Kalokang Jutay!

Warning: OA ang mga kaganapan. LOL


Nakasakay na ba kayo ng humaharurot na sasakyan! Yun tipong kaskasero ang driver?

Iyon na iyon ang naranasan ko kagabi sa night shift duty ko sa Cardiac ICU dito sa ospital namin. Kaso imbes na sasakyan, stretcher na may laman na pasyente ang humaharurot!LOL

Kakagaling lang namin sunduin ang pasyente na isang kaso ng atake sa puso, mula sa isang procedure sa Cath.Lab, ibabalik sa cardiology ICU, naka tubo siya sa bibig na diretso sa lungs niya na tinutulungan siya huminga gamit ang ventilator na ako naman ang in charge. Kaya kasama ako sa team ng isang, consultant doctor, residenteng doktor, dalawang nurse at isang nursing aid.

Andami namin bitbit, para kaming nag po-flores de mayo na yung patient ang reyna elena at kami ang taga hawak ng ilaw at generator at bulaklak niya habang naparada sa kalye!haha. In reality ang bitbit namin e mga monitoring device ng pasyente na sangkatutak na mga makina para tulungan siya mabuhay. Tulak ko naman ang ventilator.

So anyway, napapalayo na ko sa kuwento ko, so pagkagaling sa cath lab, nasa hallway na kami nang biglang tumunog ang monitor, warning daw!!! nababa ang level ng oxygen sa katawan ng pasyente namin, ginawan ko ng paraan, pero wa epek pa din, mamaya maya bumabagsak na din ang bilang ng tibok ng puso niya!waaaaaaaaa! this can't be!

Any minute magka-cardiac arrest ang patient kong itetch!

Ang layo pa namin!!!

As in super-mega far-far! nasa ground floor kami at nasa 6th floor ang ICU!!! Anak ng putcha naman oh!

Itinigil ang pagtulak ng pasyente, andun kami sa gitna ng pasilyo, humanda kami sa bakbakan! Nagkakagulo na silang lahat sa gitna ng daan. Lahat tensiyonado, ako relax lang, alam ko na gagawin ko, isa lang role ko, ang siguraduhin na makakalanghap ng hangin ang patient no matter what, no stress, no-no, yun ibang issue, sila na bahalang lumutas! ayoko masira ganda ko noh! LOL

Sabi ko: brother, please throw the ambubag for me (yun ang gagamitin ko para manually tulungan huminga ang pasyente pansamantala)

Hinagis nga niya sakin, nasa may ulunan kasi ako, nasa may paanan si brother. Paghagis, siyempre di ko nasambot! Bading e LOL

Nag CPR kami, wala pa din, hinanda ang defibrillator, kukuryentehin na ang puso ng pasyente.

"Are we clear?" tanung ng nurse hawak ang pang kuryente. Walang sumagot kundi ako ng super taray na pa-mhin-ta tone:

"CLEARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Kinembot ko.

Kinuryente nya, ayun nasunog ang pasyente, naging b-b-que! Kidding!

Nagkaron na ng tibok ng puso, nagbigay ng gamot, sabi ng doktor, itakbo na daw namin agad sa taas sa ICU kung san mas accessible ang gamit na makakatulong sa pasyente.

Kaso nileteral ng hinayupak na nursing aid at dalawang engot na Pana'ng nurse, aba ang bilis ng hila! naiiwan aketch na nasa may ulunan ng b-b-que! este patient pala! Yun doktor naman, siya na nag bitbit nun makina na ako ang may hawak kanina, kasi di ko kaya mag multi-tasking nun time na yun, cannot be na!

brooom-brooom-broooom!

Ang bilis namin! usok ang gulong ng stretcher! (hindi naman, OA na!haha)

Isang napakahabang biyahe ang kelangan namin danasin, ang haba ng pasilyo. Dahil sa bilis namin, nagkakanda-dapa na ang mga gaga'ng nurse, may naiipit ng gulong, may natitisod lalo na ako! letse! oily'ng-oily na ang pez ko jusko! Ok sana yun bilis namin nun diretso ang pasilyo, kaso sumablay kami nung paliko na!

Di namin napaghandaan ang pagliko, hindi nagmenor ang driver! Pag liko niya, halos madapa kaming mga nasa likod dahil sa impact! muntik ng tumilapon yun bitbit namin na tao sa stretcher!

