procedural sedation

meandragonbrett · May 22, 2002

They only way to find out is to look at your chart or ask the doctor. You won't sound silly asking what they are pushing. I'm a nosey pt. but the doctors and nurses seem to like that, sometimes. I want to know what they are giving me before they give it!

Brett

BTW- Welcome to the board nick. Are you in the healthcare profession?j\w

nrw350 · May 23, 2002

Not in the profession, but am a little trained. I am an eagle scout with the life saving and first aide merit badges. I have also taken an Emergency Medical Care course as an elective in college.

It just feels strange asking them that question, and I do not really want to seem like I know it all to them. Are the sensations that I described for the procedural sedation common? Also, would you mind if I posted my bad experiences here for your comments?

Nick

meandragonbrett · May 23, 2002

Nick,

Go ahead and post away! Different people have different sensations when given concious sedation. When I have it done I always ask for a drug called "Versed" It's wonderful stuff, but can be dangerous if not used right. I don't remember anything afterwards because of the versed. Last time I had sedation they told me that I woke up during the procedure and started yelling at them. Now, I sure don't remember that one! But that's due to my best friend, Versed. Welcome to the board nick.

Brett

nrw350 · May 23, 2002

Ok,

The same things about which I am going to described happened to me two times. Once at age 12, and again at 14 (just prior to my 15th birthday). I was going to the hospital for surgery on my eyes to correct birth defects. One of which my eye lashes were growing in reverse and scraping my eyes. The other (the surgery at age 14) was to take a skin graph and lengthen my eye lids so that they closed all the way.

A critical factor in both instances is the fact that I did not wish my parents to know that I was scared, and that I did not want to worry about me. It has always been my experience and belief that the pain I feel when family and friends worry about me is worse than any physical pain that I have endured. With this in mind, I did not tell ANYONE that I was scared. Because I did not want word getting back to my parents.

Anyway, here is basically what happened both times. I was taken to pre-op, iv started and all the usual checks. But no one told me what to expect from then on. So all I could is lay there and let things take their course.

Once in the OR, everything started to get scarrier. I remember starting to feel a little sleepy (but not too much), and I attributed it to having been laying down for about 30 minutes or so. So I just figured go on and close my eyes since the lights were bright in the OR too. All the while nurses putting ekg leads and bp monitor on me. I remember a mask being put on me. Just prior to the mask I feel something very very very cold and sharp shooting up my arm. It really hurt to say the least. Then I feel an ice cold sensation enclose around me. Starting from my hands and feet and working its way to the center. The closer it got to the center the harder it became for me to breathe. I was still "awake" when the cold reached the center and I could no longer breathe. I even remember someone telling me to breathe. But I simply could not. Of course by this time, I am totally scared out of my wits. Then there is nothing.

In post-op I remember someone ripping the ekq leads off me which also really hurt. And I remember having problems breathing there too. At age 14, I remember sitting up in the bed to catch my breath and then WHAM! I would be out cold again. I remember this happening about 3 times. I was totally miserable, and with the surgery having been near my eyes, opening them was almost impossible.

These two experiences is what started me researching anesthesia, because as I have said before I want to educate myself to limit the possibility of this happening again.

Thanks for letting me post this, and I look forward to hearing your comments.

Nick

nrw350 · May 24, 2002

I dont think that I should have posted in this thread because I am afraid I just jynxed myself. I now have a broken tooth and it is bothering me something fierce. What worse is that my insurance had been revoked due to them changing the rules and making it manditory to be attending school full time to recieve the insurance benefit from my mom's job after the deadline to drop/add classes in college. I dont have the near 400 bucks to get this tooth removed by my oral surgeon. Whats bad is that to remove the tooth is only 80 bucks, the rest is the anesthesia expenses.

Well gotta get back to work now, catch yall later.

Nick

bubba · May 25, 2002

Nick,

That sounds like a really scarry experience. I'm working on being a CRNA. I will remember your story and will make every effort to prevent this from happening to others. I'm not sure if the experience you described is common, but I haven't ever heard of it before. Maybe others have?

nrw350 · May 25, 2002

Thanks, do you mind if we chat sometime? my chat handle on both yahoo and aim is nrw350. Im me on yahoo even if you dont see me online, because I tend to stay invisible because of the pervs online.,

thanks.

nick

Susapet · May 26, 2002

Hi,

I have read this through now and since I am from Sweden I have problem finding out what MSO 4 is? I have the Nursing drug handbook so all the others I could find.

Hope someone will help me out.

Susanne

meandragonbrett · May 26, 2002

Susapet,

MSO4 is Morphine Sulfate the "M" is the morphine and the SO4 is the chemical symbol for sulfate. It goes back to the good ole days of general chemistry. I've never seen it written as "MSO4" Down here in my region the common way is just simply "MS"

Welcome to the board!

Brett

nrw350 · May 26, 2002

I thought that the use morphine was banned except in cases where the person terminally ill already?

Nick

nrw350 · May 27, 2002

This week I will be going to my oral surgeon to get this tooth out. I have had this happen before, and I will not go to my general dentist because they will not be able to get it out. One question that I have is what If I ask them for something that would help calm my nerves for when I arrive. Even though I know what is going to happen, I am still very uneasy/nervous.

Nick

Rhon1991 · May 27, 2002

NRW,

I am not a nurse anesthetisit but a RN hoping to be a CRNA one day. My personal opinion to your questions are:

1) Regarding when you are to have your tooth extracted, inform them how nervous you are, ect and if you could have some versed. If they have reservation about that, then at least you asked... just ask what then you could have to be less anxious and just see what they say. I doubt anyone walking in to have that done is at ease!

2) Your experiences of feeling cold and unable to breathe COULD have been due to being medically paralyzed before you were adequately sedated (unconscious). Again, pure speculation on my part since I was not there. Anesthesia involves meds that temporarily sedate AND paralyze and the usual course is to adequately sedate first then paralyze and keep you sedated until the paralytic has worn off.

Dont EVER be intimidated to ask questions or inform those who are to care for you - your feelings or thoughts on care you have had or care that you are about to have. That is just you taking care of you and looking out for yourself. Any healthcare worker should respect that. And it enables them to best meet your needs!

Rhonda