Update on Sally

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Specializes in psychiatric nursing, med/surg adult care.

She passed away last night.

Sally, that sweet little child with dingy Barney :crying2: developed massive UGIB. Her platelet count dropped from 51 to 22 in just a matter of 6 hours. She was trasferred to PICU, coded twice and died 9 hours after transfer.

The mother blames those staff who took over because they got rid of barney while Sally was already unresponsive after the 1st code. They placed the toy in the patient's belongings box.

She was even waiving goodbye at us on her ride down to the intensive care unit. Last time I saw her, she was smiling although irritated with the discomfort of her nasogastric tube. :o

Why do angels on earth have to go to heaven too soon? :cry:

Pardon me, I just feel compelled to post this one in memory of her.

The joys and pains of nursing.

This aspect of my job is what I hate most, dealing with myself every after a patient dies.

Surely, I will get by.

Sigh, what other profession gets one to grieve more often than by being a nurse?

:sniff:

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

Trust that you were an angel for Sally, put there because you care so much and took such good care of her. God puts us where he needs us. Knowing this helps me deal with the "badder" aspects of the job.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

I'm so sorry to hear this...

One thing I've not yet had to deal with in my job is the death of a child. There was a child on my med surge floor once, who was transferred out and coded and died on the way out, but I was not at work that night. However, I knew of her... and a few nights later I came across one of her meds in one of the drawers... had her name on it still... made me cry... her middle name was the same as my daughter's first name...it's a rather unusual name.

Thanks for sharing...

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

Just went back and looked at the original thread... she had Dengue Fever? My goodness.

Where are you located?

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Specializes in psychiatric nursing, med/surg adult care.
Just went back and looked at the original thread... she had Dengue Fever? My goodness.

Where are you located?

Yes. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. It kills many children (even adults) here in the Philippines. Cases peak during rainy/wet season when mosquitoes breed easily.

In some cases, fever is the only presenting symptom and while febrile, plt ct is within normal limit which masks the cause. Mortality usually happen when fever subsides and as patients are expected to get back on their feet, go to school and play, platelet count plummet resulting to hemorrhage. Many patients are rushed in the ER already too late for a promising prognosis. Sadly, misdiagnosis is another problem.

:o

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

How heartbreaking. That poor little girl...

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

(((Hugs))) to you and that child. I'm glad you were able to be there for her.:redbeathe

:flowersfo:icon_hug:

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

My goodness. I am so sorry. How awful. :(

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