neat tricks

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

Did you learn something really useful at work that is not taught in an ICU course? Let's help out the new ICU nurses and start a thread about that.

Here's mine:

A few weeks back I had a severely confused woman with a sodium of 112. Paranoid, agitated, refusing everything pulling our IVs in restraints. The doctor had me put a salt tab in her water pitcher and by morning her sodium was 123. Much safer than 3% SS which can cause pontine demyelination and requires a central line.

[fiveofpeep]

https://allnurses.com/micu-sicu-nursing/new-icu-what-482929.html

this post has the same premise and already has a lot of responses you might enjoy reading through

[detroitdano]

Not so sure I'd offer up that advice. You never know if she's going to drink it.