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Had a funny thing happen the other day. A young woman came in for some vague complaints of weakness. It was busy and some nurse not from our department was starting an IV and really digging around. I went in to talk with the patient and the monitor was right in front of my face. I noticed her rhythm slow, then she had 13 seconds of asystole! Her eyes rolled back as I put the back of the bed down and I shook her pretty hard and yelled at her. She gave a big jerk then woke up and said "what happened"? Her boyfriend then tells us, "oh yeah she always passes out when they start IVs". The funniest part was that the MD was chapped he couldn't find precanned discharge instructions for asystole. God I love this job...
A vagal reaction to be sure......but an extreme one. I would have thought she deserved an overnight tele and a tilt table in the am.
Do the Doc really discharge ger?????
I have vagal responses when I have IV's started on myself. Comes on quick and goes away quick with no effects. I feel an aura coming on and then out. I have even told nurses that I was about to go out. I used to do it upon any injection/stick. Now it only happens with IV's that they have to dig on.
nurse2033, MSN, RN
3 Articles; 2,133 Posts
Had a funny thing happen the other day. A young woman came in for some vague complaints of weakness. It was busy and some nurse not from our department was starting an IV and really digging around. I went in to talk with the patient and the monitor was right in front of my face. I noticed her rhythm slow, then she had 13 seconds of asystole! Her eyes rolled back as I put the back of the bed down and I shook her pretty hard and yelled at her. She gave a big jerk then woke up and said "what happened"? Her boyfriend then tells us, "oh yeah she always passes out when they start IVs". The funniest part was that the MD was chapped he couldn't find precanned discharge instructions for asystole. God I love this job...