I am used to all kinds of surprises appearing in my waiting room. While we generally take clients on an appointment-only basis, it is impossible to plan a medical emergency around an appointment book. So even after many years in practice, every time the bell rings unexpectedly as a walk-in client pushes through the door, I still get a little adrenaline rush and even butterflies in the pit of my stomach.
It's never good news, because most of my clients are quite disciplined about making appointments. So if they rush through the door unannounced, it is usually an emergency. I then summon up my professionalism.
Since ours is a small, family-type practice with a lot of personal contact, if I have time I usually poke my head out into the reception area and greet clients before the receptionist has a chance to assess the situation.
Sometimes it's not really a medical emergency. In most cases it's a particularly worried owner with a genuine but minor problem. But sometimes it is an emergency and we have to act quickly.
The emergency can be anything - from a dog mangled beyond recognition after being hit by a car to a malicious rat-bait poisoning case from Bowen Road to a dog in the midst of an hour-long seizure.
We had an emergency case this week that played havoc with our hearts.