Friday, November 4, 2022

Healthcare Paradoxes

  Wake up! It's time for your sleeping pill.

Go Lytely...This stuff is like a Mount Vesuvius eruption purge in a bottle! Not exactly lightly about anything.

Lifesaving surgery...Red Duke, the famous Texas trauma surgeon, debunked this one many moons ago. "When God punches your ticket, he does so with profound authority, without regard to human intervention." 

Soft code...When the notion that CPR was good for all surfaced, the concept of a muted code emerged: walk, don't run, pediatric compressions for 300 pounders, etc. There really is no such animal as a soft code.

Bathroom privileges... This is a biologic need. Do we have room air privileges for patients to breathe?

Therapeutic milieu... I learned the fallacy of this one early on at Downey VA hospital. A nurse office sitter was orienting me to my psych unit announcing that this was their "therapeutic milieu" as she opened the locked door to the ward. A pool ball sizzled by my head like it had been launched from a mortar and 2 patients were bayonetting each other over in a corner with a cue, while a third was struggling to remove an impaled rack from his head. Therapeutic???  I don't think so.

Normal saline...How normal is an IV solution when it can cause metabolic acidosis and renal function changes?

ILL health...Health is health and there is nothing ill about it.

Pressure ulcer... Nope, if pressure caused ulcers, divers would be one giant bedsore. It's the shear forces that cause decubitus ulcers.

Confined to a wheelchair...As an occasional wheelchair user, this one really grinds my gears. Wheelchairs provide mobility and freedom!

6 comments:

  1. paradoxes and oxymorons, my favorite things! Like "anxious patient"

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  2. That's a good one, EDNurseasauras! I hope you are enjoying your retirement.

    I'm still struggling with septic complications from my total knee replacement in August. I have been really impressed by this new crop of whippersnapperns, so hard working and kind. I think they have it harder than I ever did in the bedside nursing world. There is way too much misguided oversight from nurse administrative office sitters. That hasn't changed over the years!

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  3. Oldfool,so sorry to hear you are still having troubles, can't think of anything more miserable. Hope it is resolved soon! Why is it always nurses that have the complications? My cataract "so simple you could do it yourself" surgery went not well. Felt the whole thing, continue with blurred vision and halos 3 months later. At least I can read, sew, and drive....just not at night.

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    1. Thanks, EDNurseasauras, I'm doing much better, thanks to some really good infectious disease docs. My new knee is still a bit stiff, but the pain is gone. Hooray!

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  4. I am just now getting back to reading the blogs of those I follow and care for...it's a significant bummer to hear that you weren't doing great after surgery. It's been over a month since your last post so I am hopeful that you're feeling better, but if not I am sending you good thoughts and the best healing vibes.

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    1. Thanks so much for your well wishes. It's always great to hear from you.

      My post-op urosepsis earned me my first ride in an EMS truck to the ER. The ER nurses were so kind and caring and my first thoughts turned to you, Shrtstormtrooper. What a difficult environment to be so nice to patients. They made such a huge difference. I even nominated one nurse for an "Above and Beyond Award," despite my less than positive posts about nursing awards. Riley RN really deserved special recognition.

      My urosepsis was speedily resolved, but I had to resort to that unsavory procedure of self catheterizing for about a month or so until my prostate improved.

      When I worked in neuro at the VA one of my personal missions was teaching paraplegics intermittent self-catheterization to rid them of their infection inducing Foleys. I had some successes that were very rewarding. Sometimes caring for others really pays dividends for self care. Maybe it has something to do with Karma.

      Anyhow, I'm really enjoying my totally pain free left knee that was replaced and am working up courage to think about doing the right which radiographically, was worse. I opted for the left arthroplasty because that knee was more painful.

      Wishing you and your family a most joyous holiday season!

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