Narcan

lass · 06-14-2003, 01:46 PM

GGRRRR...was actually going to sleep in my own bed last night for the first time in a week. Instead, the bf got too much morphine, between his PCA, a bolus given at his dressing change, and some MScontin given at the end of the dressing change. His breathing was ok, but only 4/minute...even then his oxygen level was 99%. No way to rouse him, and we used some painful stimuli. He ended up getting 2 doses of Narcan, and I called in sick to work today- the circles under my eyes looked like I'd been in a fight. I think we're gonna try me sleeping in my own bed tonight, if he isn't too spooked by last night's adventures. Wound's looking good tho. Thank all of you for your advise, support, and good wishes- they've helped a LOT.

Andy · 06-14-2003, 03:36 PM

Good luck, great to hear he's on the road to recovery! In reading these accounts of what could be loosely described as dangerous treatment, what is the name of this 'hospital'? OD'ing on opiates while inpatient, geeze.

KLD · 06-14-2003, 05:54 PM

I agree. Where I work a patint would never be allowed to be on both PCA and MS Contin. The PCA should be regulated for continuous dosing to manage his ongoing pain, with additional patient controlled PCA doses allowed for breakthrough, and an occasionally bolus pre-treatment, but this should all be properly regulated and monitored. A patient is over-sedeated (easy to monitor) long before they have respiratory depression, so the nurse was not observing him closely enough to let it get this far.

Another thing to discuss with the head nurse. Be sure they completed an incident report on his overdose that you have described here, and request that there be an investigation to prevent this from happening again. It would warrant an RCA (root-cause analysis) to be done where I work.

lass · 06-16-2003, 07:53 AM

Andy, I'd like to give the name of the hospital, but, for the same reason I post under a nickname and never use the bf's name, I won't. We're real, but this is his life I'm discussing, and it's a privacy thing with me. He knows I post here, and get lots of info here, but it's still his body I tend to discuss rather casually at times.

His butt is doing well, but I'm not sure I'll be sleeping in my own bed til he's out of the hospital. It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you, and right now, he doesn't even want the dressing changed if I'm not in the room. I don't recognize every pill in his pillpile, and have to trust that he's getting the right meds. He's got a lil yeast infection going, and not every nurse is annointing his 'parts' with ointment. Care is adequate, but that's all. B*tching does work tho- he actually got PT yesterday- stretching mostly, but that's one less thing for me to do. Just keeping my fingers crossed now that the bone stays covered. There's a very thin layer of tissue over it at this point, and the surgeon isn't sure it's going to last.

An incident report was made- results may be in today (Monday). It's common knowledge amongst the nurses what happened, even the ones not directly involved in his care. We'll see.

06-14-2003, 01:46 PM	#1
lass Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 207	Narcan GGRRRR...was actually going to sleep in my own bed last night for the first time in a week. Instead, the bf got too much morphine, between his PCA, a bolus given at his dressing change, and some MScontin given at the end of the dressing change. His breathing was ok, but only 4/minute...even then his oxygen level was 99%. No way to rouse him, and we used some painful stimuli. He ended up getting 2 doses of Narcan, and I called in sick to work today- the circles under my eyes looked like I'd been in a fight. I think we're gonna try me sleeping in my own bed tonight, if he isn't too spooked by last night's adventures. Wound's looking good tho. Thank all of you for your advise, support, and good wishes- they've helped a LOT.

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06-14-2003, 03:36 PM	#2
Andy Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 4,642	Good luck, great to hear he's on the road to recovery! In reading these accounts of what could be loosely described as dangerous treatment, what is the name of this 'hospital'? OD'ing on opiates while inpatient, geeze.

06-14-2003, 05:54 PM	#3
KLD Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: California Posts: 866	I agree. Where I work a patint would never be allowed to be on both PCA and MS Contin. The PCA should be regulated for continuous dosing to manage his ongoing pain, with additional patient controlled PCA doses allowed for breakthrough, and an occasionally bolus pre-treatment, but this should all be properly regulated and monitored. A patient is over-sedeated (easy to monitor) long before they have respiratory depression, so the nurse was not observing him closely enough to let it get this far. Another thing to discuss with the head nurse. Be sure they completed an incident report on his overdose that you have described here, and request that there be an investigation to prevent this from happening again. It would warrant an RCA (root-cause analysis) to be done where I work.

06-16-2003, 07:53 AM	#4
lass Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 207	Andy, I'd like to give the name of the hospital, but, for the same reason I post under a nickname and never use the bf's name, I won't. We're real, but this is his life I'm discussing, and it's a privacy thing with me. He knows I post here, and get lots of info here, but it's still his body I tend to discuss rather casually at times. His butt is doing well, but I'm not sure I'll be sleeping in my own bed til he's out of the hospital. It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you, and right now, he doesn't even want the dressing changed if I'm not in the room. I don't recognize every pill in his pillpile, and have to trust that he's getting the right meds. He's got a lil yeast infection going, and not every nurse is annointing his 'parts' with ointment. Care is adequate, but that's all. B*tching does work tho- he actually got PT yesterday- stretching mostly, but that's one less thing for me to do. Just keeping my fingers crossed now that the bone stays covered. There's a very thin layer of tissue over it at this point, and the surgeon isn't sure it's going to last. An incident report was made- results may be in today (Monday). It's common knowledge amongst the nurses what happened, even the ones not directly involved in his care. We'll see.