Student passed out on PE doing fitness gram, was having abnormal breathing and not responding. Called 911, operator gave instructions to do CPR and just did it, 3 mins, not stopping. Other people around me were freaking out, no one wanted to take over, so I kept going. EMTs came, took it over, student was fine after a while. She has done this before, basically anxiety/panic attacks, and parents are trying to find the cause of it. She went home, and was fine after all issue, talking and smiling. People were telling me good job, and was said I was very calm doing the issue, but in all honestly, I was trying to keep it together while everyone is panicking and I know I'll freak out later at home.
Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
Do you have an AED on campus, and if so, did you have a chance to use it? I don't know that I'd do compressions with a pulse, but then I haven't been in the situation so you never know how you'll react. As a mom, I would have demanded ambulance take the child to the ER. Good job for not panicking.
We do, but I didn't use it unless the 911 operator said to use it. As it was said, I am only a CMA, I am CPR/AED certified but the thing that we were so panicked and worried, that all that training just went out of the window and I called 911 to make sure what procedures should be taken.
Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..
Which is why I want to go to school for be a for real School nurse.
I love my job and even though there were some crazy moments, I love my students.
We hope that you can fulfill your hope to go to school to become a Nurse!. You have a head start with all your experience. It is obvious that you love your job and students, by the thoughtful posts that you share.
Not to be mean, but I see a lot of redundant responses, the answer is in the thread.
I'm going to add another dynamic to this. I taught PALS before leaving the ICUs for school and compressions are indicated if there is no pulse OR if there is a pulse that is not effective. So if there was a pulse less than 60 and the child had symptoms of poor perfusion (the unresponsiveness), there should be compressions. We haven't been told what this child's palpable carotid pulse was or how it was obtained. I thought there was a post that mentioned hearing a pulse- remember a person can have an apical pulse without a palpable central pulse.
I've given compressions in the presence of an ineffective pulse and only once have I had the person perfuse enough to hit me while compressing and then go back to unresponsive thready bradycardia when I'd take my hands off.
Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
I'm going to add another dynamic to this. I taught PALS before leaving the ICUs for school and compressions are indicated if there is no pulse OR if there is a pulse that is not effective. So if there was a pulse less than 60 and the child had symptoms of poor perfusion (the unresponsiveness), there should be compressions. We haven't been told what this child's palpable carotid pulse was or how it was obtained. I thought there was a post that mentioned hearing a pulse- remember a person can have an apical pulse without a palpable central pulse.
I've given compressions in the presence of an ineffective pulse and only once have I had the person perfuse enough to hit me while compressing and then go back to unresponsive thready bradycardia when I'd take my hands off.
Thank you for the information! That's something interesting to read, and keep in mind.
We do, but I didn't use it unless the 911 operator said to use it. As it was said, I am only a CMA, I am CPR/AED certified but the thing that we were so panicked and worried, that all that training just went out of the window and I called 911 to make sure what procedures should be taken.
I understand, you did exactly what you were supposed to given the circumstances. Scary! I'm glad you were able to keep a clear head and that your student is doing good. Have they ruled out seizures?
She did but the 911 operator said to do it because she had labored/abnormal breathing. She wasn't transported because she was fine after a while and mother came to pick her up.
Um, if the patient had a perfusing rhythm, you shouldn't have been doing compressions.
If the kid was so stable that EMS didn't see the need for transport, even more so.
And effective CPR is traumatic.
I'm truly stunned that you did CPR on a patient for three minutes and that didn't even buy the kid a basic ED work up.
Amethya
1,821 Posts
We do, but I didn't use it unless the 911 operator said to use it. As it was said, I am only a CMA, I am CPR/AED certified but the thing that we were so panicked and worried, that all that training just went out of the window and I called 911 to make sure what procedures should be taken.