This nurse is an unlucky patient!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

Well, I have been in the hospital, or the ER at least, more than I would have liked to in the last 4 years with cardiac and BP dx, ect. The last time I saw my cardiologist, he informed me that my murmur had worsened and also I will be needing to be scheduled for a cardiac ablation. I saw him last Wednesday morning. I had been having some intermittent nausea during the week and had cut back on my exercise due to a nonspecific "yuck" feeling.

Thursday most of the day I tried to clean up a little around the house and finish up the yard. I guess I did too much, and tried to rest some after finishing. My dh and I were propped up watching tv that night a little after 9pm. I thought I had just gone to sleep and had some REALLY crazy dreams, that there were two strange men im my bedroom, and that someone kept trying to get me up and go somewhere...

I remember looking up from our bedroom out the window and seeing flashing lights, and then my dh telling me to get up and go somewhere. I wake up a little more and see there are 2 EMTs coming in. Long story short, I had had a seizure and stopped breathing. He called 911 and I had just become postictal when they were arriving.

So I get admitted to the ER where dh sups in the trauma room and get started on the battery of tests that come with needing to be in the trauma suite. We find out that my potassium was very low, 2.4 or so. The doc gave me some Klyte which I rapidly threw back up, and then started a IVPB of 40mEq instead.

As part of the tests, you submit to a UDS. I had no problem with that. After a while, the same ER doc that prev. been pretty nice came back in with "that look". First thing out of his mouth, of couse, "Where did you get the drugs?!?" My response, "What drugs?" So he tells me that my UDS had come back positive for PCP. When I tell him that I had not been around it, of course, he made the "stick face" and rolled his eyes. He was on the way out and I stopped him and asked if he would let me repeat the drug screen. Again he rolled his eyes, but did agree. So, instead of a clean catch like the first one, here comes the nurse with an in and out cath kit. I wasn't wild about that, but wasn't about to refuse it. It went to the lab.

Here comes the doc again and this time he asks who I got the urine from for the repeat test. I remind him that he ordered a cath collection for the second one. He says that the urines look like "they came from 2 different patients." When dh suggests that maybe the lab possibly made the error... the doc doesn't like that suggestion. He does call the nurse back in and made sure she cathed the right patient. She just laughed on the way out, apparently he was giving all the nurses a hard time.

So, finally I get d/ced and leave with my negative drug screen. Felt a little insulted, dh and I had both worked there in the ER, and dh still does supervise there. I was glad they finally got the correct screen on my chart at least and they didn't think I had been out purchasing some PCP just before my seizure activity.

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

All I can say is, "wow!" I'm so sorry this happened to you!

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Oh my goodness. As if you hadn't already been through enough! It sounds like this doctor needs to be spoken to. I'm really sorry that happened to you. I hope everything is OK!

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oh anne, i'm sorry!

do you know how your k+ got so low?

and what the heck is it with others accusing you of getting/being on drugs?

first, that idiot vp at your son's school, and now this doc?

jerks everywhere, for sure.

hope you're feeling better.

stay strong, my friend.

leslie

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Specializes in LTC.

That is terrifying. I'm sorry your patient experience was fill with rude doctor.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
oh anne, i'm sorry!

do you know how your k+ got so low?

and what the heck is it with others accusing you of getting/being on drugs?

first, that idiot vp at your son's school, and now this doc?

jerks everywhere, for sure.

hope you're feeling better.

stay strong, my friend.

leslie

Hey leslie! You are right!! When it rains it pours, I guess. I finally got the VP thing at school after talking to the school princ. and the school board. The VP didn't actually think I would have the nerve to take it up with the SB.

I was glad that the ER doc didn't mind retesting me while we were in the ER that night. We looked on the internet while we were waiting for the results and one thing we found was Nyquil. I had taken some of that recently, so that may be one explanation for the first screen. I knew what I had and haven't taken, so I wasn't about to get chapped about it. I have seen more than once the lab just screw up the UDS and then when it's questioned, lab just says, "Oops!" and sends the correct results.

Oh, well. I decided not to lose much sleep over some of the things like that, the ER lab results, that kind of thing. I don't need to get my BP up over things like that.

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Even if the lab does everything correctly, there are false positives possible. I'm glad they re-did it though. That doc was sooooo inappropriate!

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Specializes in ICU.

DANG ANNE!!! but hey,, it's fixed right? Maybe sometime in the near future you and hubby can laugh about it? lol

ETxnurse :)

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I'd be ticked not so much about the false positive but the way it was handled. There was no need for the first nasty accusation. That in and of itself was bad enough but to then ask where you got the clean urine after HE ordered the straight cath is infuriating. After you remind him he has the gall to call in the poor nurse. I'd be sending a letter to his superior. I'm sick of people being treated this was. Rant over.

I'm glad you are okay and feeling better. I'm sorry you went through such a scary ordeal. Hope you are on your road to recovery and stay that way.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
DANG ANNE!!! but hey,, it's fixed right? Maybe sometime in the near future you and hubby can laugh about it? lol

ETxnurse :)

Hey! Did you change your screen name??! I didn't realize. Yes, you are right, before long we will be laughing. I'm just glad I didn't get all torqued up that night about it while I was in the trauma room or I'd still be in there now! Lol!

Dh goes back to work on Monday am and said he will call the nurse manager to get it taken off. It shouldn't be a very big deal, anyway, since the second one should stand behind me since it was a cathed specimen.

Dh has been here with me since we got home from the ER Friday am about 7am. I've been a little freaked out, I guess, since I had no idea what had led up to the seizure episode. Like I said, I didn't even really have a clear idea of what had happened during this and how I acted prior to. I felt so bad that I had scared dh, he is SO sweet, and is a very levelheaded person. He said he was very frightened when he saw me get so cyanotic and basically nonresponsive. It had to be bad for him to call 911, he just doesn't jump to do that.

Anne, RNC

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Specializes in ICU.

I wonder what caused it,, did you have a head ct? Maybe because of your potassium? I've never seen someone go into a seizure because of hypokalemia,, hmmmm

yes, I changed my name! :) I like this one better.

Could it be your meds? Shoot.... I hope yall figure it out .... Thats scary!!

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Hi Anne, glad you are ok. Sorry, the ER doc acted like an idiot.

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