And "here" is in the PICU.
I mentioned he was struggling more on Friday evening so the plan was to transfer once they got a bed space ready and clean. Um, they did it, but just barely in time.
Aaron dropped precipitously again. I announced to the nurse I was taking him off the vent and bagging him. The called the rapid response. Our poor attending had just cycled on about 20 minutes earlier AND had been called to a Code down the hall as well. Then there was us. She showed up, took one look and said, "I want more bodies in this room!"
"Do you want a rapid response or a Code?"
"I don't care, just get me more people!"
So yep, that was what happened. We actually moved pretty quickly. As we approached the elevator, security was there and started apologizing saying they were holding it for a Code. Doctor said, "we are a Code, we'll take it and send it back for the other one."
Yeah, so that happened.
Yesterday he continued to struggle with fevers and respiratory support. We put a pulse ox on his foot and his hand. Those numbers rarely if ever match due to his pulmonary hypertension, but they're 5-10 percentage points apart. Yesterday? 23, TWENTY-THREE points apart. With that information, the attending decided to start nitric oxide. It's a lighter gas, smaller particles, and it allows for easier, deeper penetration into the lungs. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. This time we saw almost immediate improvement.
We continue to work towards what he needs. They've broadened his antibiotic coverage and tested his heart, switching one antibiotic for another that's not quite so hard on him but still strong. He's slept a lot, but is waking and playing now.
We're going to be here for a while. Once he can be weaned from the nitric oxide (NO), it will take at least two days to get off it, and we're not to where we can start turning it down yet. We'll have to see how things go. But he's getting the support he needs which is the important part.
No comments:
Post a Comment