Para kaming di mga propesyunal sa itsura namin kanina, nakakatawa, pinigil ko lang kasi seryoso ang sitwasyon. Muntik na kami magkapalit palit ng mukha ng mga kasama mo! Buti nalang di nangyari, kundi lugi ako! Toinksssssssss!

Pero keri lang, job first, patient's care first bago ang poise!

Pagdating sa ICU at mailagay na namin sa kwarto ang pasyente, at naging stable, nakahinga na kami ng maluwag, saka nalang kami nagkatinginan ng team at napailing sabay tawa!!!

Langya, ngayon ko lang naranasan ang kalokahang yun!

Ayoko na maulit yun!!! Ang hirap!

Mga 3o minutes after, sabi sakin ng headnurse, maghanda daw ulit kami, kasi ibabalik ang pasyente sa cath. lab!!!

Anooooooooooooo?????????????????!!!

Ano ba 'to lokohan?! Di ba para lang silang tanga!LOL




This is a re-post from Sept. of 2010.

Departed

The other night an Indian patient of mine at the cardiology ICU died. He's on a coma for two weeks now. There's no relative and just an employer who couldn't even decide on what to do with him. He was brain dead though. So the doctor's decided not to resuscitate him.

The next night shift, the nurses called me up and asked for my assistance in resuscitating an old Emirati patient. The doctor pronounced the time of death after a few minutes.

There's no relatives present too. No one knows how to contact his family.

I don't know why, but I'm starting to think that, was it me or what that every night I have patients dying!

urgh!

After preparing some paper works, and headed back to our office, I just thought to myself, I don't wanna die like this. Like my two patients...its just so...sad.

I've been around death all the time...its part of my hospital life, I know that. But a death with no one to grieve your passing is pitiful.

You're on a foreign land, working, or you grew old here, suddenly you get sick, you get into a coma, or you had a cardiac arrest...and then you die...

You die alone.

Life is not supposed to be like this.

Hay buhey.

Ang Kwento ng Natusok Na Daliri at Na-Dedo'ng Nepali

Nag umpisang mag alarm ang cardiac monitor sa may ulunan ko. Lahat ng vital signs ng patient ko bumabagsak na!

Heart rate: 30 beats per minute nalang!

Putaena!

Napamura ko sa sarili ko nun mapatingin ako sa mga nag aalarm-an na monitor. Itinigil ko ang pag extract ng blood sample (ABG) sa braso ng pasyente ko. Paglagay ko ng takip ng syringe, sa pagmamadali, natusok ako ng needle!

Putaena! ulit kong bulong sa sarili ko.

Sumampa ako sa gilid ng kama at dali-daling inumpisahan ang pag si-CPR. Habang nagdudugo ang daliri ko.

One...and...two...and...three...and...four...and five... pagbibilang ko sa isip ko habang pina-pump ang dibdib ng pasyente sa may tapat ng puso nya...sinusubukan ko patibukin.

Nag iisa ako sa kwarto ng nepali kong patient. Nasa loob ng Cardiology ICU.


Parang slow motion ang lahat...


Saglit kong itinigil ang pag CPR at tumakbo sa may pinto at sumigaw sa unang nurse na nakita ko sa station. Kelangan ko ng tulong.


Parang eksena lang sa tv series...


"sister! come quickly! patient is bradycardic! I need a crash cart!" sabi ko sa Indiana'ng nurse.


Tapos tinutugtog daw yung kanta na "How to save a life..."


Echosera lang!


Saka ako nagmamadaling bumalik sa pag CPR! Tuluyan ng nag arrest ang patient. Wala na ko heart rate. Shit!

Tuloy pa din ako sa pag resuscitate. Nagdatingan ang back up ko. Sunod sunod na sila dumating. Dala ang emergency cart.

"Sister, get the bag and start bagging!" sabi ko sa isang nurse na lumapit.

Habang pinapaliwanag ko sa negro'ng doctor na dumating kung ano ang nangyari...

"Stop! Everybody stop. Patient is DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)!" narinig ko nalang na sabi ng nurse in-charge sa ICU.

Napa-Ngak! nalang ako! Sabay tigil nang ginagawa ko ng wagas na wagas!

Pumirma na pala ang relative na in case na mag arrest yun patient e wala na kami gagawin anything to save him. Hahayaan nalang. Kasi malamang napaliwanag na sa kanila na hopeless na.

