PICU (pediatric ICU) was pawpin today. We had a child break into a seizure this morning for the first time. Despite having completed a month on pediatric neurology so far, I’d never been physically present in the room while a patient was seizing. I would always hear about overnight seizures in the morning second hand from nurses or witness them replayed on video during neuro rounds, so today was definitely a first.

There is a standard protocol for medications given for seizures lasting >5 minutes because these seizures have the potential to be dangerous. I was really impressed with how seamlessly the PICU nurses and our PICU attending (supervising doctor) followed the protocol with composure and efficiency. This kid’s seizure took pretty long to break, but the team remained calm and organized.

As a lowly inexperienced intern, the thought of running a “code” or “rapid” as we call events like these scares me. But watching how my team reacted today showed me that even when things get scary, I’m surrounded by a knowledgable support system. My patients are safe no matter what even as I continue to learn the ropes.