why do they call it that? when "code blue, code 199" is frantically called on the overhead pager throughout the hospital, isn't it pretty obvious that someone is dying? silly numbers don't really sugar coat the message.
my patient had a seizure this morning at about 7:55. i hadn't even been in to see her yet. poor thing. i know her well. she has been in the hospital for at least two months. she got a stem cell transplant, but is now currently suffering from GVHD (graft versus host disease). the cells we transplanted into her body to cure her cancer are now attacking her GI tract (causing copious amounts of diarrhea and an inability to absorb medications and nutrients from food). she's miserable and grouchy and eager to get the hell out of here. and now she had a seizure... and we don't know why. sort of threw off my plans for the day. and hers.
i'm such a planner. i like organization and to follow a schedule. i make myself a list of all my tasks for the day and check them off as they are accomplished. i write down all of my medications for the entire day (often totally more than 30 meds in a shift). and something like a seizure really ruins the plan! there were blood gases drawn. stat portable chest xrays. a stat CT. incontinence of bowels and bladder. emergency platelets to hang. family members to keep calm. labs to be drawn. foley catheters to be inserted. none of these were on my list!
i'm nearing the end of my shift. my patient and i are tired. i get to go home. she doesn't.
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