In your experience.......when a seemingly "stable" patient tells you they are

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Specializes in ICU, Cardiac.

Going to die........how often are they right?

A "stable" patient last night, said she was going to die, there was nothing that was out of the ordinary with her.......

but she did die - 4 hours later....

So, in your experience, how many patients have been right with their feeling of "impending doom?"

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I had the same thing happen to me. I had a stable patient that was planning to be discharged home that day. When I made first rounds that morning and asked him if he was glad to be going home that day, he said,"I'm going to die today." I brushed the statement off & jokingly told him that I didn't think it was on the schedule. About 3 hours later, he died. From that point on, I've taken those sort of statements seriously.

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All of them. That is, no patient has ever said this to me but I have had 2 patients who just didn't look right. VS stable, neuro status WNL but somehow not looking right or restless/not acting normal. Had doctors check both of them out, told me to keep an eye on them, both wound up in ICU within a few hours. Not sure how they fared, I think they made it home. One had sepsis, the other probably a PE or MI, not sure.

Another patient had been discharged from ER, told to come back if worse/no better. She told me, as she was walking to the door, that she couldn't breathe, so I brought her back in for a recheck. She quit breathing and died within a short while, in the ER, while awaiting recheck. PE.

I think people know, can sense when it's their time. Believe them. It doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to change the outcome but at least you will have done all you could.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

Always take it seriously. Watch them closely. They could be right.

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That is the kind of statement that will make the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There haven't been very many times that a patient has said that to me that he/she didn't do their darndest to die.

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Specializes in ER/ICU, CCL, EP.

Just had this happen to me. Take it seriously.

If a patient tells you they want to change their code status, right now....get someone in there to do it immediately or you might wind up doing some CPR you didn't bargain for.

How do they know? No idea....but they do.

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Specializes in ICU, Cardiac.

Absolutely, anytime someone says that it is taken very seriously.....and she died despite it being taken seriously.

Just wondering about everyone's overall experiences.....

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I seen this happen twice and both times the patients didn't seem in the least bit upset. It was as though they knew it was going to happen and they were ready. They went down so fast nothing could be done.

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It is so spooky but some people know when it's time. I never really took it seriously but after it happend a couple of times I believe them now. It's almost like the last bit of control they have, knowing it is going to happen and they say it so calmly you can't help but shiver thinking about it.

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Specializes in MICU.

I had a 46 y/o M who was A & O and doing extremely well after a valve replacement. I walked by his room and he was walking with the foley still attached to the bed and his IV pump 10 feet behind him with the tubing about to give. I ran in and grasped his arm and quickley assessed him. He told me "I am going to the gates!". He died a few hours after I left.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

ANY TIME they say that . . . it's impending. Never had a patient lie to me about dying.

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My father said it to his nurse he day he died. He also told my mother, who didn't believe him. He coded 3 hours later...and died.

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