Throwing veggies

Are you sure it wasn't "throwing PVC's"?

Quick question! I'm a PCA / nursing student. I work in cardiac. My patient the other day... on her problem list on the report sheet, one of them was "veggies" and I overhead during RN-RN report the RN said the patient kept "throwing veggies." Can comeone clue me in on what this means please? :) Thanks!

The only thing I can think of is if the patient had endocarditis- meaning theres a "vegetation" on one of the valves. Sometimes they blow off pieces to other parts of the body like the brain, or distal extremeties, organs ect, hence "throwing veggies". Ive never said it that way, but sounds funny

either that or the patient really hates vegetables.

Haha yup slang term for valvular vegetation that breaks off and gets "thrown" i.e. emboli... another slang term we use is "showering"

On the same note, what do you do for these patients? I've seen Osler's nodes on extremities before, but what about pulmonary/brain emboli risk? Is there any way to break these up to keep them from creating big resp/neuro issues?

At times like this, I really wish I were a better artist. This gave me the mental image of an angry heart hurling broccoli at other organs:lol2:

On the same note, what do you do for these patients? I've seen Osler's nodes on extremities before, but what about pulmonary/brain emboli risk? Is there any way to break these up to keep them from creating big resp/neuro issues?

There is little to do other than antibiotics or surgery. Profylactic anticoagulation are of little use with this specific type of unstable vegetations. There is considerable risk of stroke and once that occurs I do believe it's an indication for emergent surgery (but the damage is one).