This episode was intense as the "bomb" code was activated for real due to a live munition in a man's chest. As usual, some have to ask "What is Code ????" then casually mill around not realizing the level of danger. I enjoyed it from another viewpoint, as a retired Biomed (Medical Equipment Repair)..
Staff and volunteers work within their assigned duties of patient care or support in some way. Plant Ops who maintain the electrical, plumbing and environmental controls as well as Biomeds understand the engineering in the construction of hospitals to all systems on line.
The location of the hospital's oxygen line in the OR, is common knowledge to the OR staff as well as the location of zone valves to shut off individual rooms or branches. Almost as dangerous would be the Nitrous Oxide and Air lines that almost always run alongside Oxygen. All these can accelerate a fire or explosion. Yet the danger was not so great had it been real.
When a surgery is going all gases are coming from the house lines from the wall or ceiling, but every anesthesia machine has oxygen and Nitrous Oxide cylinders attached to the machines with valves open in case the hospital system runs out or is disrupted. Cylinders can be replaced as surgery continues if the house lines are down. To reduce the danger to the hospital, staff and Fire/Rescue, the oxygen and Nitrous Oxide systems should have been shut off and bled out into the wards and clinics that are usually on separate branches of the medical gas systems and the OR could have remained in operation in this emergency.
Of course it had to have the drama which it was not short on, especially Christina Ricci as the Paramedic caught in the middle of the fear and panic. Throughout the episode, saving the man's life was increasingly on the Paramedic who was holding not knowing when the point of detonation might occur. It was good to see her character get the lion's share of the credit Moving a 300-400 pound OR table out of the OR was the worst choice as it will not cross thresholds or elevators entries without Biomed adjusting all four feet well above their unlocked position. Hard wheels will send a jolt up to the patient and anyone holding vital structures or devices during the case and created moments of extreme tension for all.
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