Appearance
S8 E1 – S8 E17
Job Title
Senior House Officer
First Words
Charlie : Don’t panic…
Karen : I’m not, this place is a maze!
Background
Karen joins the team of A&E in S8 E1, and already gets the back up of staff members with her outspoken personality. He first patient is a student who has collapsed after being used as a guinea pig by a Pharmaceutical company. Her first shift is made even busier after a train crash brings in many injuries. In S8 E2, gale force winds sweep through Holby. On her way to work, Karen’s path is blocked by a tree which has crashed onto the road and into a car of a young couple with their infant daughter. The male driver is dead whilst the female has her legs severely trapped. Karen phones for help but the lines are down. She eventually gets through and Josh and Jane arrive at the scene. It’s too late though, the woman arrests and Karen, with no equipment, is unable to save her. Josh clashes with Karen. In S8 E4, Karen attends to the case of a young boy who has swallowed one of his father’s precious collectable coins. She spots the coin on the child’s x-ray and tells his parents that his ‘ploppies’ must be examined each time he spends a penny. In S8 E5, Karen deals with the case of a teenager who has been raped, after her house is burgled. The girl later spots her attacker in A&E.
In S8 E6, Karen treats Norma after she is brought in from falling down some steps. Next episode, she treats a young asthmatic girl, whose parents spend more time arguing than looking after her. In S8 E9, a gambler is brought in after a suspected heart attack. Karen tells him there is nothing wrong with him besides a bad diet. Him, and his two other friends continue to gamble in the cubicle and when he wins, it causes him to have another attack. Mike tells Karen he’s going to Africa to work on mock Casualty unit. Next episode she guides his replacement, [ID 317]Tom[/ID] round the department. In S8 E11, Karen treats a female photographer who collapses in reception. She’s been suffering dizzy spells. Karen thinks she’s just run down but still does an ECG. Charlie discovers she’s a hopper and homeless when the address she gives is false. She leaves after an unsuccessful attempt to get a bed for the night. Later she is attacked by youths and has cuts to her face, but is still turned away from A&E.
In S8 E12, Karen sees tot he case of two separate outbreaks of Dysentery in the same block of flats. She also treats a teacher, who says he has been bullied by pupils. Karen becomes suspicious after seeing old bruises. Eventually they discover his wife has beating him. In S8 E13, Karen treats a young baby who is brought in after being unable to breathe. They resuscitate the baby in CRASH. The father walks into CRASH just as Tom tells Karen to stop the resus procedure. The baby has been dead for a while. The father shouts abuse at the team and accuses them of letting his daughter die. He threatens them with legal action, Karen is angry. In S8 E14, Karen is revising for her exams. Mike tests her knowledge but she is tired and frustrated. He tells her to go home, but she refuses. In S8 E16, Karen is tired again through lack of sleep, as she tries to deal with patients. Ash asks her opinion on a case of a woman who’s hair has been burned from a perm. In S8 E17, Karen reveals to Mike, that it’s her last shift as she has been given time off to study. At the end of shift, Mike wishes her luck as she leaves Holby.
Memorable Moments
