Our duty lasts until the end of life

I am covering the coronary care unit. My bleep goes off. It's the accident and emergency department. “We've got a 93 year old gentleman, two hours of chest pain, looks like an anterior, but he's also sustained a right fracture neck of femur.” I hurry down. My patient, a previously active, independent man is in pain. Though I cannot thrombolyse him, I take him to the coronary care unit for analgesia, supportive treatment, …