So tonight I was working and picked up a patient with an "abscess" to his thumb, when I went in to assess him it was clear that he would be admitted for cellulitis and get IV ABX. Doc goes in and examines him, then orders 1 gram vanc, and 900mg clindamycin IV. I go in to start this guys IV, and he had ROPES for veins, they were gorgeous. However, when I stuck him the first time, it was like sticking a needle through steel. That one blew. All the while pt and pt's girlfriend are asking me if doc ordered pain med (he hadn't - but I said I'd talk to the doc and get an order). So I try and stick him again, and once again gorgeous vein that is hard as a rock.
So I send my much more experienced charge nurse in to start an IV. It took her 3 sticks and she finally got an IV in the back of his hand. After sticking him the first time she asked if he ever used IV drugs. He said no, but his girlfriend pulled me aside and said that he did "but he was clean for 6 months."
Well, after the IV is in, he gets 4 morphine, 4 zofran, and I start the vanc. Not even 10 minutes later, I walk by his room to the IV beeping and he is GONE. Gown on the bed, IV tubing UNSCREWED, and tubing clamped off. So I do the search around the ER, we go outside, and we send security to check all the cars in the parking lot. I mean the guy with the drug history just disappeared with a main line to his veins!
After talking with my charge nurse, I try and call his home (bogus number), and then she told me to contact the police, to either have him come in to get the IV out, or have the paramedics take it out. About 20 minutes later, I get a call from an Officer stating they are at his address and no one appears to be home. She wanted to run his social to make sure that it was his address. I gave it to her, and he turned up to have 19 - count them NINETEEN - FELONY WARRANTS! She said that if he returned to call the police to have him arrested.
Well, an hour and a half after her went missing he returns with IV still in reeking of pot, saying some story about he had to get a babysitter for his daughter blah blah blah, and he said he had to hurry out, but he told someone he was leaving... (Which no one in the ER was told). So when he showed up I sent him to the lobby to wait for a room, and I called the police.
They showed up right as my shift was ending. But from what I understand, he will be arrested. I guess my concern is did I do the right thing??? What do you do if a patient shows up missing and has an IV still in place? I mean even if he wasn't a drug user, that's a HEALTH RISK to leave that in there. Also, he has just gotten morphine, so if I believe his story and he was taking his daughter to the babysitter, he was driving under the influence of MORPHINE! ugh. I just need someone to tell me what to do in that situation. The doc didn't want us to call the police, our nursing supervisor did... I was just generally confused. Has anyone ever been in this situation? IF SO PLEASE HELP! :confused:
Our local police will not do anything to retrieve the IV user. Per the local district attorney,
since we put in the IV for treatment and everyone is expected to pay their bill( haha), the patient is charged for this treatment and they are not stealing.
:confused:
rnjeffrey
11 Posts
Our local police will not do anything to retrieve the IV user. Per the local district attorney,
since we put in the IV for treatment and everyone is expected to pay their bill( haha), the patient is charged for this treatment and they are not stealing.