Drug overdose situation.....

[lm8539]

You enter a patients room to find him lying on the floor semi-comotose with pin-point pupils, shallow respirations and diaphoretic. His HR 142, RR, 10, BP 100/60. What would you do? What would you expect the doctor to do? What medications and actions would you expect to be given?

[ICURNGUY]

ABCs definately first, but so many are sure jumping on airway.....more specifically, intubation or advanced airway securing first. That is fine, but that requires time and possibly causing more problems especially if there is something else going. Also the meds required for intubation can cause a cluster of more problems and mask ongoing symptoms as something else. Least invasive first, and in this scenerio the resps are 10, though shallow, a BVM will be sufficient. WTBCRNA has the idea.....also think Hs and Ts with ACLS....BP is actually pretty good, but Tachy! Think Hypo Volume, Toxicity, and yes the labs.

Just my 2 cents.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Ha ha ... we all know that intubation followed by Narcan can equal a very unhappy patient.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

Ha ha ... we all know that intubation followed by Narcan can equal a very unhappy patient.

Experienced nurses that work in ER and ICU usually do, but I have seen too many nurses give the full dose of Narcan as a fast IVP. What is worse is the physicians that order Narcan to be given that way....

[RyanSofie]

Great to see some professionals who use a question as an opportunity to "teach". Nurses we need to nuture our young not scold them for asking questions. ABC 1st step Notify EMS 2nd...that means in hospital call for help as you have a patient in a life threatening situation...Team work...

[lm8539]

Thank you for all of your help guys....see, this kind of stuff you can't always get from the text book....there can be more than one answer, and as a nurse who has not been in a hopsital for two years, I really need help with this stuff :)

Thanks again :)