The CRAZIEST "Baseline" You've Ever Heard

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Specializes in CVICU, anesthesia.

So we've all been there: You're getting report and the nurse tells you, "Oh I know her blood pressure is 200/110, that's her baseline." :eek: What?!?!?!?

Some of my favorites:

"Baseline heart rate stable in the 140's." Uh, yeah...stable... :rolleyes:

"Baseline blood sugar is usually in the 50's so don't be alarmed." :nuke:

"Chest tube output is around 150/hour but that's around where it's been so I haven't called anyone." :smackingf

(Report being called from the OR) "Case was uneventful, she is coming up open-chested." That sounds like an event to me! LOL! I guess open chests are pretty typical in the OR, though! ;)

What is the craziest "BASELINE" you've ever been given in report?

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

"Baseline heart rate stable in the 140's." Uh, yeah...stable...

Actually, that's just great in my neck of the woods!! (NICU)

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Specializes in cardiac stepdown, pre-hospital.

Sp02 in the 70s ("Oh it's okay. She does that.")

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Specializes in CVICU, anesthesia.
"Baseline heart rate stable in the 140's." Uh, yeah...stable...

Actually, that's just great in my neck of the woods!! (NICU)

Haha didn't even think about that! Happy little baby tickin' away in the 140's :) NOT such a happy 70-year-old in the CVICU tachin' away in the 140's!

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Specializes in Family NP, OB Nursing.
"Baseline heart rate stable in the 140's." Uh, yeah...stable...

Actually, that's just great in my neck of the woods!! (NICU)

LOL, I was thinking the same thing about FHRs.

;)

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Specializes in Emergency.

Diabetic pt c/o feeling like her blood sugar is low. Check it and it's in the 120s. She's like, "Oh well that's low for me. I'm usually in the 400-500s at home."

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Specializes in Transplant.

BP 70's/30's; it's okay, her baseline is 80's/40's, and she's sleeping.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

When I was a student, I helped care for a cardiac patient who's heart rate bradyied down to 19, and he was immediately attended by the MET (Medical Emergency Team) people. I remember thinking: he probably won't survive this one (had unstable diabetes and a hundred other medical problems). Apparently, this occurence is normal for the cardiac ward. Nobody really freaked out or anything. I saw the patient about an hour later, he was sitting up in bed, quite OK, eating his lunch. Real life stuff - you couldn't make it up.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Diabetic with BS +1000 (not making this up). Guy was up and about, said his normal was usually in the 700-800s. If it makes a difference, this was in a psych unit.

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.
Sp02 in the 70s ("Oh it's okay. She does that.")

I had a pediatric patient with a congenital heart defect such that she had only one functional ventricle. Her baseline actually was hi 70s to low 80s -- her skin seemed to always have a slightly bluish tinge, but she did get bluer, and her sats would go down (to the 60s) when she had respiratory infections and was having trouble breathing. This explains why she had spent more of her short life inside of hospitals than out -- but her baseline truly was 70's-80's -- she'd be breathing comfortably and chattering away happily with an SpO2 of 76%.

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I didn't get this in report, I did the ABG stick . . . pO2 37 on a patient who had just ambulated. SpO2 in the 50's. She was alert/oriented on room air, tachypneic, but she alway was. She had interstitial lung disease, don't know what it was. The body's ability to adapt is AMAZING!!

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Specializes in cardiac stepdown, pre-hospital.
I had a pediatric patient with a congenital heart defect such that she had only one functional ventricle. Her baseline actually was hi 70s to low 80s -- her skin seemed to always have a slightly bluish tinge, but she did get bluer, and her sats would go down (to the 60s) when she had respiratory infections and was having trouble breathing. This explains why she had spent more of her short life inside of hospitals than out -- but her baseline truly was 70's-80's -- she'd be breathing comfortably and chattering away happily with an SpO2 of 76%.

Well, you have to love the exceptions to the rule. But my patient was definitely going into distress.

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