MovieChat Forums > Coma (1978) Discussion > OR-8

OR-8

posted 16 years ago by lrcdmnhd72
11 replies | jump to latest

It would seem to me that it would become eventually obvious there were higher than average bungled operations occuring in OR-8 than in the other ORs.

[–] Mars_atax 16 years ago

You're probably right. But it reminds me of the story of Ignaz Semmelweis.

Semmelweis was a doctor a Vienna hospital in the 19th century who noticed that there was a much higher mortality rate in the maternity ward with deliveries by medical students than the one with deliveries by midwives. He eventually traced it to the fact that the med students would enter the maternity ward and do deliveries right after doing work on cadavers. He then had the idea that the medical students should (gasp!) wash their hands (in a chlorine solution) before entering the maternity ward. His colleagues, of course, thought he was nuts. The ridicule he endured eventually drove him crazy, and he died in a mental institution. Then a few years after he died came Louis Pasteur and the germ theory, along with modern antiseptic procedures.

[–] lrcdmnhd72 16 years ago

Mars_atax
"You're probably right."

Your post acknowledged. Thank you for your reply.

But, in this day and age, you would think that somewhere along the line, somebody would look into this, medical people or even possible an investigative journalist(s).

Another thing, a fair amount of people would have to be involved in this type of operation, doctors, technicians, etc, possibly scattered all over the world. I would think that somewhere along the line that somebody would get suspicious, especially with today's communication technology. The more people that know about something, the more chances there are for leaks.

Yet, I still don't indicate to be an organ donor on my driver's license. Maybe this movie, Coma, may have had something to do with it.

Thanks again for your reply.

[–] adambomb1701 16 years ago

I could have sworn that I saw the "OR 8" sign in at least one episode of St. Elsewhere. Anyone else see that?
Got the Coma DVD a couple of years ago for $4.99. An absolute steal.
As I was being wheeled into the OR for bladder surgery in July 2009, I joked with my nurse that "I hope they're not bringing me to OR-8". I don't think she got the reference, as I had to explain it to her.

BRING OUT SEASON THREE OF THE GREAT ONCE AND AGAIN ON DVD!

[–] Druff 16 years ago

could have sworn that I saw the "OR 8" sign in at least one episode of St. Elsewhere. Anyone else see that?

Sure it wasn't ER? Didn't Crichton have something to do with that show?

[–] J.O. 16 years ago

I agree that it would eventually become more obvious, but I think the point was that there were "only" 10 in the past year(?) which wouldn't be THAT unusual...and of course they could have started switching the rooms.

But when they did 2 in a row, the chances of that would have been astronomical. I think in the "real" world, if the friend of the doctor was the only one that had died for a while, she wouldn't have pushed the issue. but Magnum died right after that...so she got really suspicious.

[–] snoopychick_1 16 years ago

But I wonder if in the patient notes or operation notes they would have even listed the number of the operating theatre used? and may be this is why it is not picked up

[–] megArnold 15 years ago

It is listed. Part of the plot. (When Dr Wheeler checks the notes at night)

[–] franzkabuki 15 years ago

Lots of weird stuff appears to go unnoticed in huge hospitals - or, rather, it´s just being written off as a curiosity and doesn´t get looked into. There have been numerous occasions on which "medical serial killers" (Angels of Death as they´re often called) have been able to practice their craft for years before found out - even though there´s more than enough to attract serious attention and warrant an investigation. There was a case even when a murderous nurse was nicknamed "Angel of Death" by his colleagues and made fun of because of the sky-high death ratio in his section of the hospital as compared to others. And yet it was let go just like that... despite the fact that medically trained people have a reputation of being relatively rational and observative. I guess it´s not in man´s nature to expect the worst of yer fellow man - and then there´s also the politics as no medical center wishes to have its reputation stained by something like that. So it´s easier just to look the other way and hope for the best - or quietly fire the suspect member of the staff without any public hullaballoo an investigation surely would stir.

[–] megArnold 15 years ago

That's also why everybody frowned at her researching these deaths. It took Wheeler's personal interest in these cases to discover the anomalies.

[–] HarrisOR8 15 years ago

I had to tell somebody, checkout what I used as my name for the message board. I just joined the board last night.....BTW, although one of my favorite thrillers, One bad film flub to look for....when Elizabeth Ashley first greets Dr. Wheeler the camera pans her through the entrance of the building, and you can see the reflection on the glass pane of the camera on the dolly with the operators sliding along to follow Ashley...LOL

[–] WarpedRecord 14 years ago

Watching this film, it occurred to me that OR-8 would be a great screen name for IMDb. I'm not surprised you adopted it.