May you Rest In Peace...
today was a busy afternoon...
juz the same..standby after standby...
non-stop...
we had this 105yrs old auntie that was brought in by private ambulance...
according to the paramedic, the family send her to hospital for generalised weakness and lost of appetite for 2 days...
and on the way to TTSH ED, the patient collapsed in the ambulance..
and when she reach our side, the cardiac monitor shows asystole liao...
so we did our usual routine management...
Intubation...
CPR...
Cannulation...
Load fluids....
2 doses of Adrenaline...
and 1 dose of Atropine...
i was the one who initiated the CPR...
so when i did my first compression...
i heard a "crack" sound!!!
yes...
i broke her ribs..
and my 2nd compression,
i heard another 2 "crack" sound...
haiz..
but no choice...
bones or life??
we have to take the later one...
after abt 10 mins...
the cardiac monitor still shows a asystole rhythm with no pulses felt..
so the senior doctor decided to cease all resuscitation efforts..
afterall, there isn't much we could do for this lady liao...
and she is already 105 yrs old...
why put her thru all these suffering even if we successfully brought her back...
all the interventions that they do in the ICU...
its worst then any words can describe...
its pure LIVING HELL!!!
thats why i look up to ICU nurses...
not only that they are knowledgeable..(they have to be knowledgeable!!)
but they are able to tahan all these emotional stress when seeing patient going thru all the suffering...
haiz..i cant take it...
anyway, we stop bagging the patient...
disconnected the resuscitator from the ETT...
stop all the CPR...
removed the drips...
clean patient up...
tidy her clothing..
putting on the mortuary shroud...
then as we finish tidying all the stuff...
i was taking a last look at her...
telling her in my heart..
"auntie...u go in peace.."
juz then, i saw something that really shocked me!!!
i saw
PULSATION over her carotid area!!!!
i thought my eyes was playing some tricks...
then i took a closer look!!!
YES!!!!!!!!!!
I SAW HER PULSE!!!!!!!!!and i quickly asked my colleague to see!!!
and u dun need to even feel for the pulse!!
u can
SEE it with ur eyes!!!!!!
its juz so strong lohz!!!
and the cardiac monitor shows a pulse of 86bpm!!
and she still manage to have a BP of 74/40 mmHg!!!!!!
wah kaoz!!!
then we immediately call for the medical officer to come in...
he was like shocked to hear that lohz!!!
we were like stop resuscitating her and packing the body for a good 10 to 15 mins liao!!
we even tied her legs together liao...
then after that she came back!!
first in my life i ever see this kinda thingy man!!
then the MO auscultate her carotid pulse and her lungs...
and she was actually BREATHING on her own!!!
despite us tubing her already and stop ventilating her liao lohz!!!
wah kaoz!!!
then we faster do an ECG and it shows a ventricular tachycardia (VT) rhythm...
however, we decided that this will not go on for long...
so the senior decided to have conservative management...
so we juz hook on the oxylog...
and monitor her lohz...
see whether she can sustain or not..
if she cant even sustain here in ED...
then i dun think she can make it in ICU lohz...
so in the end...
her rhythm returned to a flat line...
but that really took a LONG LONG LONG LONG time!!!
auntie was so strong...
maybe she had wishes that were yet to be fulfilled...
thats why she is holding on...
i dun know..
i walked to her side and talked to her...
"auntie... why not juz let go and go off peacefully...
why put urself thru all these suffering...
u can actually let go..."
haiz...its really sad isnt it...
and eventually...
she passed on...
i hope she is in some heavenly place now....
and is very happy there...
njoying eternity...
anyway...
auntie...
MAY YOU REST IN PEACE...
