So at Hospital B I volunteer in the CT Department and Some Patients come into the ED with iodine & sulfa allergies. So when the MD in the ED ordered a CT Chest PE (Pulmonary Embolism) protocol for this gentleman who was allergic to the contrast dye that we pump into a patient so we can see if there is/was clots,blood flow where there shouldn't be etc... They prepped him per hospital protocol waited for the meds to kick in and then he sent him over for us to scan him. So the tech takes the "Scout" scans first to make sure everything is in line and that it looks good. Then she took the first part of the scan with out contrast then during the pause where she can go in and start pumping the contrast in our patient also while making sure the vein doesn't blow, the pump didn't blow the syringe full of contrast up (has happened before) etc....
She then proceeded to come back start up the scanner and make it hum (or scream) because it is such a high resolution scan the scanner is taking "Slices" or Pictures every two or so seconds. Lots of radiation with this type of scan too. So she pumps the patient full of contrast then all of a sudden I notice the patent stops breathing I let the tech who is looking at the slices as they appear on the screen... she yells (because the scanner is really loud with a PE protocol) over the scanners PA system "ARE YOU OK?" No response.... she slammed the big red emergency stop button and runs into the room she yells at me to call a STAT then get the Ambu Bag and help her.
I get a hold of the STAT Operator "STAT IN CT 1!" I yelled into the phone... "Are you sure?" she asked. My exact words where "I SURE AS HELL AM! HE IS CODING ON THE TABLE AND THE TECH IS STARTING COMPRESSIONS!" "Ok, I will Page a STAT" I run in grab the Ambu bag remembered the ABCD's,Head Tilt ,Chin Lift, E/C Hold and started 2 squeezes of the bag after the tech paused compressions,re-assessed & switched places... It seemed like forever for the stat page to go over the PA.... The stat team from the ED across the hall arrived in about 45 seconds and took over and carted him off to the trauma bay. He survived according to the Grumpy ED doc "Because of Our Quick Actions" I about fell out of my chair Half because he NEVER EVER speaks to us or other staff (unless to give orders) and the other half from me coming off of my adrenaline high... After that My shift was up and I had to go to work.
Oh, Just so you all know I wasn't suppose to assist the tech with CPR because it's a liability even though yours truly has a BLS and is currently working on my ACLS and PAL certs. The tech and the hospital still deny it to this day.
This sums up another adventure! Off to Hospital A today on the floor!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Disclaimer
Because I spoke with the Head Nurse Of The PACU today about blogging my adventures and anonymity(A Nice Chat and I was so happy I wasn't in toruble)...I want to make sure all readers know this and so I have all of my bases covered.
Here We Go :)
*Clears Throat*
Please note that all content on Hospital Volunteer that is not otherwise licensed is licensed under a Creative Commons agreement. What this means is that I don't mind if you repost or borrow things as long as you check with me first. All patients, doctors, and nurses are fictionalized to protect the innocent or guilty. What *that* means is that if I write about something that happened "yesterday", it could easily have happened last week or last year .
This blog is not intended to be used for, and the author of this blog will not give, advice on medical matters. If you have a problem, see a professional instead of some schmo on the Internet. If you don't like things that are tongue-in-cheek, you should go somewhere much more earnest.
Everything here is mine unless otherwise credited. If I've messed up and quoted you without attribution, please let me know and I'll rectify it ASAP. Likewise, if I manage to make a real howler either in spelling or information, tell me. That means that everything that I get wrong is my own fault, while everything that turns out okay is entirely due to the goodwill and grace of other people.
This will be added to the "Legal Stuff" tab on the top of the page. I will also do my very best at keeping this blog professional at all times and I may flub up so If I do please let me know and I will fix it.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
An International Sensation!
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