The theme of this episode seemed to be the unexpected, both with medical conditions, rare disorders and having to respond to situations noone has seen before.
Dr. Marcel, Sam and Dr. Tanaka-Reid
They are completing an appendectomy on Sam when Dr. Tanaka-Reid has some heartburn and passes some gas and is embarrassed and then faints. Dr. Marcel insists on checking him out and Kai suddenly has chest pressure and then his heart rate drops but when he passes gas, his heart rate increases. When he gets a chest x-ray, they are both shocked that he has bowel in his chest. With a chest CT they confirm it is a diaphragmatic hernia he has most likely had all of his life, and his recent cross-fit training caused it to expand. The gas and bowel had stimulated the vagus nerve causing him to faint.
Dr. Marcel agrees to do the robotic assisted surgery in the OR 2.0 and completes the repair. Kai is very embarrassed and says he will now be ridiculed for what happened, but Crockett is very kind and professional and provides him with support to get through it. After the way Kai has acted and treated others, it was certainly big of Crockett to treat him so kindly, and perhaps this ego check is exactly what Kai needs in order to make him a better physician and improve his bedside manner and the way he treats the other staff.
Dr. Asher, Dr. Archer, Dr. Song, Dr. Charles, Leila, Quinton and our guests from Chicago Fire
Dr. Asher bring Dr. Archer his water bottle, which he had again left somewhere, and she reminds him of the importance of keeping hydrated and making sure to keep track of his water bottle. A woman, Leila, comes into the ED in labor, and Dr. Asher checks her out and her husband Quinton is very distraught and Dr. Asher does really well to calm him in the moment, and they get her up to Labor and Delivery.
After she delivers, Quinton becomes paranoid, saying the child is not his, and he uses the pair of scissors he was given to cut the cord to threaten people as he tries to get away. As he is running down the hall and trying to get away, he opens the door to the MRI suite and he is pulled against the MRI machine and pinned to the machine with a stretcher, and the scissors become embedded in his neck in the artery.
The team responds and have Dr. Charles work to keep Quinton calm while they bring in the CFD and Dr. Archer to determine the best steps. Dr. Archer says he will need certain surgical tools but they are metal so Dr. Song says that she can use the 3D printer to make replicas that are plastic and goes to work getting him the instruments they need. Joe Cruz, Tony and Capp from Chicago Fire make a guest appearance, and they determine how they will keep him stable with a webbing harness for when they turn off the machine to prevent him from falling and harming himself with the embedded scissors.
Eventually they are able to use the webbing straps to support him, and Dr. Archer goes in and removes the scissors and clamps the artery, and they free him and take him to the OR. Dr. Archer gets dizzy and they call another doctor to take over for Quinton’s case and take him to the ED.
While keeping him calm, Dr. Charles notes he had lumps on the back of his neck and he wonders if there is an underlying condition which triggered the psychosis, and they are able to investigate and determine he has a genetic disease called neurofibromatosis, which is what caused the episode. He reunites with his wife and his newborn son, who they name Trevor after Quinton’s dad.
Afterwards, Dr. Archer is receiving some IV fluids and Dr. Asher brings him his water bottle again. She has purchased him something to attach to the bottle and that has an app so he can always find it. He shares with her that his kidneys are getting worse and it looks like he may need dialysis. The relationship between these two characters as colleagues has become one of the most interesting and unusual ones we have seen, but considering how opposed Dean was to Hannah coming to Med, it has been so wonderful to see the respect and comradery and friendship develop between them this season.
Dr. Halstead, Dr. Cuevas and Maria
A family comes in with an ill daughter, Maria. Her brother, Hugo, was ill with something similar a month ago and passed away within a few days in the hospital. The family gives consent to get the records for her brother, but all the records and even autopsy showed was brain swelling. Maria tells Dr. Cuevas that she can’t eat or sleep and she is worried that she has the same thing and will die also. Her condition worsens and she has a seizure.
They want to order more tests but Doris tells them Goodwin is in the MRI suite and says no more treatment because the parents had checked her out of the hospital where her brother died. The HMO won’t pay until she returns to the other hospital and the company wants her sent back there. Her family wants her to stay at Chicago Med, but with no other choice, Maria is willing to sacrifice for her family and return to the other hospital. As they prepare to transfer her, they give her a copy of her records, but then Dr. Cuevas notes a strange odor to her urine and they run one more test. They are able to diagnose her with a rare metabolic condition that affects how she processes certain amino acids and they let her and her parents know they will be able to treat and manage her condition.
We yet again with this case get to see Dr. Halstead’s immense passion for wanting to treat his patients and ensure they get the best care, and that he is willing to advocate for them even if it means possibly breaking some rules. While Will’s passion is admirable, with all the trouble it has gotten him into over the years, one can only wonder if he will ever learn…for the sake of some of his patients, surely some of us are hoping he never does.
Afterwards, Dr. Cuevas tells Goodwin that she knows she needs to work on her DACA renewal, but she has considered leaving Chicago Med because her parents had to go to Canada years ago and she has not seen them in a decade. But working with her patient today, she realizes that they sacrificed to get her there, and Goodwin tells her she will always have family here with her Chicago Med team. This was such a touching scene because not only does it reconfirm how wonderful, kind and nurturing Goodwin is when it comes to how she cares for her employees along with all the patients, but it allowed us to get to know Dr. Cuevas a bit better. Knowing she has no family support does potentially explain some of what we saw earlier in the season with her lack of confidence and reliance on pathways and clinical protocols. Working with wonderful and caring people like Dr. Charles and Sharon Goodwin will only continue to assist her to develop her confidence and skills as a professional.
Daniel and Liliana
Daniel is embarrassed because he left his office a mess and arrives and Liliana is doing her job and cleaning it. Later, she finds him tidying up and he says he does not want her to think he is trying to take her for granted and is very embarrassed. She tells him it is ok and they kiss. This was an adorable way for the episode to conclude. The relationship between these characters is so endearing and is such a testament to love being able to find you at any life stage. We can only hope that Daniel will be lucky in love this time…everyone keep your fingers crossed.
What did you think of this episode of Chicago Med? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
