I wanted to give a shoutout to Sonia Austin for advocating for a sick patient she encountered over the weekend as she worked her position as both charge nurse and triage nurse. A 38yo ambulatory male came to the ED and was checked in as “trouble with jaw.” When Sonia triaged the patient, she immediately noticed that the patient was having trouble speaking (difficulty finding words, using gestures to help answer questions). The patient pointed to his jaw and was able to tell her his jaw problem started an hour ago. Sonia immediately asked a provider to assess the patient with concerns for acute stroke. After seeing the
patient, the provider suspected angioedema rather than stroke. Sonia did not agree and pushed for a stroke workup. Code stroke was called and the patient ultimately received tPA. His symptoms resolved minutes into receiving tPA. Sonia also assisted a bedside nurse before, during and after tPA administration (double verified tPA dose and rate, helped perform neuro checks, assisted with bed transfer).
Sonia should be commended for rising to the occasion to advocate for a high acuity patient who needed treatment immediately. Her timely efforts resulted in helping a young stroke patient preserve his quality of life.