I lost my first patient the other night....a patient that was actually my assignment. Ive had other patients that were in cardiac arrest upon arrival but I dont consider that the same.
It was an older (but walkie talky healthy) lady who came in for AMS. She was juat very lethargic when she arrived but responsive and was even singing a song with her daughter while i was starting a second line haha
Anyway, she was uroseptic and all of a sudden decompensated and became mottled. She went into SVT and got SOB with audible wheezes OUT OF NO WHERE.
The doc had ordered antibiotx but they were a little delayed Since they are not a normally stocked med. As she was decompensating, the doctor kept askimg me "where are her antibiotics?" I told him pharmacy was tubing them to me. They finally came and we ended up bolusing three difff antibiotics as a last stitch effort.
After five hrs we managed to get her to the ICU but she passed shortly after.
I feel like I could have been more assertive about getting the medication sooner and maybe it would have given her a better shot. Maybe it was because the doctor made me feel like i wasnt doing enough or maybe it was because the pt was "fine" when she came in.
Would an earlier initiation have done much help? There was a good 30min delay in starting the antibiotics. I cant help but feeling guilty!
