Things said during a code

I had a new admit the other day. She was in 3rd degree heart block, but was AAOx3 with a heart rate in the 40's. Within the hour, she went into torsades, and then into vtach. A code was called, and just before we shocked her, she converted back to the prior rhythm.

She then woke up, the code team around her with paddles in hand, and the first words out of her mouth were "Man, I only got to sleep." :rotfl:

I was wondering if anyone else had funny things said during a code. :chuckle

I had a guy ask me if he died and if he "saw the white light"

I was like man.............so sorry, but I wasn't there with ya!

I found it funny probably more because it was stress relief after working on this guy and then it being a success!

During dialysis a lady resp. arrested so we coded her and she came back around quickly. She said, Why are all these people in here with us. I asked for a private room. The next thing she asked was why that washing machine was in her room (dialysis machine). Maybe the code cart was the dryer? She was transferred to ICU and ended up intubated. That darn washing machine went with her.

The same lady a few weeks later thought she heard a noise as the blood pressure cuff started to take a pressure. She looked over, screamed as she saw the black tubing and with the motion of the cuff thought it was a mouse. When she screamed I did also as I was deep into a book and someone called a code. What an embarrasing day. Phantom mouse and nurse reading horror story gets everyone into a room.

Severe TIA's all the time, just the other day I was running her in another hospital and she kept asking me who that man was above me. I was sitting in the corner. Gave me goosebumps.

I had a patient one day who very suddenly went asystole (I did check my patches and another lead btw). After we gave her one round of epi/atropine and a few compressions, she said "What the he** did you do that for?" I have never laughed so hard in my life.

During dialysis a lady resp. arrested so we coded her and she came back around quickly. She said, Why are all these people in here with us. I asked for a private room. The next thing she asked was why that washing machine was in her room (dialysis machine). Maybe the code cart was the dryer? She was transferred to ICU and ended up intubated. That darn washing machine went with her.

The same lady a few weeks later thought she heard a noise as the blood pressure cuff started to take a pressure. She looked over, screamed as she saw the black tubing and with the motion of the cuff thought it was a mouse. When she screamed I did also as I was deep into a book and someone called a code. What an embarrasing day. Phantom mouse and nurse reading horror story gets everyone into a room.

Severe TIA's all the time, just the other day I was running her in another hospital and she kept asking me who that man was above me. I was sitting in the corner. Gave me goosebumps.

Maybe the man in the corner above you was one of her deceased relatives, waiting to take her to heaven!

One lady I was taking care of said, "Joe, what are YOU doing here?" just before her eyes rolled back and she coded. Days later, after the she had been extubated, delined and was about to transfer to the floor, I took care of her again. She asked me if I had seen "joe" in the room just before she coded. I answered that I had not and asked who Joe was.

It seems that Joe was her late (unlamented) husband, and she thought he was coming to take her to hell. She said "I persuaded him that I wasn't ready to go yet, and he let me come back."

I've also had patients repeat back to me comments that were made as we were working on them during their code. And one little lady insisted that she was above us, watching us do our jobs and came back because she "didn't want you all to have worked so hard for nothing."

we coded a guy who had vagaled. When we got him too, he said "Am I dead??? I must be, because I see all you beautiful angels."

When she screamed I did also as I was deep into a book and someone called a code. What an embarrasing day. Phantom mouse and nurse reading horror story gets everyone into a room.

Just wondering.. how do you find time to read a book? Were you sitting next to the bedside reading? I can't find time, nor retain what I read when working. But I work in critical care.

:stone

Our patients order meals by dialing 3638. We call codes by dialing 3333. I was off when it happened, but apparently a confused patient on our floor tried to order dinner one evening and inadvertantly called a code on himself.

I posted this in another thread, but I was charge one day when another nurse stood her patient up to use the urinal, and just as he finished he coded. We got him back to bed, proceeded with the code, resusitated him. As we're in the room cleaning up, he looks at me and says "you probably aren't interested right now, but that was the best p*** I've ever had!". We almost died we lauged so hard!

And one little lady insisted that she was above us, watching us do our jobs and came back because she "didn't want you all to have worked so hard for nothing."

That is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard! :)

We used to have this trached baby who was about 6 months old on our unit. He used to clamp down and have a respiratory arrest about once a week towards the end. We'd get him back, and when he regained consciousness, we'd say to him, "Hey little buddy, did you see the pretty light again?" and the kid had the nerve to SMILE at us, every time!!!

When she screamed I did also as I was deep into a book and someone called a code. What an embarrasing day. Phantom mouse and nurse reading horror story gets everyone into a room.

Just wondering.. how do you find time to read a book? Were you sitting next to the bedside reading? I can't find time, nor retain what I read when working. But I work in critical care.

:stone

As a dialysis nurse we stay with the patinet, if a stable run then we can read or do a quiet activity as long as we are beside them and monitoring them. Does not happen to often they are stable enough to do that.

I had a funny one...I ws new to CV and it was the done thing to get ALL patients up in a chair by 6am...so I did all the prep work...a couple of test dangles and then the big move....all lines remain in when we walk them to the chair...so he is a pretty young guy and has no problems at all ...I get him settled...feet up tray to the side television on remote in hand and I look up and ask him if he needs anything else....he starts growling at me...like a very angry dog...with foam...a lot of foam and growling......he is foaming at the mouth and I begin to freak out....all I can think is holy cr** this guy has rabies...I move away slowly and check the monitor....sinus, BP...way too high...I step into the hall and yell for help...a crowd comes flying into the room....and they all stop and start backing up....he is really really really growling now and the foam has become cartoonish...it is everywhere

It was surreal...then the monitor alarmed asystole...I was never so relieved to see asystole in my life.......so as a group we all grap a limb and lift him towards the bed...except the bed is too high...so we count one two three...on three we were supposed to lift him up high enough to get him into the bed....we missed and he clanged into the side railing...........silence

then a small voice..".I'm okay."...it was the mad growler...fine once again

Doctors..neuro..CT...nothing......mother comes in and she reveals the big secret...he had seizures as a kid...deep growly ones.....hadn't had one in 15 years....nobody thought to mention it....we still don't understand what set him off but he had two more and ended up with a pacemaker/defib just in case.