Chapter 5
Annie, one of the duty nurses, frowned at the report in her hand. It appeared to have been filled out incorrectly. As she looked up she saw Nancy Rush, the head floor nurse, coming towards her. Holding out the chart Annie said.
"Nancy, something doesn't seem right about this chart. I thought Steve was allergic to Penicillin.
"He is allergic to Penicillin. It should be flagged on his file. I can't believe it isn't." Nancy looked concerned as she reached for the chart that Annie was handing her way when suddenly an alarm sounded in one of the rooms so she called out a verbal instruction while rushing down the hall.
"Put a note on the outside just in case the next shift gets here before we get back to the desk." Nancy said to her colleague.
The nurse hastily put a post it note on top of Steve's chart stating that he was allergic to the antibiotic warning not to give it. The chart was laid aside and forgotten as Annie rushed to the room where the crisis was occurring.
For over an hour doctors and nurses worked to stabilize her but in spite of all their efforts nothing could be done to save the favorite patient. It was time for shift changes before any one was ready to give up on the sweet old lady so the next shift started on the floor where the previous shift left off.
Nancy and the team of nurses and doctors walked out into the hall with very heavy hearts. The crash cart and other equipment were pushed out of the room and the occupant was prepared to be moved to the morgue. It was hard for all of them to finally acknowledge the fact that there was nothing left they could do. The spirited woman had been a little ball of sunshine the whole time she had been with them. Never acknowledged the fact that she might not live from one day to the next, she only enjoyed each one to the fullest with smiles and enjoyment.
By the time Nancy got to the desk the other shift had already started performing the necessary treatments and other patient care their job entailed. Something was picking at the back of the nurse's mind and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Nancy finished writing her notes on the charts that she had started before the code. All of a sudden it dawned on her what it was that she had been trying to remember.
With her heart beating rapidly in her chest she sought out the medication nurse who was giving out the meds on the hall where Steve was. She ran as quickly as she could to enquire of the nurse if she had given out Mr. Sloan's medication yet. Just as she was about to ask if the antibiotic had been penicillin, there was another code called. This time in the room she knew was Steve's. Nancy ran as fast as she could, yelling over her shoulder that Dr. Travis and Dr. Sloan were to be called immediately.
What she saw as she entered the room almost made her heart stop. Steve lay on the bed motionless as Mrs. Grant used an ambu bag to breathe for him. Just then Jesse and Mark burst through the door and Nancy relayed her suspicions about the penicillin.
"Get me an intubation tray. I want one amp of epinephrine STAT. Nancy lower the top of his bed, we need to get his head down. How long has he been like this?" Jesse took over forcing to the back of his mind that it was his best friend who now needed his help.
"He started to have difficulty breathing about two minutes ago. I bagged him until just now when you came in." Mrs. Grant was relaying her information while she continued to force air into her patient's lungs with the ambu bag.
"Help me move his bed out from the wall so I can get into position. I need to clear his airway in order to insert the tube." Jesse started to push the bed himself so that he could stand behind Steve. A nurse ran in with the crash cart and Mrs. Grant removed the bag from his mouth. Jesse positioned Steve's head in order to get a clear airway so that he could insert the tube and have Steve hooked up to the ventilator as soon as possible. The Epinephrine was injected into his IV and he was moved to the ICU for close monitoring.
Steve's vital signs began to stabilize within the hour. Jesse and Mark discussed the ventilator and chose to leave him hooked up for the next several hours monitoring his progress very closely. Once they knew he was stable and out of immediate danger, the two walked out into the hallway to discuss how this could have happened. Mark heard what sounded like crying, and when he looked up he saw Nancy huddled in a corner crying softly to herself. He and Jesse quickly made their way over to her.
Mark reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder and asked her what was wrong.
"Oh Mark. All of this is my fault. I caught the mistake on his records and left a note because of the code with Mrs. Crouch. When I got back I looked and the note was on the desk but Steve's chart was gone. I went to the Medication Nurse to ask about the Penicillin and before she could even answer me he started having trouble and they pushed the code button." Nancy looked up to Mark with pain in her eyes. She cared so much for this man and his son. She felt responsible for all of this and the guilt was eating at her.
Mark looked at her puzzled. "I don't understand why his chart wasn't flagged. He has always been allergic to Penicillin. As many times as he has been in here everyone should know that by now."
