Ever been shocked during a code?

ernursen · Oct 24, 2008

Not during a code, but I was asked to start an IV on a pt whose internal defibrillator kept misfiring and after I got access to the vein and was withdrawing the needle, his defibrillator went off and shocked the bejesus out of me. It was the craziest feeling ever. I seriously saw stars. :eek:

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 24, 2008

i've gotten shocked by the patient's internal defibrillator a few times, and it surprised the dickens out of me! especially on the patient i didn't know had an aicd!

i saw a co-worker get shocked by an overzealous intern one time -- she ended up getting shocked into svt and went to the er. the sad thing was, the intern was shocking artifact -- there was a nice, steady art line pressure!

and then there was the time we were shocking the patient lying in a puddle of water . . . electricity arcing all over the place.

by the way, if the patient is a prisoner in custody, it's a good idea to take the wrist and ankle bracelets off him before attempting to defibrillate. the patient got some nasty burns, and the bed frame was shooting sparks!

and then there was the mouse we electrocuted during one particularly nasty code in an inner city hospital a few decades ago. iv fluid leaking out onto the floor formed a puddle under the bed, and the mouse who was trapped under there eating the remnants of the patient's dinner when the code was called got electrocuted during one of our 20 or so defibrillations.

oregonchinamom · Oct 24, 2008

I got "paced" once through hands-off defib pads. One of my co-workers turned the pacer on while one was stuck to my hand. I started yelling and she was so shocked that she couldn't figure out how to turn it off and I didn't want to grab it with my other hand and complete a circut right through my chest. Hurt like a son of a gun and put me into SVT for about 5 min (I have a SVT history).

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2008

i was shocked once a looong time ago when handing off the paddles to the resident. he inevertently hit the buttons when taking them. i remember a buzz, the smell of burnt flesh and him with me the rest of the night, making sure i was ok. it was a looong night with a million apologies.

then just recently a co-worker shocked a patient forgetting to yell clear. it was a very near miss. i saw her hand going for the button and jumped out of the way. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

flightnurse2b, LPN · Oct 24, 2008

i had a co-worker who had his hand on the bedrail when we called clear and he burnt his fingers.

ive been shocked by an AICD more than once while doing CPR. ive also had my nextel in my pocket and i totally forgot to move it before i started charging the defibrillator and i remember how hot the phone got...it started buzzing really loud and i just threw it bc i figured it would burn me... i guess it was the radio in it or something.

jstbreathe · Oct 24, 2008

Almost, by a nervous nurse. She pushed shock as she said clear! Thank God we all knew how she was......we were watching her and we moved in time. Someone else took over!!

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Oct 25, 2008

We were doing a code in the simulation lab with a dummy on the table who you actually shock with a real defib. We were going through the code, leader called clear and we all stepped back. Just as she hit the shock button, someone noticed I had put my foot up to rest on one of the wheels. I was standing back, but the room was small and for whatever reason had just put my foot up to rest there. Thankfully I pulled it back before I got shocked. Now I am EXTRA careful with the "I'm clear, you're clear, we're all CLEAR!!"