Call a Code

A 7 year old child.  No response.  Not breathing.  Call a code.  Check for pulse.    Back board under the child.  Start CPR 15:2.  Attach Defibrillator.   What rhythm is it?   Get this correct.  Ventricular Fibrillation.  Cardiac arrest.    Charge at 2 J/Kg.  SHOCK.  CPR. Intraosseous vascular access obtained.   What happened?  She got hit with a baseball in the chest.   Use length based resuscitation tape to estimate weight of child.  Prepare Epinephrine 0.01 mg/Kg and give via IO.  2 long minutes go by.  Switch the compressing rescuer to another person.  CPR is exhausting.  Deep and fast.  Check rhythm.  VF.   SHOCK with 4 J/Kg.  CPR.  Appoint someone to keep track of medications, shocks, and anything else that goes on.  Get another Epinephrine ready to give IV or in this case IO. Wait 2 minutes while doing CPR.  Rhythm check.  VF still. Charge, I’m clear you’re clear SHOCK.  CPR.    Repeat many times.  The patient dies.

Let me try that again.  In fact I will do it again for another 20-30 times before I succeed.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support, PALS for short.  Yes, I’m up for renewal of my PALS certification.   Ahhhh……I had everything done until this last case and then STUCK.  I could not figure out what I was doing wrong.  I could not advance to the next part unless I saved this patient!   Online vs hands on in a class with people, of all things.  I better buck up and get used to it because it’s the way of the future.  Did I mention that I’m nearing the end of my career?

This situation required a date with my boss.  A plea that I need help ASAP!  Not just my boss, but a bunch of co workers gather around me and the computer.  I start again.  Only this time I get lots of suggestions.  I type like a mad woman.  My fingers fly over the keyboard.  Holding our breath I click done icon.  YOU HAVE FAILED.  Again.  Books come out. Lots of talking.  Analyzing.   I see smoke coming out of heads.  No one gives up. Anyone who doesn’t have a patient is helping me.  We do it again.  Carefully.  I’m sweating. Thinking.  Click the done icon.  ******  YOU HAVE PASSED ******

I want to sing The Star Spangled Banner.   Fire works light up the sky.    Warm fuzzy feelings for my co workers.  They were there for me.  I love them.

TIDBIT    Florence had several friends.  One in particular was Sidney Herbert.  She met him while he was on his honeymoon.  (how fun for Sid’s wife!) He held a political position in the English government with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army.  He and his wife were helpful to Florence during the Crimean War.  Was it possible Florence used her feminine ways to help her cause?  You do what it takes.