detox

[janleb]

I work on a med surg floor/tele. I was working tele last night a 22 yo male admitted to etoh detox, MI from cocaine abuse, On the third upon admission he tested positive urinalysis, for cocain, marijuana, barbituates, neg for etoh. I looked at the last labs on the sixth still positive for the cocaine. Very manipulative. Late night visistors I escorted out but I am sure they left something behind. The paper they handed him looked similar to what I would say blotter acid would look like. very strange behavior. He is noncompliant. The previous day they used narcan on him. We are not a lock down unit , we are not a drug detox unit. what are my boundaries as far as searching the room . I sent the paper to the local police to be tested still awaiting results. As far as safety issues with security do you think I had the right to search the room? I asked lab the urinalysis lab the cocaine is notdetectable 24-48 hours after admisssion if not using. The doctor only wrote pt not allowed to leave the floor. I told him if he kept up with his lifestyle that explicitely what would happen to his heart, his lungs and his liver and he would be lucky to see 30. But like most 22 yr old risk taking males with psych issues are invincible to everything that the normal population are not. we have no real protocol concerning this kind of issue. As far as I was concerned his third set of CE were negative, SR, using and his BP would be hypotensive, use narcan send him to a psych lock down unit. It is not my job to babysit, he actually had the nerve to ask for a sponge bath, so I told him that I would get Bob the tech to help him if he felt he needed that much help. I had one othe pt cp and on cardiac gtt, pt with CT, confused pt pulling out lines left and right. I think I am angry that a 22 yo has the nerve to throw away a life God gave him so sorry for him that he just doesn't get it. A very bad night thank you for listeningJanice