The Emergency Room: Lives Saved and Lost - Doctors Tell Their Stories

At turns hair-raising and hilarious, a unique collection of thirty dramatic, true stories of doctors coping with crises in the emergency room includes pieces by such professional writers as Ethan Canin, Perry Klass, and Richard Selzer.

From high drama to bitter irony, this one-of-a-kind collection gathers thirty-one extraordinary true stories of doctors on the hospital's front lines. Here is the chance to be on the other side of the swinging doors, to go behind the drawn curtains, to experience the chaos of an emergency room, the clamor of voices, the pulse-quickening excitement, and the hair-trigger decisions that can save a life. Meet the young woman who comes to the E.R. to have her stomach pumped, claiming to have swallowed an entire bottle of Tylenol, only to have her doctor discover that she is bulimic, fresh off a chocolate binge. Share the agony of the doctor desperately trying to revive a man whose heart has stopped but whose hands keep moving. And see what happens to the mechanic who is rushed into the E.R. with a steel rod sticking out of his neck. Full of pain, hope, and profound relief, these unforgettable stories recount the most intimate and terrifying moments of our existence and offer a rare glimpse into the minds and hearts of the healers who dedicate their lives to saving others.