Effort pa naman ako! hmmmp!

Fact: dapat kasi inaalam muna ang mga a-choo-choo-choo sa chart ng patient!

Oo! Ako na! lol



Bakit nga ba ako humantong sa sitwasyon na ito nang nag iisa?

Una, tinawag kami nun nurse na assign sa isang pasyente ng colleague at friend ko na si Fatima. We have to do APNEA TEST daw sa patient nya. Kasi kelangan ma-determine namin kung brain dead na ba siya. Para ma suggest sa mga kamag anak na baka gusto nila i-donate ang mga organs nya. Sayang nga naman at bata pa yun patient. 32 lang siya. Inatake siya sa puso last week at di pa siya gumigising till now. At wala improvement sa case nya.

O di gora naman kami ni Fatima since rumarampa lang naman kami dalawa kanina pa! at least may magagawa!haha

Pinakuha namin ng ice yun nurse at mga kelangan pang ek ek sa procedure. Sabi ko kay Fatima siya nalang ang mag record at mag monitor ng vital signs at ako na ang gagawa ng pinaka-procedure.

Nakita ko na may hawak na baso yun nurse na assign sa patient na gagawan namin ng test. Naawa naman ako kasi mukhang gutom na siya. Kaya sa halip na kasama namin siya mag monitor e sinabi ko nalang na we can manage the test alone.

Hindi na din ako nagpatawag ng doctor na dapat e andun sa duration ng test. Kasi nga delikado ito.

Nagmamaganda kasi.
Ilang beses ko na kasi ito nagawa kaya naman confident ako.

Dapat within ten minutes tapos na ang apnea test. Kundi magiging false/positive ang result namin.

Tinanggal ko na ang life support ng patient. Wala ng makina'ng hihinga para sa kanya. Inilagay ko ang catheter na naka konekta sa 10 liters na oxygen papasok mula sa tubo sa bibig niya na diretso sa lungs. Inobserbahan ko kung nahinga ba siya sa sarili nya. Negative.

Dinidikta sa akin ni Fatima ang vital signs na nasa monitor. Ok pa. Keri pa daw sabi nya.

5 minutes later...

"mac, sats natin 75% nalang..."

"ok pa. acceptable pa yan. I need few more minutes" sabi ko.

"mac, its 60% nalang..."

"Ok! kukunan ko na siya ng blood... teterminate ko na tong test as soon as naka extract na ko ng blood sa artery sa braso nya"

FYI: Ang normal na sats e dapat 100%. At normal na heart rate at 80-100 bpm.

Nagmamadali ako. kelangan ma-hit ko agad ang artery in few seconds..

Tinusok ko na ang braso nya...sinusubukan hanapin ang artery... pero wala! shitness!!!

Hindi umaabot ang karayom ko. malalim ang ugat. I need a bigger needle Fatima! sabi ko sa kaibigan ko. Nagmamadali siya tumakbo sa stock room para kumuha. Naiwan ako mag isa.

Tumingin ako sa monitor 60s pa din ang saturation ko. Tinusok ko ulit. Blind shot na ginawa ko. Pero di talaga maabot.

Pagtingin ko sa monitor..50% nalang sats niya at bumabagsak na ang heart rate niya! 30 beats per minute nalang!

Sa pagmamadali ko ibalik yun takip ng syringe, napasala ang hawak ko at natusok ko ang sarili kong daliri! Nagdudugo pa din to habang nag si-CPR ako.

Worried ako sa kalagayan ng pasyente at sa natusok kong daliri. Nagamit ko na yun karayom sa pasyente. Hindi ko pa alam kung positive siya sa Hepa and I dont wanna think of the worst but...pano pag positive siya sa HIV?

"Stop! Everybody stop. Patient is DNR!" narinig ko nalang na sabi ng nurse in charge sa ICU.

Umalis na kami ni Fatima after na ideclare na expired na yun patient namin. Ganun kabilis nawalan ng buhay ang Nepali...

1o minutes...all it takes was ten minutes.

Halos dependent na siya sa ventilator at mga gamot.

Nag report agad ako sa supervisor at sinabi ko na natusok ako ng needle na gamit na. Pinagawa nya ko ng Incident report. Inasikaso naman niya ako at dinala ako sa emergency room sa main hospital para ma examine. Kinuyob ako ng mga kaibigan kong nurse sa ER haha! Celebrity?

