Recently, a patient's life was spared because of one nurse's gut feeling and persistence. A patient arrived for an elective endoscopic procedure on Wednesday morning to help determine the etiology for his recent epigastric pain, and Inez Smallwood, RN, placed the patient in his bed.
The patient was interviewed and told the nurse that he had some chest discomfort on Monday and had gone to his family physician. His physician performed an EKG and according to the patient was cleared that it was not his heart. His physician decided to perform an EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) on the patient today. The patient was interviewed by the anesthesiologist, and told him the same information.
When the Endoscopy Circulator nurse, Inez, came to transport the patient to the procedure room, she realized something was wrong. This patient did not look like the same patient that she had placed in the bed two hours ago. The patient was lying in the bed and told Inez, "I feel like I am going to pass out". Inez questioned the patient if he was having any pain, and the patient responded he was having chest pressure. Inez alerted the physician and anesthesia personnel in the endoscopy room of the patient status. An EKG was performed showing ST elevation in almost every lead. The patient was having a STEMI and left this facility within 19 minutes; the patient ended up having a cardiac catheterization and 5 stents.
They say everything happens for a reason. If the patient had been at home, he may not have survived. On this Wednesday morning, this patient was right where he needed to be - at our hospital cared for by a great nurse.
Thanks to Inez Smallwood's questioning attitude, a patient's life was saved.