Sick kids

1. I had one of the sickest babies I have ever seen come through the doors of our ED last shift. I was working a 5p-1a shift and at about 9pm EMS called in. They were coming in Code 2 (emergency) with a 7 mo old in resp distress. You could hear the baby screaming in the back ground. And I thought that if he was screaming that loud, then he wasn't in too much distress. But when that baby came through those doors, I almost started crying. He had the most awful rash and his lips, hands, and feet were blue. His SaO2 was 78% on a NRB. We stabilized him and flew him to the closest children's hospital. But that was one sick baby. Mom was so sad. Dad had just left to go out of town for work, and mom had no way to find him. She stayed right there through out everything. I was able to explain what we were doing as we did it. As the helicopter took off, the mom turned around and hug me and began crying. All she said was Thank you for saving my baby and thank you for taking care of me, too.
   
   Sometimes this job is the hardest job in the world, but it is always the greatest.:angel2:

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2. 

   About atownsendrn

   Joined: May '03; Posts: 243; Likes: 3
   emergency RN

   9 Comments

   Topic Closed
3. 
   May 26, '03

   wow, as I hear your story I put myself in both the mom's position and the nurse's position. What an inspiration.
   Jen
   18 days til graduation
   RN 2003
4. 
   May 26, '03

   Bless you; you make a difference.
5. 
   May 26, '03

   Any idea what was going on with the little guy? Hope he's going to be okay.
6. 
   May 27, '03

   Anaphlactic shock!! Not sure what he is allergic to. But I hope they find out soon. I talked to his nurse in ICU at the children's hospital. She said it was touch and go all night. She had never seen such a bad reaction. Doing much better now. Allergist are seeing him. They say if he is ever again exposed to whatever he had a reaction to he probably won't survive it.
7. 
   May 29, '03

   AWW......I AM SO SAD AFTER READING THAT. DID YOU CRY? I AM CRYING NOW. I HAVE TWO SMALL BOYS AND COULD NOT IMAGINE.
8. 
   May 29, '03

   Oh how sad, sick kids are the worst . Glad to hear that he is doing better. (((hugs)))
9. 
   May 30, '03

   Thank god it was "only " an anaphylaxis - when I read your first post I kept thinking of the Meningococcal babies I have seen. It is nice to feel that we have made a difference - you did good!
10. 
    May 30, '03

    Sending a PA {{{HUG}}} to you!
    
    I immediately thought of anaphylaxis reading your post after a similar incident with my then 10yo son. He had 1/2 cashew at neighbors--came home 20 min later c/o itchy throat and drank milk thinking it would help--started with hives, gave him some benadryl and talked to neighbors to find out what he ate. Knew he had seasonal and animal allergies, had just started allergy shots 3 months before. Within 10 more minutes wheezy so I gave nebulizer treatment--5 minutes lobster red skin, blue lips and nails and voice up an octive. Threw him in the car, breezed thru red lights "Mom I'm OK" In ER 5 min later---triage RN took one look at him as I came thru doorway, stepped him up on scale for wt then rushed him down the hall. By time I parked car, scribbled consent forms and returned to his room, IV in, epi given, Steroids and IV Zantac infusing, hi O2 ----thought they might need to intubate. Touch and go for several hrs.
    
    THANK GOD for ER NURSES!! :kiss
    
    14 yo now, he reads labels and avoids all nut products (peanuts OK) ---no more Honey Nut Cheerios! "I never want that to happen again" he said.
11. 
    May 31, '03

    Karen, how dreadful! Good job you didn't wait for the ambulance!
    
    I'm amazed how little info is provided in our hospital cafeteria, it's getting better, but too many products contain nuts, and a limited supply for people with allergies.
    Also, we are sometimes given icecream bars (our Hospital Week gift if you were working) They are usually ones with nuts, and they refuse to provide the ones without.......is that discrimination?

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