Tanga-tanga mo!!! sabay gigil na batok sa akin ng ilang kaibigan ko. Concern na concern sila noh? LOL

Kinunan din ako ng blood sample.Tapos ke-laki-laki ng karayom na ginamit! Taena'ng mga yon! wala na daw maliit!

Till now nangingitim yun tusok sa braso ko ni Eric! nag-Hematoma! patay sa kin yun pag nagkita kami!


May appointment ako sa infectious disease clinic next week.


Hoping and praying na Negative lahat sa sakit na nakakahawa ang namatay na patient. Sumalangit nawa ang kanyang kaluluwa.

Nakakaguilty din somehow na namatay siya habang ginagawa ko yun procedure sa knya. In my own hands...Oh may gawd! chos!


Iniisip ko na...

Na sana kung hindi ako masyadong naging confident...

At sana hinanda na muna namin lahat ng kelangan na size ng needle para di na tumakbo si Fatima at maiwan ako mag isa at sana na-monitor ko agad na bumabagsak na ng mabilis ang heart rate nya...

Na kung sana di ko na pinayagan mag meryenda yun nurse nya...

Na sana pinatawag ko na din yun doctor bago ko gawin yun procedure...

Na sana na-hit ko agad yun artery nya ng mabilis...

Na sana di ako su-syunga-syunga na natusok ko ng karayom ang sarili ko...



Hay...

Lesson learned talaga.

30 Minutes Before My Shift Ends

I looked at the wall clock, it says 5:30 in the morning.

In 30 minutes, my shift will end.

Finally.

I told to myself as I sat on the couch of our department and felt very tired.

In that 3o minutes before my 16hours straight duty from evening to night shift ends, I received a call from the emergency room, the assigned colleague of mine needs help, he said an ambulance will be arriving very soon with two cardiac arrest patients...he cannot afford to assist on those two patients at the same time.

So I responded together with my friend and colleague Dan. We were joking around with the nurses as we wait for the ambulance to arrive.

"Hey Jen, I don't see any face book status update from you? Di kita nararamdaman sa FB!"

"you know me Mac, too busy, after work im dead tired!"

"atleast write something once in a while, a quick update you know....like "pepe maluwang...or perhaps... pepe maga..."

and we both laughed with my silly joke on her until we heard the "wang-wang" of the ambulance, we prepared ourselves for the worst.

There they come like a storm barging in... the emergency medical team, tensed, sweating, and busy rescusitating that 1 year old baby...Oh my gosh... a baby! with all smoke and dirt on his head and body....

"he is a year old baby, found on the floor, a possible case of smoke inhalation, fire on their home, he's non reactive, no pulse, no breathing, pupils dilated, and CPR going on for 15 minutes now..." the canadian nurse endorsed to all of us while shifting the patient to our stretcher.

I took over on giving the artificial airway and breathing for the baby, while the other nurse took over the cardiac compression from the ambulance guy who is soaked like crazy with his own sweat. I always admired them, I mean their job is just crazy! they are the ones who arrive on the scene and give the first aid until they could pass to the emergency room! How cool is that!

I had a heavy heart seeing this innocent baby lifeless while we tried everything to save him. I could see my nephew on him. I know he is someone's baby. I know someone is worried about him and praying really hard to God to save him.

I avoided looking at his face since then...I can't.

1o minutes later, the other ambulance arrived and the other team from the ER prepared themselves to received the patient...

I looked at the patient arriving on the stretcher and I gasped loudly as I saw a 7 months pregnant woman darkened by smokes from the fire, lifeless too, and heard from the endorsement that she is in fact this baby's mom...

Oh no, what happened to both of you and your mom? I whispered at him as if he is alive...

trying to be unaffected by what's happening around me and do my job, there is no time to be emotional at this moment. Every minute counts...

30 minutes before my shift ends...

The room became crazier than ever..I saw everyone running...getting something...shouting to someone...all for these patients on our hands.

3o minutes before my shift ends

Here I am still busy, ignoring the pain on my legs and my tired eyes. We are all tired, but no one complains. We are all doing our best for this baby and his mother and her unborn child.

