..... "We got pulse!" I was breathless while looking at the rebirth of his heart's sinus rhythm on the cardiac monitor.
I threw a glance at the other patients knowing well they were all stable, but as usual there would be at least one patient who isn't doing well and that night it was this young man.
"Hmm doc what else could we do? We've done almost everything that is possible" Yasmin, a senior nurse who's been working in ICU for 10 years look concern.
I threw a glance at the other patients knowing well they were all stable, but as usual there would be at least one patient who isn't doing well and that night it was this young man.
"Hmm doc what else could we do? We've done almost everything that is possible" Yasmin, a senior nurse who's been working in ICU for 10 years look concern.
"Pray" I replied.
"...and while we do that, we increase the noradrenaline to 2 mcg/kg/min! We're not gonna give up on this boy" I reached for the perfusor machine and pump it up and making sure the nebuliser is giving continous salbutamol
I went quietly to the waiting room and sat down next to his mother explaining to her what had just happened.
"Please doctor help my son, please don't let him die...he's the only one I got left" she sobbed heavily. She looked fragile and helpless. That was when I knew that the parents had divorced a year ago.
I went quietly to the waiting room and sat down next to his mother explaining to her what had just happened.
"Please doctor help my son, please don't let him die...he's the only one I got left" she sobbed heavily. She looked fragile and helpless. That was when I knew that the parents had divorced a year ago.
******
"Doc he arrested again!!" Yasmin shouted while starting CPR. It was 12am.
I grabbed the adrenaline and atropine syringes and injected 1 mg each via the central line. I replaced Yasmin as the 48 year-old woman became exhausted. CPR is a physically demanding procedure. Imagine having to exert yourself pressing on a human chest 100 times per minute.
As I glanced at the cardiac monitor suddenly showed irregular ventricular rhythm.
"HE'S IN V-FIB!! We stopping CPR... step aside!" I charged the biphasic defibrilator machine to 200J, and placed the 2 paddles on his chest.
I grabbed the adrenaline and atropine syringes and injected 1 mg each via the central line. I replaced Yasmin as the 48 year-old woman became exhausted. CPR is a physically demanding procedure. Imagine having to exert yourself pressing on a human chest 100 times per minute.
As I glanced at the cardiac monitor suddenly showed irregular ventricular rhythm.
"HE'S IN V-FIB!! We stopping CPR... step aside!" I charged the biphasic defibrilator machine to 200J, and placed the 2 paddles on his chest.
"CLLEEARRR!!" his body convulsed as the current shocked his body and soul.
We got him back. Sinus rhythm established. However our relief is short-lived. Between 3am to 6am he arrested another 5 times.
"Come on buddy don't you give up on me...COME ON!" I heard my inner voice shouted at him as I pressed down on his chest.
I look down on his face and I could feel his not with me anymore. The young man beneath me look different from the 1st day he was admitted. His pale face looked serene and peaceful. As though as his soul has found its solace. I opened his eyelids and his pupils were fixed and dilated.
And that was it, that was our final battle. His young heart didn't want to respond to our effort.
The young man passed away at 6.30am Thursday 19th. After I pronouced the time of death, I went to the devastated mother and held her hands.
"I'm sorry auntie, we're unable to save him... your son had just passed away" She cried softly. I took her to see her boy and upon seeing his lifeless body the old lady fainted on the floor and we had to carry her to a bed.
I looked outside through the large frameless ICU windows. Fresh sunrise threw its first bright light over the green hills marking another dawnbreak, deep down my heart told me that it was a terrible way to start a new day. I sighed.
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