Further Confessions of a GP

Bravery

Standing up to mildly threatening patients who are larger and better at fighting than me is about as bold as I ever have to be at work. Whereas other emergency services have to valiantly risk their lives fighting fires or arresting dangerous villains, medics are rarely required to face great personal risk in the line of duty. However, just occasionally there is an exception.

Karla Flores was a Mexican seafood vendor who was minding her own business selling seafood at the roadside in her home state of Sinaloa. Like many parts of Mexico, turf wars between rival gangs often result in violent street battles and, unfortunately for Karla, she was inadvertently caught up in one such skirmish. After hearing an explosion, she was knocked unconscious. She awoke in hospital to discover that she had been hit by a live grenade shot from a grenade launcher. The grenade was lodged between her jaw and the roof of her mouth. It was a miracle that it hadn’t exploded, but it was very much live and could go off at any time.

Were the grenade to explode, anyone within a 10-metre radius would almost certainly be killed, and so understandably the Mexican doctors weren’t exactly falling over themselves to take on Karla’s care. Eventually four brave medics stepped forward and agreed to operate on her. In order to avoid the very real possibility of blowing up the entire hospital, it was decided that the operation would take place in an open field some distance from any civilisation.

Two anaesthetists, a surgeon and a nurse operated on Karla in an attempt to dislodge the live grenade. The team wore no protective clothing and risked their lives during the four-hour operation. It had to be done under local anaesthetic, which meant that poor Karla was awake for every second. It was a success. Karla has a scar on her face and has lost half her teeth, but she is now alive and well. To those brave Mexican medics, I salute you. You are much, much, much braver than me!

Amazingly, Karla Flores isn’t the only person who has required the surgical removal of live ammunition from her person…