The doctor run the ECG machine this time...

flat line...

he paused and said: "time of death 6:05 am"

Every one stared at this baby boy's face and stopped from what their doing. The family came rushing and they became hysterical as they realized he is really gone.

"why... why.. you're just a baby..." his father.

I saw the pain on the old lady's face as she kissed the baby's feet...whispering at him. I assumed its his grandmother.

Its heartbreaking. My tears almost fell.

That was a difficult situation to be in.
I hate being affected by other's grief.
I'm sad. I'm down. I've never been affected by patients and relatives for a long time, death is a common thing for me. Ive been surrounded by death all the time. I don't know why now...

I heard another doctor's declaration on the bed nearby:

"time of death 6:10 am"

3o minutes before my shift ends ...

3 lives were gone...

Panic Attack

Duty ko isang hapon, wala kami ideya kung san kami ilalagay ng senior staff namin, may lima kasing ICU sa ospital,( may pang bago opera, may para sa mga naaksidente (trauma), may pang puso, may pang bata/sanggol, at pang kalahatang sakit na hindi na sakop nun ibang ICU).

Although, madalas sa pangbata'ng ICU ako nilalagay, which is, mas gusto ko. Dahil komportable na ako sa area, equipments, machines at sa mga nurse dun. Nung hinati na, tama nga hula ko, dun ako sa pangbata nilagay.

Naghanda na ako mag rounds, isa isa ko pinuntahan lahat ng pasyente na para sakin, nagsulat, nagcheck if nagana at wala problema machine at stable ang pasyente. Habang ginagawa ko yun, naririnig ko ang ingay ng mga bata, may mga baby na naiyak, nagwawala. Nakakarindi minsan, sarap pasakan ng unan ang mga bibig ng matigil na LOL!

Dito sa area na to, masasanay ka na din sa mga kantahan, kasi di lang mag care sa pasyente trabaho ng nurses dito, dapat songer ka din! Kasi kakantahan mo mga sanggol para tumahan! gaya ng bad romance ni gaga, or kaya single ladies ni beyonce!

Sa kabuuan, tahimik ang area ko. Meaning wala masyado procedures, orders ek ek. Nagpasalamat ako!

Itunuloy ko ang duty sa pamamagitan ng pakikipagdaldalan, pakikipaglandian (chos!), at pag browse sa net gamit ang laptop ko! Naka 2 episode din ata ako ng grey's anatomy bago mag second rounds naman!hehe. Saya!

9:30 pm, lahat ng mga kasamahan ko busy na sa kani-kanilang ICU, akala ko ligtas ako sa ka-toxic-an, but im wrongness! Tinawagan ako ng nurse-in-charge, maghanda daw ako ng makina na hihinga para dun sa pasyente na darating 10 y.o, nabagok daw ulo, parating na ambulansya, bilisan ko daw~!

Atribidang nurse! kakatawag lang gusto now na agad!!! di kaya ganun kadali mag set up! letse!

Paglabas ko ng department namin, nakasalubong ko na ang team ng ambulansya na dala-dala yun pasyente na inaantay namin! Crapppppppppppppp! wala pa ako nape-prepare!

Hinubad ko ang damit ko na parang si clark kent at na expose ang costume ko sa loob na may nakasulat na S... hindi Superman, kundi: She-ra!

Nagmamadali ako, sabi on the way palang, un pala andito na! pawis pawis na ko nun, nagmamadali ang lola nyo, jusko day! Pero dahil may taglay akong powers, na-set-up ko naman siya agad.

Ililipat na namin sa bed yun pasyente na kasalukuyang nasa stretcher ng ambulance ng mag alarm ang monitor! Sobrang bilis ng tibok ng puso nya! Nag-madali magpakuha ang doktor ng mga gamot, konting minuto lang kasi titigil na yun bigla sa pagtibok at mamatay ang bata.

Nawala na ang tahimik kong mundo!!!

Nagkagulo na! Kinuha ko ang ambubag, pumuwesto ako sa ulunan at inumpisahan pisilin yun para tulungan huminga ang pasyente. Nagpahanda ng defibrillator, kukuryentehan na ang puso.

Every body clear? sigaw ng maitim na manggagamot.

Sumagot kami ng "clear-ness" with my baklang-baklang accent! Kidding! LOL. Kaso nakadikit naman siya sa bakal, sabi ko doktor, usod ka, makukuryente ka din! Tange di ba?!

