Hog attack

As a graduated medical student, I went to a village called Posht-e-Kooh one year after my graduation. Young physicians are supposed to practice in deprived, underdeveloped areas of need for a period of time as "Return of Service' legislation. I spent there for about two weeks in a small clinic where had different departments such as physician's office, vaccination room, a room known as ED(Emergency Department) for small surgical procedures and some other health related rooms. The first week, passed very casually, spending most of the time in visiting patients such as kids with cold, elderly people with arthralgia and low back pain, talking with other staff and cooking meal for myself.

It was Tuesday of the second week, when I received a call from Emergency Department, while I was resting in my small house, requesting me to visit a seriously injured patient. Five minutes later, I entered ED room. On arrival, I faced with a blood covered floor spreading an extremely annoying smell. The patient was a farmer, talking hardly.He described slowly the accident that was happened to him. While he was working on his corn range, he saw a hog in a distance about 100 meters away. The hog turned toward him suddenly and attacked. He didn’t know what to do at the moment, so he ran away, but the hog catched him. After attacking, the hog was disappeared and he noticed and asked the nearest neighbors to bring him to ED. His right thigh was seriously injured. The femoral artery had been cut, quadriceps muscle was ruptured and the femoral bone was exposed. He was impending to shock state; therefore, we started the proper treatment steps immidiately.After about 1-1:30 hour, his condition became stable, so we prepared him to transfer to central regional hospital for higher level of care. A few minutes before transferring him into ambulance, his father was also brought to ED because of hog attack again! He had gone to kill the hog to revenge his son but he had been attacked by it. He had waited to hunt the hog but hog hunted him first. His right arm and chest was completely exploded. Brachial plexus and ribs were exposed but his vital signs and level of consciousness were stable. He was angry why he was not aware of his back.

The son was transferred to central hospital of the region. We requested another ambulance from nearest health center, but surprisingly, third victim was brought to ED in less than half an hour later . He had also gone to hunt the hog but he was catch by him too. Considering these three seriously injured persons, the local people were agitated and stressed about their safety.At least rabid animal impression was considered for it. We called the local nature protector guards and local hunters to find and kill him.At That night, they went, with proper equipment and guns, to hunt the suddenly famous serial killer. My team, including nurses, ambulance drivers and all other staffs, were ready in the ED for any possible event.They succeded to kill him, although the hog had damaged to one of the hunter team’s Land Rover car turning it over, but without any serious injury. His head was sent to the central town health service for further investigation.

Since that time, the rule of “hog” has become one of my personal rules in every hospital that I work. By this rule, you have to expect any unexpected events and be ready all the time for such an event even if you are not ready.