Pt dies on BSC today

allantiques4me · Mar 14, 2007

Hi Gardendove.Sorry about the loss of your PT.But what exactly is BSC??I personally dont have any interesting death stories

GardenDove · Mar 14, 2007

BSC = Bedside Commode. I thought that was a standard abbreviation.

jill48, ASN, RN · Mar 14, 2007

Two words: valsalva maneuver. You will see alot of patients in LTC who pass away on the BSC because when the go to have a BM, they bear down; which decreases venous blood return to the heart. Haven't ya ever wondered why EVERY LTC pt. has an order for stool softeners? It's not really the way I want to go. I learned that eleven years ago in nursing school and I still think of it every time I sit down to have my own BM. It's just one of those crazy things I never forgot.:rotfl:

oneLoneNurse · Mar 14, 2007

A gem of an uncle of mine died like this a few years ago.

speti4 · Mar 14, 2007

As the doc tells it-- An elderly lady went to him, as a checkup is manditory for keeping your drivers license at age 80. she mentioned that she had a "belly ache on and off, because she was constipated." On examination the doc felt a mass. An ultrasound followed by a CT revealed cancer. Because of her age it was determined she was not treatable. It was believed she had 6-12 months.

the morning she was given the bad news, she left his office in shock with her blouse unbuttoned. The woman's husband had been waiting in the car for her. Shock left her unable to speak so he went to speak with the doc. It was determined that she would be admitted to the hospital until she was able to cope a bit better with her dx.

This is where/when I met her. It was early in my 0700-1900 shift. She climbed into bed and refused everything.. pain meds, food, drink, etc, She cocked her head to the side and when spoken to repeated "Leave me alone I'm here to die."

She was a strong woman who, her husband said was preparing food for the family reuinion weekend that was to take place starting that night. She made a turkey, ham, etc.

As guests of the family reunion arrived, they were informed of her status. They were all very shocked she was in hospital as they had spoken with her before they started their journeys to our town.

The woman's "Leave me alone- I want to die" got fainter as the afternoon progressed. Her head still cocked to the side.. she started chain stoking

We moved her to a palliative suite where all her terribly confused reunion guests gathered round her bed. at around 1600 she took her last breath and was gone.

How weird is that?

morte, LPN, LVN · Mar 14, 2007

my first code...Code on the Commode....didnt make it....broke his ribs

GardenDove · Mar 14, 2007

This pt was 100% paced, so I'm not sure if valsalva affected him. The heart monitor didn't start alarming until after after he was dead. He just stopped breathing, he was in such fluid overload, everywhere, from his chf. He actually wasn't my own pt, but my co-worker's. His death wasn't at all unexpected.

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 14, 2007

The first patient who ever died on me did so during an enema. The male CNA was giving it; I was helping hold the patient on his side. The CNA and I were chatting when something struck me odd; I looked down and the patient wasn't breathing. No funny respirations or gasps, just stopped breathing. He was a DNR.

A classmate of mine had a patient die while he was shaving him. Also a DNR.

I was working agency on a telemetry floor when a patient's monitor started showing something different. The charge nurse and I went in to find the patient had climbed out of bed, put her bedpan on the floor, and squatted over it to urinate. We got on either side of her and helped her up. Just as we got her upright, she breathed in a really deep, gasping breath and turned blue. The code was not successful.

Calgon-take.me.away · Mar 14, 2007

In my years of runnng volly ambulance, will never forget "Ray with the green eyes. Had taken this poor guy several times before, so he knew me by name. Was on 40 years old and has had several MI before. Had called us that day, not feeling well. First thing he said to me when I walked in is not to let him die. He was not in any distress at that time.

We loaded him into our ambulance. I sat in the jump seat up at his head, talking and reassuring him the whole way to the hospitail that I was going to take good care of him. As we were pulling up to the ER, he went unresponsive, and flatlined. No warning, no chest pain, nothing

Did CPR, into the hospital, and while they were shoking him, he would sit bolt upright, grab his chest and scream, then as he was flatlined, he was talking to his wife, telling her how much he loved her, telliing her where things she would need were. This went on for over an hour, the most heart wrenching code I have ever worked.

Had to go to the chiropractor the next day, from doing compressions, tore by back all out. To this day, "Ray with the green eyes" still is my worst call

psalm, RN · Mar 14, 2007

This didn't happen in a hospital but it could have. My friend, (a nurse),told us her uncle and aunt were in a hotel room. He was taking a shower and the wife was getting upset at how long he was in there. They'd be late (to a funeral) if he didn't speed up. She went into the bathroom to check on him and he was crumpled up in the shower/tub. He was already dead. I work nights so I don't have too many pts. taking showers, but I always think of this when I do!

RunnerRN, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2007

Had a pt last weekend who I swore was going to take the death poop. He insisted on getting up to the toilet - I even had him sign an AMA form before he did so it was documented I had explained the risks. The family thought I was nuts, but I wanted to cover my tush!