Pinundot nya, pero walang nadeliver na kuryente sa pasyente! palpak! Inulit, wala na naman!

Juskoooooooooooo! kaloka!

Nagkagulo ang mga Pana (mga ibang lahi,nagpapahulog satin ng 5-6 gets nyo na?), nun shift na yun wala pinoy, andami nila,e dapat mga 5 or 6 people lang dun, pero nasa 15 ata sila! bakit daw di nagana, nagsisisihan sila, ang iingay kairita. Ang bilis magsasasalita sa lengguwahe nila.

Hindi organized.

Nagpapanic sila.

Para akong nasa palengke! yun tipong lahat sabay sabay nagsisigawan: Ale-ale bili ka ng isda, mura lang! oy suke, bili ka ng talong ko, mahaba, mataba, titirik mata mo pag sinaksak mo sa pwet mo, dito ka bili bili suke!

Sa isip ko nun time na yun, yun ang scenario, muntik na ako mapatawa!

Tapos nadiskubre di pala nasuksok un cord ng makina kaya di nagana nun una! O di ba buhay na buhay ka talaga dito!LOL

Ipinagpatuloy ang pag CPR sa bata. Inabot na ko ng 10:20pm dun, teka lampas na ako sa duty ko a!

Late yun kapalit ko!

Nabalitaan ko kinabukasan na nabuhay naman pala yun bata.

Buti naman!

Nagdusa Ako Kagabi!

Nakasakay na ba kayo ng humaharurot na sasakyan! Yun tipong kaskasero ang driver?

Iyon na iyon ang naranasan ko kagabi sa night shift duty ko sa Cardiac ICU dito sa ospital namin. Kaso imbes na sasakyan, stretcher na may laman na pasyente ang humaharurot!LOL

Kakagaling lang namin kaunin ang pasyente na isang kaso ng atake sa puso, mula sa isang procedure sa Cath.Lab, naka tubo siya sa bibig na diretso sa lungs niya na tinutulungan siya huminga gamit ang ventilator na ako naman ang in charge. Kaya kasama ako sa team ng isang, consultant doctor, residenteng doktor, dalawang nurse at isang nursing aid.

Andami namin bitbit, para kaming nag po-flores de mayo na yung patient ang reyna elena at kami ang taga hawak ng ilaw at generator at bulaklak niya habang naparada sa kalye!haha. In reality ang bitbit namin e mga monitoring device ng pasyente na sangkatutak na mga makina para tulungan siya mabuhay. Tulak ko naman ang ventilator.

So anyway, napapalayo na ko sa kuwento ko, so pagkagaling sa cath lab, nasa hallway na kami nang biglang tumunog ang monitor, warning daw!!! nababa ang level ng oxygen sa katawan ng pasyente namin, ginawan ko ng paraan, pero wa epek pa din, mamaya maya bumabagsak na din ang bilang ng tibok ng puso niya!waaaaaaaaa! this can't be!

Any minute magka-cardiac arrest ang patient kong itoch!

Ang layo pa namin!!! As in super-mega far-far! nasa ground floor kami at nasa 6th floor ang ICU!!! Anak ng putcha naman oh!

Itinigil ang pagtulak ng pasyente, andun kami sa gitna ng pasilyo, humanda kami sa bakbakan! Nagkakagulo na silang lahat sa gitna ng daan. Lahat tensiyonado, ako relax lang, alam ko na gagawin ko, isa lang role ko, ang siguraduhin na makakalanghap ng hangin ang patient no matter what, no stress, no-no, ayoko masira ganda ko noh! LOL

Sabi ko: brother, throw the ambubag for me (yun ang gagamitin ko para manually tulungan huminga ang pasyente pansamantala)

Hinagis nga niya sakin, nasa may ulunan kasi ako, nasa may paanan si brother. Paghagis, siyempre di ko nasambot! Bading e LOL

Nag CPR kami, wala pa din, hinanda ang defibrillator, kukuryentehin na ang puso ng pasyente.

"Are we clear?" tanung ng nurse hawak ang pang kuryente. Walang sumagot kundi ako ng super taray na pa-mhin-ta tone:

"CLEARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Kinuryente nya, ayun nasunog ang pasyente, naging b-b-que! Kidding!

