Dr. Peter Attia

So when you have blunt trauma, when you have massive deceleration, and in the case of this car, they had the right of way going through an intersection and some idiot T-boned them. So massive deceleration can shear the aorta. So he could be literally bleeding into his aorta. So I have to make a decision. Do I open this guy's chest to try to figure out what's going on?

So when you have blunt trauma, when you have massive deceleration, and in the case of this car, they had the right of way going through an intersection and some idiot T-boned them. So massive deceleration can shear the aorta. So he could be literally bleeding into his aorta. So I have to make a decision. Do I open this guy's chest to try to figure out what's going on?

So when you have blunt trauma, when you have massive deceleration, and in the case of this car, they had the right of way going through an intersection and some idiot T-boned them. So massive deceleration can shear the aorta. So he could be literally bleeding into his aorta. So I have to make a decision. Do I open this guy's chest to try to figure out what's going on?

Which, by the way, is not the answer. But I don't want to let this kid die yet, and it looks like he's dead. So I keep running the code. I keep running the code. We keep pumping more epinephrine into him. We keep doing everything. And it's my job to call the code, to say, time of death, call it over. And I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm like...

Which, by the way, is not the answer. But I don't want to let this kid die yet, and it looks like he's dead. So I keep running the code. I keep running the code. We keep pumping more epinephrine into him. We keep doing everything. And it's my job to call the code, to say, time of death, call it over. And I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm like...

Which, by the way, is not the answer. But I don't want to let this kid die yet, and it looks like he's dead. So I keep running the code. I keep running the code. We keep pumping more epinephrine into him. We keep doing everything. And it's my job to call the code, to say, time of death, call it over. And I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm like...

No, no, no, we gotta keep going, we gotta keep going. I'm just feeling this overwhelming sense of sadness. And we finally call the code. And I, you know, it's very unusual. Normally you'd walk out as quickly as possible because they have to get the body out because you have to make room for the next trauma to come in. You don't know when the next one's coming in. So you can't have that.

No, no, no, we gotta keep going, we gotta keep going. I'm just feeling this overwhelming sense of sadness. And we finally call the code. And I, you know, it's very unusual. Normally you'd walk out as quickly as possible because they have to get the body out because you have to make room for the next trauma to come in. You don't know when the next one's coming in. So you can't have that.

No, no, no, we gotta keep going, we gotta keep going. I'm just feeling this overwhelming sense of sadness. And we finally call the code. And I, you know, it's very unusual. Normally you'd walk out as quickly as possible because they have to get the body out because you have to make room for the next trauma to come in. You don't know when the next one's coming in. So you can't have that.

You can't have too much time with a body just sitting there. So they have to cover the body up, get it out, clean the floor off. And there's a mess everywhere. There's, you know, we've put a million central lines in him at this point. There's needles, blood everywhere.

You can't have too much time with a body just sitting there. So they have to cover the body up, get it out, clean the floor off. And there's a mess everywhere. There's, you know, we've put a million central lines in him at this point. There's needles, blood everywhere.

You can't have too much time with a body just sitting there. So they have to cover the body up, get it out, clean the floor off. And there's a mess everywhere. There's, you know, we've put a million central lines in him at this point. There's needles, blood everywhere.

And I remember leaving the trauma bay and going into the stairwell and just completely breaking down, which was very unusual, right? Normally, you just don't even think about it. But I was absolutely, I couldn't put myself together. And then the nurse came and said, hey, you know, can you go talk to the mom? And I was like, yeah, yeah. So now the mom and all the relatives are in a room.

And I remember leaving the trauma bay and going into the stairwell and just completely breaking down, which was very unusual, right? Normally, you just don't even think about it. But I was absolutely, I couldn't put myself together. And then the nurse came and said, hey, you know, can you go talk to the mom? And I was like, yeah, yeah. So now the mom and all the relatives are in a room.

And I remember leaving the trauma bay and going into the stairwell and just completely breaking down, which was very unusual, right? Normally, you just don't even think about it. But I was absolutely, I couldn't put myself together. And then the nurse came and said, hey, you know, can you go talk to the mom? And I was like, yeah, yeah. So now the mom and all the relatives are in a room.

They only know that they're, turns out I realized these are two brothers. The victim who was in the passenger seat is 14. The brother was 17. He's fine by the way, he doesn't have a scratch on him. And the mom just knows your boys were in a car accident. And I go and tell her what's going on. And I mean, it was the most difficult thing of my life.

They only know that they're, turns out I realized these are two brothers. The victim who was in the passenger seat is 14. The brother was 17. He's fine by the way, he doesn't have a scratch on him. And the mom just knows your boys were in a car accident. And I go and tell her what's going on. And I mean, it was the most difficult thing of my life.

They only know that they're, turns out I realized these are two brothers. The victim who was in the passenger seat is 14. The brother was 17. He's fine by the way, he doesn't have a scratch on him. And the mom just knows your boys were in a car accident. And I go and tell her what's going on. And I mean, it was the most difficult thing of my life.

I still remember, you know, when you're wearing scrubs, they have a little pocket on them. She grabbed onto me and tore the pocket off the scrubs. I'd never had somebody do that. And I spent... I probably spent two hours with him that night. And I was very fortunate that nothing else came in that night. Like I had the time to sort of be there. And I'm not sure why. I don't know what it was.

I still remember, you know, when you're wearing scrubs, they have a little pocket on them. She grabbed onto me and tore the pocket off the scrubs. I'd never had somebody do that. And I spent... I probably spent two hours with him that night. And I was very fortunate that nothing else came in that night. Like I had the time to sort of be there. And I'm not sure why. I don't know what it was.