so despite doing this for 15 million years, i've never given Epi -until today.
Kid came in all itchy throated then got progressively more and more moonfaced all the while arguing with me that he DIDN"T need or want Epi until i finally got through to him that he can die if I don't do this. He wasn't happy about the needle but said that the itching in his throat stopped and he was starting to look less and less like Hitch.
I see in his future a trip to the allergist. Now, if only I could see the powerball numbers so clearly.
I don't comment on her too often. But with this one, I need to, because I feel your pain.
Had abn FF who is very high drama and often comes to the nurse office for trumped up reasons just to get attention. One of those kiddos that often has a lot of complaints that are usually more about attention than the real thing.
Said kiddo comes to the office after school as I am readying to leave, c/o ate a pistachio. What we have one record is kiddo is allergic to peanuts. Intuition caused me to stay and monitor him. Within less than 10 minutes, his throat shrank from my first assessment to the second, and his face actually puffed up like a balloon. As I was running for our stock epi pen, his mom came in, scooped him up, and shoved him into the car so she could speed off to the local ER.
First time I saw anaphylaxis in front of me. Taught me a lot. Stressful.
Hugs to you!
School nursing isn't what your average person thinks it is. Yes, there are boring days. But then there are the days when anything can and does happen.
I'm not a school nurse. My BFF from grade school is one. She is the funniest, craziest, person I know. So I love to peak at the school nurses forum. You guys are funny and great.
So my BFF told me a few years ago she was demonstrating to either staff or parents (not sure which) how to use epi pens. She accidentally injected herself in her thumb.
Soooo typical of her stories. Always laughing at her goof ups, not at others.
I don't comment on her too often. But with this one, I need to, because I feel your pain.
Had abn FF who is very high drama and often comes to the nurse office for trumped up reasons just to get attention. One of those kiddos that often has a lot of complaints that are usually more about attention than the real thing.
Said kiddo comes to the office after school as I am readying to leave, c/o ate a pistachio. What we have one record is kiddo is allergic to peanuts. Intuition caused me to stay and monitor him. Within less than 10 minutes, his throat shrank from my first assessment to the second, and his face actually puffed up like a balloon. As I was running for our stock epi pen, his mom came in, scooped him up, and shoved him into the car so she could speed off to the local ER.
First time I saw anaphylaxis in front of me. Taught me a lot. Stressful.
Hugs to you!
School nursing isn't what your average person thinks it is. Yes, there are boring days. But then there are the days when anything can and does happen.
Hugs to all school nurses!
This kid is a pip. He likes to come down and polish up his skills for his someday Academy award. It would have been very easy to dismiss the itchy throat as malingering or seasonal allergies but thankfully nurse intuition paid off - the lips swelling up very quickly after the initial complaint was a good indicator too.
Thanks everyone! Nobody else here really seems to grasp the gravity of what happened here yesterday.
Ugh, this is just how I felt when a similar situation happened to me last year. It's a BIG freaking deal when you have to give epi. Very few people seem to understand the gravity of the situation. Thank goodness for the support here!
Nobody else here really seems to grasp the gravity of what happened here yesterday.
It's seems less heroic than CPR which always attracts a scene. But it is no less significant- even moreso, actually... ABCs of assessment- airway is first for a reason!!
It would have been very easy to dismiss the itchy throat as malingering or seasonal allergies but thankfully nurse intuition paid off - the lips swelling up very quickly after the initial complaint was a good indicator too.
Then there is the kid c/o throat discomfort and making weird noises stridor like noises intermittently. Took me 15 minutes of assessing him to figure out that he was making the noise intentionally because "it felt good." SMH
Ugh, this is just how I felt when a similar situation happened to me last year. It's a BIG freaking deal when you have to give epi. Very few people seem to understand the gravity of the situation. Thank goodness for the support here!
I'm just hoping and praying that the parents understand how serious this was. This child and the family needs testing and education for this and it's just not something that I can provide here. If this had happened at home what would the outcome have been?
KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN
655 Posts
Way to go Flare!!!