Nagkaron na kami ng tibok, nagbigay ng gamot, sabi ng doktor, itakbo na daw namin agad sa taas sa ICU kung san mas accessible ang gamit na makakatulong sa pasyente.

Kaso nileteral ng hinayupak na nursing aid at dalawang engot na Pana'ng nurse, aba ang bilis ng hila! naiiwan aketch na nasa may ulunan ng b-b-que! este patient pala! Yun doktor naman, siya na nag bitbit nun makina na ako ang may hawak kanina, kasi di ko kaya mag multi-tasking nun time na yun, cannot be na!

brooom-brooom-broooom!

Ang bilis namin! usok ang gulong ng stretcher! (hindi naman, OA na!haha)

Isang napakahabang biyahe ang kelangan namin danasin, ang haba ng pasilyo. Dahil sa bilis namin, nagkakanda-dapa na ang mga gaga'ng nurse, may naiipit ng gulong, may natitisod lalo na ako! letse! oily'ng-oily na ang pez ko jusko! Ok sana yun bilis namin nun diretso ang pasilyo, kaso sumablay kami nung paliko na!

Di namin napaghandaan ang pagliko, hindi nagmenor ang driver! Pag liko niya, halos madapa kaming mga nasa likod dahil sa impact! Para kaming di mga propesyunal sa itsura namin kanina, nakakatawa, pinigil ko lang kasi seryoso ang sitwasyon. Muntik na kami magkapalit palit ng mukha ng mga kasama mo! Buti nalang di nangyari, kundi lugi ako! Toinksssssssss!

Pero keri lang, job first, patient's care first bago ang poise!

Pagdating sa ICU at mailagay na namin sa kwarto ang pasyente, at naging stable, nakahinga na kami ng maluwag, saka nalang kami nagkatinginan ng team at napailing sabay tawa!!!

Langya, ngayon ko lang naranasan ang kalokahang yun!

Ayoko na maulit yun!!! Ang hirap!

Mga 3o minutes after, sabi sakin ng headnurse, maghanda daw ulit kami, kasi ibabalik ang pasyente sa cath. lab!!!

Anooooooooooooo?????????????????!!!

Ano ba 'to lokohan?! Di ba para lang silang tanga!LOL

Gone Too Soon

My bleeper vibrated inside my lab coat pocket, I pressed the button and heard the nurse-in-charge's voice: Please come to pediatric ICU urgent...I didn't wait for it to finish, I came rushing, if they said urgent, then it is really super-dooper to the highest level urgent LOL!

I scanned the area which bed are they busy with, I saw a closed curtain, nurses are coming in and out in a quick manner. I went inside the curtain and saw the patient, the resident doctor are doing the chest compression (CPR) to the 6 year old local kid while the attending doctor is watching him and directing nurses to give this and that.

I approached the resident doctor and told him I'll do the CPR for him since he look tired already, he must've been doing it for a long time I guess, so i start the compression, 1-1000-2-1000-3-1000.... I counted in my mind. The boy's chest are already collapsed maybe due to chest trauma post CPR I was told this is his third time arresting.

As I was doing the CPR, I looked at the patient's face, he looks pale and gone...in other situations I must have appreciate his cuteness, I felt a great sense of regret for what is happening to him, he could've been playing, he could've been carefree and full of life...

"See, thats how you do great CPR, look at the cardiac monitor, you could tell if someone is doing it right..." I heard the attending doctor complimented me...but of course, how many CPR did I do way back home, some are lucky and some are don't, the thing is, you have to do it right, I don't know why others wasn't, I mean we all did have training.

I just smiled at him to show him that I appreciated his comment. I was getting tired and I said "change..." and the doctor took over while I rested and talked to the Filipina nanny...

"...he's been suffering for a long time, he is a kind kid...but we are all expected this to happen, his mom and dad are first cousins. Their two other children are like him too" she said. I saw the parents crying at the back. I imagined their fear of losing someone they love, and this time, their baby boy...

"Oh, that explains why..." I replied. tsk tsk...

Blood related marriage is still present in this country. We all have many patients suffering from illnesses and abnormalities due to this practice. I felt bad about it, the children are the one suffering to this tradition. I hope there will come a time for this to change. I just prayed that this child will be in our creator and have his own time to play and feel how to be a kid up there..free of any sickness...

