gasland

From the telemetry floor: S/p cardiac arrest with multiple broken ribs. Reperfusion dysrythmias noted, asymptomatic. Pt. enters sustained v tach. Room full of cardiac nurses and cardiac NP. Attending on cell with NP. Zoll set up bedside. 10 minutes into v tach pt. blood pressure starts getting soft, pt. has that look that he's about to go from a/o to out. Me: "Mr. so and so, stay with me, tell me a story." Eyes open, pt. talks coherently to me for about 30 seconds, eyes start to go back. Me: "I do not have a carotid." NP jumps once on chest, textbook compression. Pt.'s eyes open, swearing. Pt. interacting with me. Serious, quick, debate about cardioverting with nothing feel good on board happening bedside. Someone runs to try to get anesthesia for sedation. While debate going on, I notice pt. starting to swoon again. Me: "We are loosing him again." Nurse Manager: Shut the door. NP: Shock. Loudest scream I ever heard. NP: I am so sorry Mr. so and so. Me: "Did we just cardiovert or defibriliate?" Anesthesia walks in for the cardioversion.