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Patient of mine passed away

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
Very recently (approximately 15 minutes ago) we called a patient after the patient coded (medical term meaning to go into cardiac arrest). I, along with a nurse made an initial assessment. Patient came in with an altered level of consciousness. His behavior was somewhat abnormal, shortness of breath, sunken in eyes, very skinny. Patient's baseline was stable, but refused potassium medication. Patient eventually developed shortness of breathe but due to a faulty monitor. After our assessment and documenting the patient's refusal to being medicated, approximately two hours later and upon coming back from lunch, me and the nurse discovered our patient not breathing. We immediately started compressions, epinephrine shots, and defibrillation, nothing seemed to work. The physician eventually called it and asked us to give a moment of silence. I recall in all the years I've been in the medical field I've never experienced a patient who I was directly responsible for died. What perplexes me was that the patient came in talking and was somewhat responsive only to have died couple hours later.

The feeling I have of feeling powerless is the same I had when my mother died....I remember asking him "help me help you." The man couldn't convey what he wanted.

The man was homeless, very dirty and very sick.....If heaven exists I pray he finds peace on its shores, illuminating and exalted.

A small prayer our new EMT taught me:

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ‎
 

Ellen Brown

Well-Known Member
Very recently (approximately 15 minutes ago) we called a patient after the patient coded (medical term meaning to go into cardiac arrest). I, along with a nurse made an initial assessment. Patient came in with an altered level of consciousness. His behavior was somewhat abnormal, shortness of breath, sunken in eyes, very skinny. Patient's baseline was stable, but refused potassium medication. Patient eventually developed shortness of breathe but due to a faulty monitor. After our assessment and documenting the patient's refusal to being medicated, approximately two hours later and upon coming back from lunch, me and the nurse discovered our patient not breathing. We immediately started compressions, epinephrine shots, and defibrillation, nothing seemed to work. The physician eventually called it and asked us to give a moment of silence. I recall in all the years I've been in the medical field I've never experienced a patient who I was directly responsible for died. What perplexes me was that the patient came in talking and was somewhat responsive only to have died couple hours later.

The feeling I have of feeling powerless is the same I had when my mother died....I remember asking him "help me help you." The man couldn't convey what he wanted.

The man was homeless, very dirty and very sick.....If heaven exists I pray he finds peace on its shores, illuminating and exalted.

A small prayer our new EMT taught me:

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ‎


An unexpected death is a bit to deal with. I am sorry for your pain. Truly, we belong to God and to him we return. Much peace.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Old die, young ones take the place and in time they also get old. My son is 46. When he was born, I was 30. Celebrated the six birthday of my younger grandson yesterday. Way of the world. Accept it.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Very recently (approximately 15 minutes ago) we called a patient after the patient coded (medical term meaning to go into cardiac arrest). I, along with a nurse made an initial assessment. Patient came in with an altered level of consciousness. His behavior was somewhat abnormal, shortness of breath, sunken in eyes, very skinny. Patient's baseline was stable, but refused potassium medication. Patient eventually developed shortness of breathe but due to a faulty monitor. After our assessment and documenting the patient's refusal to being medicated, approximately two hours later and upon coming back from lunch, me and the nurse discovered our patient not breathing. We immediately started compressions, epinephrine shots, and defibrillation, nothing seemed to work. The physician eventually called it and asked us to give a moment of silence. I recall in all the years I've been in the medical field I've never experienced a patient who I was directly responsible for died. What perplexes me was that the patient came in talking and was somewhat responsive only to have died couple hours later.

The feeling I have of feeling powerless is the same I had when my mother died....I remember asking him "help me help you." The man couldn't convey what he wanted.

The man was homeless, very dirty and very sick.....If heaven exists I pray he finds peace on its shores, illuminating and exalted.

A small prayer our new EMT taught me:

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ‎

Sorry ot hear that. From one doctor to another its never easy....
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
Very recently (approximately 15 minutes ago) we called a patient after the patient coded (medical term meaning to go into cardiac arrest). I, along with a nurse made an initial assessment. Patient came in with an altered level of consciousness. His behavior was somewhat abnormal, shortness of breath, sunken in eyes, very skinny. Patient's baseline was stable, but refused potassium medication. Patient eventually developed shortness of breathe but due to a faulty monitor. After our assessment and documenting the patient's refusal to being medicated, approximately two hours later and upon coming back from lunch, me and the nurse discovered our patient not breathing. We immediately started compressions, epinephrine shots, and defibrillation, nothing seemed to work. The physician eventually called it and asked us to give a moment of silence. I recall in all the years I've been in the medical field I've never experienced a patient who I was directly responsible for died. What perplexes me was that the patient came in talking and was somewhat responsive only to have died couple hours later.

The feeling I have of feeling powerless is the same I had when my mother died....I remember asking him "help me help you." The man couldn't convey what he wanted.

The man was homeless, very dirty and very sick.....If heaven exists I pray he finds peace on its shores, illuminating and exalted.

A small prayer our new EMT taught me:

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ‎

Perhaps his death was a welcome release? What do homeless people have to live for? If he was malnourished and dirty, how good was life to him? I am sure a post mortem will reveal a cause of death that was a result of his forced lifestyle....probably not his fault and probably no one to care if he lived or died. Very sad on one hand but not so sad on the other....
 

Cooky

Veteran Member
Old die, young ones take the place and in time they also get old. My son is 46. When he was born, I was 30. Celebrated the six birthday of my younger grandson yesterday. Way of the world. Accept it.

