They did a c-section without anesthesia

PMFB-RN · Dec 12, 2006, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by mom23RN

There are hospitals in the UP of Michigan that don't even have a DOCTOR on staff - not even in the ER.

*** Not just in the UP of MI either. Many small hospitals all over rural America have no doctor of any kind available 24/7. I used to be a frequient visitor to the ER of our local 12 bed hospital. After 5:00PM or any time on the weekend there was no doctor in the building. There was (and still is) a fantastic NP that runs the show. She has stitched me up half dozen times, flicked tiny bit of shredded brass out of my cornia with an 18ga needle, given me IV antibiotics after I stepped on a nail that first passed through my manure covered boot (I used to be a dairy farmer), set broken fingers, diagnosed and treated various broken bones in my feed, hands and arms, delivered our first born child and lots of other stuff. Total staff there was the NP, an RN, and a CNA. If they had many full beds maybe another RN or LPN.

cozmo_blozmo · Dec 12, 2006, 07:02 PM

So please tell us how you exope

So please enlighten us as to how a hospital with a solo anesthesia provider is suppose to live at a hospital 24/7 265 days a year?

Originally Posted by BSNtobe2009

I don't think having an CRNA in-house 24/7 makes a facility a Level I trauma center.

The fact is, we aren't talking about some things that can be done TEMPORARILY by another doctor or nurse...Anesthesia is Anesthesia. If you don't have at minimum a CRNA there, then someone shouldn't have to choose between getting a surgery without property pain control and dying when immediate transport is not possible, and more is required to stablize a patient.

I'm not saying that rural hospitals should be able to do everything and every hour....anesthesia is just something that I cannot believe hospitals "skimp" on. It's just too important.

kimdanielrn · Dec 12, 2006, 07:13 PM

I'm seen this before. I'm a NICU nursem and the baby was in distress.....The mother had no IV access....They had to hold her down to the bed. The epidural never worked. This hospital had a very good PR team.

Mrs.S · Dec 13, 2006, 05:23 PM

wow, that kinda boggles my mind that some of you have seen this bfore...doesn't sound like it happens too often though. I'm still perplexed as to why a local wasn't used; I'm wondering if it would have gone deep enough? anyway, thanks for your responses. I haven't gotten any answers to my questions at work yet, but I've had some time off so...if I find anything interesting out I'll update.
thanks again

heartICU · Dec 13, 2006, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by kimdanielrn

I'm seen this before. I'm a NICU nursem and the baby was in distress.....The mother had no IV access....They had to hold her down to the bed. The epidural never worked. This hospital had a very good PR team.

Patient had an epidural yet no IV access? Hmmm...something fishy here.

*Spidey's mom* · Dec 14, 2006, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by heartICU

Patient had an epidural yet no IV access? Hmmm...something fishy here.

We can't do an epidural w/o IV access . . .. maybe the access was lost . . . . still it only take a few seconds to start a new IV.

More info is definitely needed . .

steph

jrussole · Dec 14, 2006, 11:29 AM

Why are you people jumping all over my case? Why can't you be civil? I made a err and omitted "general", excuse me. That is the problem with nurses most of us are so busy to jump down someone's throat for a comment or an opinion. I don't need to be corrected. If this person received a cut without anesthesia whether it be general or local it is still an incident and needs to be reported. No one should ever be subjected to such pain. And yes, most women would undergoe the pain in order to save their baby. But that is another discussion, isn't it. Your replies to my answer were without question, offensive to me. Stop being know it alls! I can't stand nurses like you. You took my words, screwed around with them and turned them inside out. And for what reason? Do you feel superior now?

*SmilingBluEyes* · Dec 14, 2006, 06:06 PM

I ask we keep this thread civil. Asking questions is one thing; grilling or making accusatory posts, quite another. I hate to have to close the thread because a lot can be learned by sharing various experiences and thoughts. Please, if you feel tempted to attack someone, walk away from the computer and think before you post. Please, converse here as you would among your professional peers at work or an OB conference.

Thank you.

imenid37 · Dec 14, 2006, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by heartICU

Patient had an epidural yet no IV access? Hmmm...something fishy here.

We do need Iv access to do an epidural. It could have come out. I had Patient who was extremely obese not too long ago become diaphoretic and hypotensive post-epidural. Guess what slipped out as she sweated away. The IV that took 3 nurses and 4 sticks to insert. Luckily, anesthesia stuck her and got it back in on try #2 for him. Sometimes the IV comes out d/t Murphy's Law, not because we are bad nurses, etc. Both mom and baby recovered and did fine. Things do happen. Ithink it is good to discuss things like this, calmly because you never know what situation you may find yourself in.

mitchsmom · Dec 15, 2006, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by stevielynn

We can't do an epidural w/o IV access . . .. maybe the access was lost . . . . still it only take a few seconds to start a new IV.

More info is definitely needed . .

steph

One of ours didn't have IV access, either, she was bleeding out and no one could get it until the baby was already out (mom was still on the table)...
She didn't have an epidural though; same deal, we have to have IV access for that but yeah it could have gone bad... sometimes stories are hard without all the details