I picked up the propofol vial and looked at the cap: the blue top, just the color of my childrens’ eyes. But even that pleasant thought did not mitigate the pain that it took for the simple movement to remove the cap. I had just had carpal tunnel surgery and I assumed my biggest challenge would be masking. It was such a shock to realize that the most challenging part of my day was popping off vial caps. I had always taken the caps for granted and all of a sudden the caps represented a challenge. It never occurred to me that I would have difficulty with them, but once it did I thought I was going to beat it. I looked around the room, and, for once, took notice of all the vial caps. They seemed to form a mosaic of color. They were winning, but I wouldn’t let them. I started collecting the caps, and at the end of the day, I would look down at my collection and instead of focusing on the pain it represented, I focused on the beauty I could create (fig. 1).
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Education|
October 2021
Vial Cap Eye
Julia Baskin McKillen, M.D.
Julia Baskin McKillen, M.D.
From the Department of Anesthesiology, LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah. juliemckillen@gmail.com
Search for other works by this author on:
Accepted for publication July 13, 2021. Published online first on August 16, 2021.
Anesthesiology October 2021, Vol. 135, 749–750.
Citation
Julia Baskin McKillen; Vial Cap Eye. Anesthesiology 2021; 135:749–750 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000003924
Download citation file:
1,017
Views
Citing articles via
Most Viewed
Related Articles
Hepatitis C Contamination of Medication Vials Accessed with Sterile Needles and Syringes
Anesthesiology (August 2019)
Hydromorphone Unit Dose Affects Intraoperative Dosing: An Observational Study
Anesthesiology (May 2020)
Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Stocking Dantrolene in Ambulatory Surgery Centers for the Treatment of Malignant Hyperthermia
Anesthesiology (June 2014)
Breaking Glass Vials
Anesthesiology (May 1997)