Actually, I reject it, but at the same time acknowledge that it is inevitable. I was given the ability to do so through my million year old DNA.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
I agree.

Mere baad bhi is duniya mein, zinda mera naam rahega (In the world even after me, my name will remain alive)
jo bhi tujhko dekhega, tujhe mera lal kahega (whoever will see you, he will call you my son)
tere roop mein mil jayega, mujhko jeevan dobara (in you I will get a second life)
mera naam karega raushan, jag mein mera raj dulara (my beloved will keep my name bright in the world.)

 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
Old die, young ones take the place and in time they also get old. My son is 46. When he was born, I was 30. Celebrated the six birthday of my younger grandson yesterday. Way of the world. Accept it.

I accept death. That is not the issue. The thing is in my line of work you get attached to those you work with, and things like this happen especially you've never experienced a patient you've talked to and in one moment they die.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Some times death comes like that, some time more difficultly. My father was a doctor (Primary Health Center, serving a few hundred thousand people, very good at his job and not greedy, 1960s, a Surgeon, physician and when need be, one to do a postmortem examination also). I am not unfamiliar with death.
 

Mindmaster

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I accept death. That is not the issue. The thing is in my line of work you get attached to those you work with, and things like this happen especially you've never experienced a patient you've talked to and in one moment they die.

What can you do that you didn't do? I think you guys did everything possible. It's very likely that his simple act of refusing medication was the only cause for his immediate death. I'm sure if you had more time something more useful could have been done and bought him a lot more time.

In the end, we're dying every day hoping Death doesn't come for us and none really know that moment until it arrives. But, even if we did know it we'd deny it -- human nature is amusing in that way. Be thankful that at least someone was trying to help him and he wasn't out on the street dying in an alley where no one knew what was going on. Don't know about you, but I rather be found dead than lost and discovered later. At least he had that going for him -- people that would do their best in the critical time, and even after.

Unfortunately, I just don't know what else you could do -- he refused the meds, and the machines were faulting. (The eyes you rely on.) Sometimes no matter what you do it's just their time, so forgive yourself at least. Keep your wits about you and just do your best. It's all anyone who is your patient can ask.
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
approximately two hours later and upon coming back from lunch, me and the nurse discovered our patient not breathing.

I find it unusual that the patient presented with these symptoms that he was left alone and not monitored. It reads like the system failed him long before his visit to you. Life can be incredibly unfair and some haunt those giving care for a long time. My unforgettable was a young mother and six year old son, both end stage
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Her only wish
that her son die before her so not to abandon him.
 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
What can you do that you didn't do? I think you guys did everything possible. It's very likely that his simple act of refusing medication was the only cause for his immediate death. I'm sure if you had more time something more useful could have been done and bought him a lot more time.

In the end, we're dying every day hoping Death doesn't come for us and none really know that moment until it arrives. But, even if we did know it we'd deny it -- human nature is amusing in that way. Be thankful that at least someone was trying to help him and he wasn't out on the street dying in an alley where no one knew what was going on. Don't know about you, but I rather be found dead than lost and discovered later. At least he had that going for him -- people that would do their best in the critical time, and even after.

Unfortunately, I just don't know what else you could do -- he refused the meds, and the machines were faulting. (The eyes you rely on.) Sometimes no matter what you do it's just their time, so forgive yourself at least. Keep your wits about you and just do your best. It's all anyone who is your patient can ask.

Well his potassium was low so we tried giving him some but not all of his labs were complete. But I know you can’t save them all but it’s a weird feeling cause you go through the motions of seeing patients, treating them, then discharge them. I think this is why many nurses and physicians really treat death as an everyday thing and not something that is personal because we are taught to not internalize things that are common in the medical field and death being one of them.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone give me that “death stare.” It’s like when your time is up there is nothing to prevent it.
 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
I find it unusual that the patient presented with these symptoms that he was left alone and not monitored. It reads like the system failed him long before his visit to you. Life can be incredibly unfair and some haunt those giving care for a long time. My unforgettable was a young mother and six year old son, both end stage
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Her only wish
that her son die before her so not to abandon him.

The patient was monitored the thing is there are three other patients and the monitors are not linked to a single computer. So he was being monitored but it’s just that the monitor he had was off and on and technically all monitors ought to work properly but the problem is that the budget is the issue. But yea the system is an issue but I don’t think is the blame.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
I accept death. That is not the issue. The thing is in my line of work you get attached to those you work with, and things like this happen especially you've never experienced a patient you've talked to and in one moment they die.
It's tough with the woulda, shoulda, coulda.
 

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
I've been spending the last week waiting, dreading, for the time my ailing father in law has an episode where his illness makes him belligerent long enough to refuse his medication long enough that it'll be too late.
My sympathies to you. Hopefully you have a good self care regiment, physically and emotionally.
 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
I've been spending the last week waiting, dreading, for the time my ailing father in law has an episode where his illness makes him belligerent long enough to refuse his medication long enough that it'll be too late.
My sympathies to you. Hopefully you have a good self care regiment, physically and emotionally.

Thank you Amen to that. I took a day off work to get some perspective. We did everything and I mean everything. But that “death stare” he gave me it’s like he knew he was going to die. Then to know that I was the last face he saw on this planet is an indescribable feeling. That feeling when death was standing over my shoulder looking at him.

There is a saying “when one is afflicted with calamity” there is no power except God to alleviate you from it.”
 
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