Wednesday, February 15, 2012

PICU - day 9 Hang on for your life...

I don't know if that is the best title but sometimes that is what it feels like here. This morning at about 5:30am the nurse called for the respiratory therapist because Emylie's sats (oxygen saturation) were in the low 80's after moving her and she wasn't coming back up. With some additional suctioning she improved. At the same time the portable xray tech was waiting to take her morning chest xray. Once they take the xray the image pops up on the screen and then they send it to the radiologist for review. As I looked at it, her heart looked different to me. I mentioned it to the nurse who mentioned it to the resident who said she would look on a bigger screen. Of coarse I start thinking that the medications have affected her heart now and at the same time trying to not freak out until I have been told to freak out. Unfortunately my body doesn't work that way and worry set in and I felt sick to my stomach.
At about 8:30am when the doctors rounded (they make their way around to each bed to give report and create a plan for the day) they said that they didn't see anything concerning, that they felt her heart looked fine and it was just a little different positioning. I am hoping that is true because it still looks different than all other xrays so far.
My worry has been calmed with the improving of her sats and the positive out feedback from the attending dr, Dr. Bennett. The plan for today is to continue to turn down her PEEP one number every 12 hours as tolerated. The respiratory therapist changed it to 12 at about 8:40am. The nurse took out her foley catheter. They are planning to remove the chest tube later today. Her Vec holiday was started about 9:00pm and they are going to allow her to stay off of it a little longer today. That is about where things are at right now.... I think we are going in a much better direction!

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