We had a mom code last night!!

[rpbear]

Last night as I started off the shift getting report from the triage nurse we heard alarms going off. This is somewhat normal, we have a staff assist alarm and code pink alarms for baby codes, but this one sounded strange, we didn't think too much of it until we heard the overhead page of "code blue family birthing center" well all 4 of us started running down the hall to the main nurses station. We saw people running in and out of room 13, and it was a full on code blue of one of our mom's that was being induced for a fetal demise. Our CRNA was in the room already intubating her and one nurse was doing chest compressions. It was change of shift so we had double staff and two of everyone (code team, resp therapy, nursing supervisor). The room suddenly got very crowded, so I left to go back to triage where I was assigned for the night. The code team and our nurses were able to get her back, she was sent to ICU where they vacuumed out the full term baby. When I left this morning still no answers as to what happened to her, the OB thinks a PE, but that was not confirmed yet. I go back in a few hours and am very worried about this young woman and her family. We had a mom code about 3 years ago and we were unable to get her back, that was a very sick mom who was a JW so there were lots of factors involved, this was a healthy young mom who was being induced for a full term demise (a tragedy all in itself). I hope I find out what happened tonight.

[MMARN, BSN, RN]

I hope you find out, too. Please keep us posted. Poor woman.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

How tragic!

I pray she makes a full recovery.

[L&Dwant2b]

That is so sad. Definetly for the mom and her family but also for you guys on the unit.

[wannabeL&D73]

What a horrible, tragic situation! How terrible to lose a baby, and I am sure that (hopefully) when she recovers that will make the loss even more difficult not being able to have seen or held baby etc. The poor father must have been terrified. My heart goes out to the family and nurses who took care of her.

Shannon

[rpbear]

thanks for all the kind words. I felt the same way wannabe, we took lots of pictures and the rest of the family spent lots of time with the baby. I will keep everyone posted.

[BabyRN2Be]

Wow.. tragedy on top of tragedy. Sounded like the code happened at the right time in that you had all the staff you needed (and then some). I'm so glad that you were able to get her back. I'll be praying for her recovery and that she'll be out of ICU soon.

Please keep us posted on how she is.

[USA987, MSN, RN, NP]

How horrible for the family and patient. I experienced a code in my first year in L&D...patient went into a complete heart block during the epidural placement. Quite scary...I left ICU for a reason...never thought I'd deal with another code again.

Keep us posted on the outcome.

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Oh, my, rpbear. That is horribly tragic.

It does sound classic for PE.

Please let us know, if you can.

[rpbear]

Well I got a little update last night at work. The perinataologist thinks it was an eclamptic seizue. A PE was rulled out as well as a stroke. She did have a few high preasures from what I heard but all lab work was normal. Now her platelets are starting to drop slightly, and her preasures are high. She was still sedated and on a vent, but they were going to try to get her off today and let her wake up. Thats all I know for now.

All the nurses and docs are still a bit shook up. We have had a few bad things happen on our unit in the last few weeks, so we are all trying to shake the bad vibes. We are a very close group with a good NM so we will be fine, it will just take some time. Thanks again for all the good thoughts and prayers!