Posted on 01/28/2011 12:37:08 PM PST by Brytani
Medical question for you all.
Yesterday, out of my own stupidity, I ended up in the Emergency Room with chest pains, rapid heart rate, super high blood pressure, lightheadedness and low blood sugar. We thought I was having a heart attack and Thank the Lord it was not.
On Monday I had met with my GP and had asked him to take me off of one medication I've been on for about 6 months, and replace it with another. He was agreeable to this but did tell me I needed to taper off using the former medication and told me how to do it. Knowing I know better than my doctor (yea - lol) I just went cold turkey. My body let me know yesterday I'm not smarter than my doctor.
After multiple tests to figure out what was going on, the ER doctor came in to fill me in - my heart was fine, thankfully, very strong. This type of reaction can do serious harm (if not permanent end of life) to those with a weakened heart. Before leaving he told me he was going to give me something there so that I would feel better and a medication to take home, then directed me to return to the previous medication and go off it properly.
Here's the problem and question. The female nurse I had assigned to me had a bad attitude from the moment I got into the ER. When I was first wheeled into the room the bed was not made. Another guy made the bed and got me into it. The nurse came in and chastised me, wanting to know why I'd made the bed....huh?
After a bit a line was put into my left forearm, about 2 inches below the elbow, the line was closed and taped over. Above that BP cuff was placed along with the oxygen monitor. It took over 30 minutes (hubby timed it) to complete all of this, the longest being the line. After being stuck 4 times by one person, I asked for someone who knew what they were doing. My nurse called in another tech who took the line and on the second attempt got it into place.
After waiting a few hours and speaking to the doctor, the nurse came in to tell me she was giving me medications for nausea and something for pain.
This did not make sense to me, I was not nauseas and was not in pain. I asked her why those two medicines and was told "well fine, I'll just put down you refused them!".
Trying to hold my temper, I told her I was not refusing the meds, I was simply asking why those two without something to stop the reaction I was having for stopping medication too abruptly. At that point she said ohhh and he's giving you (another medicine) which cleared things up. In fact, if she had told me the three in the first place, I would not have had to ask any questions. But, I guess to this lady, asking a question is refusing them.
It's what happened next that I really need to find out about. The drugs were mixed with I assume saline and injected into the IV line. The first burned/pressure but nothing to bad. The second one went in and there was real pain which she dismissed as "it happens to everyone" when I sort-of gasped. The third has me angry, a bit concerned and wondering what to do.
As she was pushing through the third medication the pain was pretty intense, burning, ripping, high pressure feeling as she began to push the 3rd med through she simultaneously turned ON the blood pressure cuff right above the IV line. When that turned on and began applying pressure, I was literally watching a large bump grow on my inner arm to the size of a walnut. I expected it to pop open or push out the IV there was that much pressure and very intense pain.
When I was released from the ER and the line was removed, I had an almost rock hard, solid lump, where the line had been the size of a golf ball that was tender to the touch. I showed this to the nurse who said "oh, you have a hematoma" and walked away. Today, the lump is 3/4 the way down but my arm has a bruise almost 5 inches long, 2 inches wide and hurts from any touch/pressure.
1. Is it proper to turn on an BP cuff while pushing into an IV line medicine that close to the cuff?
2. Should I complain to the hospital administrators about not only her attitude (which we had planned on doing, there was much more than I wrote) and also my arm and the condition it is today? Also, in ER medicine, does the fact a patient wants to know the reasons why a medicine is being given considered a "refusal" by the patient?
3. Just in case, is there anything strange I should look for if this gets worse?
4. Before anyone asks, no I'm not suing. No ambulance chasers are in my future.
Thanks!
Yesterday I fell into the shower. Nobody was hurt.
Read up on your meds b4 you do anything either way.
Talk to the head nurse in that ward and explain your feelings. What you experienced is not a healing experience.
If nothing else, think of it as keeping a lawyer from getting a pay check. That's why I always report spills when I see one in a store. :-)
TMI
library user FTW!
Actually a large hematoma can become infected. So watch for red streaking, warmth to the touch,etc. I recommend warm compresses to the area as it will help the hematoma break down. Your body will have to do the rest. And yes to the complaint letter. I have had thankfully rare cases where patients thought I was abrupt and they complained. Makes me more sensitive.
Definitely complain, if for no other reason than maybe it can prevent this happening to someone else.
Guess ya missed #4, I don’t do ambulance chasers.
No chance I would sue - for what, a bruise? Now, going to the administrator about her attitude is another thing, she should not be a nurse.
That’s the biggest part of this, she really should not be dealing with people if asking her a question, pertaining to a medication she’s about to give you, offends/pisses/insults her.
Or is there something in ObamaCare we didn’t see that says we can’t ask questions anymore and must have rude people in hospitals? (well, SEIU does run the hospitals here, might explain it lol)
Personally, I would get my doctor on the phone and quickly. Who knows what the bubble truly is... is it a whole bunch of the medication or air?! If I don’t know then you don’t know either. I would explain everything to your doctor and ask his/her advice. If everything is okay, then I would write a letter to the administrator of the hospital and the charge nurse as well. I would detail everything that occurred including the bad attitude. INHO, it sounds like this nurse didn’t know her own butt from a hole in the ground. I hope you feel better soon. Mom
Medications should not burn when being injected. It would seem to me that the IV slipped out of the vein, or it went clear through. From my experience burning is usually from when the medication leaks out under the skin.
More like BWI, if you know the history.
I’ll see if I can get home on the phone, you’re right, I have no idea if it’s saline, blood or what in the lump.
I will be contacting the admin of the hospital as well as the health systems they are a part of. Her attitude was completely inappropriate.
I was going to add not to bother if you're in a socialized medicine environment. But there you go, SEIU, might as well be. Attempting to discipline her will have the SEIU come down on the hospital hard.
My daughter is a nurse and yes, report the attitude of this woman to both the charge nurse and to administration. Most hospitals have cards handy where you can make comments in support of or complaint of any personnel. We have always complimented the hard working nurses who deserved the recognition, but the bad ones don’t need to be in that position.
What concerns me is if it is air or what? You don’t want that going through your system. My Mom was a nurse for years and she never treated anyone with such disrespect no matter what type of day she was having or what troubles were on her mind. It is all about professionalism and treating the patient with respect and courtesy... you received neither in my opinion. Be the one who reports her... you could be saving a life down the road. Mom
Yet you took the time to read it then make fun of her concerns.
I’m confused, you said you were having chest pains, and then said you had no pain...huh?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.