We continued reviving him for 30 minutes until the doctors pronounced it: patient expired 4:35pm. He thanked all of us and talked to the family. Until we heard the mother's hysterical cry....

Nooooooooooooooooo!!!

What The Hell is an RT?

I'm sick and tired of telling people about my job,I am a respiratory therapist! but they don't know what it is !hahaha and they were like,what the hell is that?! Every time I'm chatting online or meeting some one on a date and they would ask about my job,they have no idea about it.Unless of course if you work on a hospital like me.

So i decided to give you guys an idea about the nature of my work,I searched some pictures so that you would have a much clearer understanding.I worked as an RT for 5 years at a tertiary hospital in the south.My course in college was B.S Respiratory Therapy.But i gotta admit,only few are getting this course we are not as popular as the PT's or the OT's and the Nurses,well maybe because this is not a glamorous job.

So here it is :

When a patient arrived at the ER and have a difficulty of breathing (nangingitim na kuko at mga kamay and lips) and all signs indicating that he needs an invasive help to breath (OR any patient confined at the hospital) we immediately do a procedure- intubation where-in the doctor will insert a tube into his mouth directly to his trachea(lalamunan) and lungs to breath.We are required to be there when they start to do this.We assist the doctor together with the duty nurse.I was the one responsible checking the air sounds if the doctor inserted the tube right.If I say "out" he will do it again until he's "in" hehe taray!

Code blue-this is the craziest time! If I'm on duty especially at night!(tanggal ang antok ko!haha).When they call our laboratory and say its a code blue humanda ka na!This is when a patient suddenly stops breathing or suffered a cardiac arrest.Everyone was like running here and there giving this and that medication and injections to make the heart beats again.What is my role?I am the one giving the CPR,the heart compressions(like you see on the pic,kapag napagod salitan kami ng doctor or headnurse) and sometimes using defibrillators.The staff included in a code blue are: the doctor,me(RT),head nurse,nurse,med tech,x-ray tech,midwife and an orderly.This usually takes 30minutes to 1 hour,and I gotta tell you its tiring you have to make that patient alive in 30minutes to an hour,if not,dedo na yun!

Once we revived the patient's heart,I have to rush to the ICU to prepare this machine:the mechanical Ventilator-responsible for breathing for the patient until he can completely breaths on his/her own.I have to set and manipulate this machine with the doctors orders on how many breaths it have to give and how much air does a patient needs including the alarm systems.

Then here it is,after checking if the machine is ready,I will hook the patient in its tubings and check again if there is an equal air going in and out of the lungs.If there are too much secretions(like plema or dugo)we need to suction it using a suction machine sometimes an entire bottle was filled with this secretions so kadiri talaga!Pero sanay na me!hehe.I can compare it to a Bavarian fillings hehe

Same procedure with the infants.Then we have to monitor these patients whether adult or babies every now and then and coordinate with the nurses.That's why the nurses are my best friends!hehe

we do check their tubings and conditions if they are comfortable and if they are ready to breath on their own,we asses and do some suggestions to the doctors.

This is a less invasive gadget,we call this the oxygen hood.That plastic container was sealed and oxygen are inside to help the baby breath.

This is the PFT machine,this procedure is sooo tiring for me and the patient! I takes 30minutes or more to be done!especially if the patient cant understand your instructions (they may be too old or too weak or deaf to follow! lagott)This machine measures your lung's capacity and functions.Most of our patients are those with complications due to smoking and those with asthma and patients who will undergo a surgery.

This is my favorite,I'm good in extracting blood from the artery. This is called arterial blood gas or ABG.This is really really painful!When we were just students,we are required to do this with our partners!Ang sakit nito waaa!According to my instructor we have to experience this so that we have an idea how painful it is so that we will be gentle to our future patients.

This is the most boring part of our job,the nebulization-this treatment is given to patients who have difficulty of breathing,the medicine inside release mist and absorbed by the lungs once you inhale it,dilating the airways and air sacs.I'm glad we have an assistant to do that job.In other hospital the nurses are the one doing this.

Whew!this is long haha.But those are only few important part of my work, there are more procedure and gadgets we use for the therapy/monitoring of the lungs,I'm afraid it will just bore you guys to death so I rather not talk about it anymore.I hope I gave you an idea of my exciting and tiring job.But I love this job.I hope I can work abroad na,wala pa ko visa!!tagal nman!hehe.