So started back to work after being off for a day. Two of the patients I had been taking care of passed away. Very sad, however, I was not surprised. Both patients had been clinging to life, on many medications to maintain their blood pressure and although on mechanical ventilation were requiring 100% oxygen to try to maintain their oxygenation. I had spoken with both patients families before my day off and had tried to prepare them that it was likely their family member would not live. These are difficult conversations and often times families, of course, hold out hope that there will be a miraculous turn around. I never try to take away the hope they have, but instead try to just support them but also let them know how grave the situation is. I called both families today and told them I was sorry for their loss and although I was not at the hospital at the time of their families death, I felt so badly and hoped they were doing alright. They thanked me for the call.
I often talk about the ventilators that help patients breath. I thought I should take a picture, so that those reading that have never seen a ventilator, would have a better idea of what I'm talking about.
This ventilator has many functions that can allow the respiratory therapists at the direction of the ICU doctor to provide breathes to a patient when they are unable to breath on their own. We can set what volume of oxygen will be given to a patient, the breaths per minute and what concentration of oxygen will be delivered. It is a very sophisticated machine and can be lifesaving.
The happy news today is I was able to remove one of my patients today from the ventilator. This poor woman had come into the hospital almost two months ago for surgery for uterine cancer. Her course was complicated by a wound infection and then a bowel obstruction requiring a second surgery. During that time she contracted COVID 19 in the hospital and required mechanical ventilation. She has been on the ventilator for over two weeks now and has been in the hospital about two months. Well today I removed her from the ventilator! She whispered to me thank you. I told her not to try and talk just breathe. I called her husband and son who were together, and told them she was off the ventilator. They cried with joy. I was so happy to be able to make that call. When they stopped crying they told me that sadly they had to attend a funeral tomorrow. The husband's mother had died last week of COVID. So even this happy moment is stained with sadness. But it's still a victory, I have seen so few. As of the time I left she was resting comfortably and doing well.
These were her vital signs when I left for the night. Pretty, pretty good. That's all for now.
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