Sad, sad case today

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2006

This is very sad. I have PIH with all mine and will with this one as well. My 3rd child I did not have prenantal care for (medicaid denied, no insurance at work) I ended up in the ER of the county hospital with a BP over 200/120 then had to be put on mag, the pit and several ABT's. I was very lucky and so was my baby. I really feel for this lady and family.

Just before I arrived the night shift had responded to a code in the unit. Young woman, less than 12 hours postpartum, had severe PIH with a mag drip during labor, after the delivery and after family left was found unresponsive by staff. House supe tried a sternal rub and she postured. Moved her to the unit and she coded. Major bilat bleed into both ventricles, pupils fixed and dilated.
Kind of scary for me because I had PIH.

CaseManager1947 · Sep 17, 2006

I am so sorry for your sad experience in your OB dept. Unfortunately, when things go badly in OB, they often do rapidly and outcomes not always good.I will pray for you and your patient and family. Just know that this happens. I had a 24 y/o Type 1 diabetic, who was blind from her diabetes. Dr. brought her in periodically for Blood. She came in one evening, presented for emergency C-section. High BP, feet and hands swollen. She told me, I;m gonna die. I (being young and dumb) reassured her, that she would do great. Off two days on the weekend, come back Monday, bed is empty. She had coded, with huge MI...didn't make it. I never forgot her. And you won't ever forget this patient either. It's these experiences and patients that give us our heart in nursing, make us who we are.

this episode happened to me 40+ years ago, but it still is so fresh, it is like it was yesterday. I still remember her name.. there will be patients like that for you too. Makes us better nurses I think.

Morghan in Kansas

TazziRN, RN · Sep 17, 2006

Not my pt, but thank you. She was in OB then ICU. I'm ER. The ER staff responds to any code.

leslie :-D · Sep 17, 2006

i got that achy-thingy between my brows- you know that feeling when you want to cry?

mother separated from child.

it goes against every law of nature.

very, very tragic and yes, incredibly sad.

leslie

nuangel1, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2006

i worked in a community hospital with 12 bed icu and fairly busy ob unit we used to cringe when we were getting a ob pt because in our experience if ob pt needed to come to us it =bad with capital B.we had a pt bleed into brain post vag delivery stroked and died ,several with HELP syndrome that bled out bad some after 1st preg. needing hyst ,another that went into DIC that died .1 woman that came in with flu sx with high fever in am del baby stillborn and mom died in eve with massive sepsis from strep.and 1 woman that was wife of a coworker del bay and was found unresponsive 2 hrs later and died husband and family ref post so we never new why she died ct neg .this was in a 3 yr period.its sad

rn/writer, RN · Sep 18, 2006

We lost a twenty-something primip c/s to DIC earlier this year. She got to hold and feed and cuddle the baby. Then two hours post/op she started having problems. Another two hours and she was gone. Baby came up to our PP floor and Dad and other family members cared for him in a regular room with a conspicuously empty bed space. Crushing blow for family. Very difficult for staff, too. Things like this shouldn't happen. When they do they tend to stay with you.

suni, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2006

What is PIH for us non OB nurses

grace90, LPN, LVN · Sep 18, 2006

What is PIH for us non OB nurses

It used to be called Toxemia or Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia

Altra, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2006

My heart aches for that family.

I too had PIH with my daughter. I was not a nurse at the time and didn't fully understand the risk.

So very very sad.

bigmona · Sep 18, 2006

What is PIH for us non OB nurses

pregnancy induced hypertension

kiszi, RN · Sep 18, 2006

PIH - Pregnancy Induced Hypertension

I too learned in my OB rotation that when things go bad, they go BAD.. also that baby deaths seem to come in groups. My first day in L/D, there were three preemies that didn't make it. It's an awful thing for the family to go through, and so hard to make sense of WHY these things happen.

My prayers and support go out to you, Tazzi RN, and the other ER nurses who face tragedies every day. I always said I could never do ER, but of course you can never say never..

k