room 52” blared overhead.

Sprinting to the elevator we converge at the same time. Sam, Lila, Edgar & I rush inside and acknowledge each other with small nods. When the doors open we immediately know where the emergency is. There’s at least 5 staff members already at the door way of room 52.

The elderly man struggling for air looks small and frail in his bed. The four of us automatically take our places to begin our practiced waltz with one of us attending to his breathing, another obtaining vein access and myself auscultating his heart and lungs. Someone else is slinging questions, first at the bedside nurse and then at the patient. He answers in one word gasps.

“Get ready to intubate” I shout above the cacophony as a respiratory therapist attempts to access the oxygen deprived man’s radial artery for a blood gas and a medical technician applies stickers to the man’s exposed bony chest for a 12 lead EKG.

“Order a portable Chest X-ray stat”

“Give 80 mg IV Lasix”

“Jessica, place a Foley catheter please”

“Great job everyone “

No, reason we can’t be polite amidst this chaos.