Mr. Lodwick Question

[Ross]

You should not get vancomycin unless it is absolutely necessary. If you get a vanco resistant infection - you can pretty much put yo' head between yo' legs and kiss yo' tail good-bye.

Yeap. When I had my AVR and got that staph infection off the IV line, well......I had already kissed it goodbye, but this persistent Infectious Disease Doctor fired up his last line of defense arsenal, hence my reference to the Gorilla Mycin.

 

[denobobeno]

I feel ya!

I feel ya!

Ross,
I'm with you on the pain and agony of being stuck so much!!!
I was only in there one week exactly, but, they had an IV in each arm and still stuck me for blood constantly and then my IV's kept blowing and here they'd go again..looking and digging!
I had one green nurse come in, she was as green as they come. I could tell even through my Dilodid (sp?) eyes. She began by explaining that if she can't get it she'll call another more experienced nurse. I don't know why, but, I let her start digging..finally I asked if she could get someone else and she did.
At the time I remember thinking I know they have to be trained on someone...but, why me??? I've already been through enough! Poor me...
Anyway, had to vent I guess..I feel better!
XXOO Deana

 

[Mary]

You know I posted about a new development after we came back from a therapy convention last December. They have a new little gadget out that lights up a patient's veins where even a five year old kid could land a needle stick.
They're buying them for pediatric units, but I expect that they will hit mainstream patient wards over the next few years. They cost about $14,000 a pop, but it seems reasonable that they could have one on every floor eventually.

 

[geebee]

You know I posted about a new development after we came back from a therapy convention last December. They have a new little gadget out that lights up a patient's veins where even a five year old kid could land a needle stick.
They're buying them for pediatric units, but I expect that they will hit mainstream patient wards over the next few years. They cost about $14,000 a pop, but it seems reasonable that they could have one on every floor eventually.

Based on the cost of healthcare these days, $14K is peanuts.

 

[Kathy Canistro]

Your poor veins

Your poor veins

Hi Ross,

I feel bad for your poor veins. I am with you as far as we don't care what they like. After my last sickness I had to have heating pads applied to any vein they were targeting. I was even told by one nurse to "buck up" whatever that means and bare my ankles for the blood draws. It really smarts in the ankles. I sort of developed a poor attitude after that and now I never let trainees touch me. I had a PICC line for 6 weeks after my second open heart and the nafcillian and refampin really impacted my coumadin therapy, it was really stinky and I am glad it is behind me.

I hope you are better real soon.

Take Care
Kathy

 

[Nan]

vein locater gadget

vein locater gadget

Hi Mary.....re: the little device with a blue light that tells techs where the veins are. When I had my last stress test (nuclear) the techs in the scan room used one of those to locate my veins. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it didn't make any difference. Even I could see the veins with it....but apparently you can't tell if it is a GOOD vein....They had to stick me several times even with the light. And then, of course, when they took the iv out I bled all over their machinery due to the coumadin (I did tell them I was on coumadin!)

Hopefully they'll come up with something even better!

 

[Ross]

Hi Mary.....re: the little device with a blue light that tells techs where the veins are. When I had my last stress test (nuclear) the techs in the scan room used one of those to locate my veins. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it didn't make any difference. Even I could see the veins with it....but apparently you can't tell if it is a GOOD vein....They had to stick me several times even with the light. And then, of course, when they took the iv out I bled all over their machinery due to the Coumadin (I did tell them I was on Coumadin!)

Hopefully they'll come up with something even better!

If you can find an experienced tech, if, they can hit things that cannot be seen. I was fortunate enough to have 2 girls that didn't dive in trying to harpoon me with those large bore needles using almost diabetic size needles and they got blood from the tiniest of places on my hand. I offered one of them overtime and told her I'd pay her to stay until I left the hospital!

 

[Marty]

Hi Mary.....re: the little device with a blue light that tells techs where the veins are. When I had my last stress test (nuclear) the techs in the scan room used one of those to locate my veins. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it didn't make any difference. Even I could see the veins with it....but apparently you can't tell if it is a GOOD vein....They had to stick me several times even with the light. And then, of course, when they took the iv out I bled all over their machinery due to the coumadin (I did tell them I was on coumadin!)

Hopefully they'll come up with something even better!

Hi Ross, Mary, and Nan. I had dinner last night with my daughter who is a nurse anesthetist. I told her about Ross's in hospital heparin problem and that he considered a PICC line. She said that they could anchor an Angiocath catheter about 1 to 2 inches long in a vein usually mid forearm. They feel it is safe for 3 or 4 days and then must be removed because of increased risk of infection. I asked her how she approaches patients with "no veins". She says she can always find a vein! Marty

 

[Nan]

Hi Marty,

Clearly your daughter is one of the really GOOD ones!!! Actually, for some reason it does seem that anesthesiologists have much better luck finding usable veins on the first try then anyone else....at least that has been my experience.

Now, we all just need to be able to have your daughter come with us to any hospital setting.......

Take care,

 

[Ross]

They will administer drugs into an angiocath, but they will not draw from them. I had two of them running all the time.

 

[RandyL]

Kind of on the same subject, for the first time I had a nurse give me litocaine to put an IV in my arm. Boy was that a nice idea, was last week when I went in for back sugery.

 

[Ross]

Kind of on the same subject, for the first time I had a nurse give me litocaine to put an IV in my arm. Boy was that a nice idea, was last week when I went in for back sugery.

They did that for me in the OR, but when I asked in the ER, was told NO!
I think Aultman prides itself on how much pain it can inflict without sedation when possible.

 

[Marty]

They will administer drugs into an angiocath, but they will not draw from them. I had two of them running all the time.

Wrong. There is no reason they cannot draw blood from an angiocath for APT as long as they flush with normal saline.

 

[Ross]

Wrong. There is no reason they cannot draw blood from an angiocath for APT as long as they flush with normal saline.

Marty do you see why I'm upset with them? They said no to a picc line citing they couldn't draw from it and I know better. They wouldn't use the unused angiocath port, but stuck me every 6 hours mostly with the largest damn needles they could use, when I know it wasn't necessary.

 

[Marty]

Marty do you see why I'm upset with them? They said no to a picc line citing they couldn't draw from it and I know better. They wouldn't use the unused angiocath port, but stuck me every 6 hours mostly with the largest damn needles they could use, when I know it wasn't necessary.

Ross, I discussed your case with one of our hem-oncs today.She thinks you have a gripe.