"I know. Annie caught it with out even looking at his allergy record. It's like common knowledge around here. It was flagged yesterday. And he has been getting Claforan 1 gm. every since he was admitted. I don't understand what happened to his chart. It's as if it was reworked. I'm just so sorry. I should have made sure it was taken care of. It's my responsibility as head floor nurse." Nancy was angry with herself and it was apparent in her tone of voice.
Jesse stepped in at this time. "You couldn't do anything about it at that moment because you had to respond to Mrs. Crouch's code. The note should have been enough. What I want to know is how his record got so messed up and who is responsible?" Frustrated by the whole thing Jesse turned and walked to the nurse's desk. He intended to find out what had happened to Steve's chart.
Mark returned to the ICU to sit with Steve. Lots of questions were running through his mind as he watched his son closely for any complications that might come up. Who had reworked Steve's chart and why? He couldn't think of anyone at the hospital who would hold any malice against his son.
Was it possible that someone wanted his son dead? Of course it was highly possible. Over the years Steve had successfully closed many cases causing just as many people to go to prison. It wasn't the first time the cop had been on the wrong end of a grudge fest.
Having nothing better to do but sit and watch his son sleep Mark had lots of time to think. And think he did. How many times had he been involved with cases and helped to solve a crime not able to resist getting involved in spite of Steve's protests. He himself had been the cause for many of those people to be imprisoned leaving his son open for threats as the arresting officer.
It was something he would have to deal with later, however, for now all he wanted was for Steve to wake up.
Annie, one of the duty nurses, frowned at the report in her hand. It appeared to have been filled out incorrectly. As she looked up she saw Nancy Rush, the head floor nurse, coming towards her. Holding out the chart Annie said.
"Nancy, something doesn't seem right about this chart. I thought Steve was allergic to Penicillin.
"He is allergic to Penicillin. It should be flagged on his file. I can't believe it isn't." Nancy looked concerned as she reached for the chart that Annie was handing her way when suddenly an alarm sounded in one of the rooms so she called out a verbal instruction while rushing down the hall.
"Put a note on the outside just in case the next shift gets here before we get back to the desk." Nancy said to her colleague.
The nurse hastily put a post it note on top of Steve's chart stating that he was allergic to the antibiotic warning not to give it. The chart was laid aside and forgotten as Annie rushed to the room where the crisis was occurring.
For over an hour doctors and nurses worked to stabilize her but in spite of all their efforts nothing could be done to save the favorite patient. It was time for shift changes before any one was ready to give up on the sweet old lady so the next shift started on the floor where the previous shift left off.
Nancy and the team of nurses and doctors walked out into the hall with very heavy hearts. The crash cart and other equipment were pushed out of the room and the occupant was prepared to be moved to the morgue. It was hard for all of them to finally acknowledge the fact that there was nothing left they could do. The spirited woman had been a little ball of sunshine the whole time she had been with them. Never acknowledged the fact that she might not live from one day to the next, she only enjoyed each one to the fullest with smiles and enjoyment.
By the time Nancy got to the desk the other shift had already started performing the necessary treatments and other patient care their job entailed. Something was picking at the back of the nurse's mind and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Nancy finished writing her notes on the charts that she had started before the code. All of a sudden it dawned on her what it was that she had been trying to remember.
With her heart beating rapidly in her chest she sought out the medication nurse who was giving out the meds on the hall where Steve was. She ran as quickly as she could to enquire of the nurse if she had given out Mr. Sloan's medication yet. Just as she was about to ask if the antibiotic had been penicillin, there was another code called. This time in the room she knew was Steve's. Nancy ran as fast as she could, yelling over her shoulder that Dr. Travis and Dr. Sloan were to be called immediately.
What she saw as she entered the room almost made her heart stop. Steve lay on the bed motionless as Mrs. Grant used an ambu bag to breathe for him. Just then Jesse and Mark burst through the door and Nancy relayed her suspicions about the penicillin.
"Get me an intubation tray. I want one amp of epinephrine STAT. Nancy lower the top of his bed, we need to get his head down. How long has he been like this?" Jesse took over forcing to the back of his mind that it was his best friend who now needed his help.
"He started to have difficulty breathing about two minutes ago. I bagged him until just now when you came in." Mrs. Grant was relaying her information while she continued to force air into her patient's lungs with the ambu bag.
"Help me move his bed out from the wall so I can get into position. I need to clear his airway in order to insert the tube." Jesse started to push the bed himself so that he could stand behind Steve. A nurse ran in with the crash cart and Mrs. Grant removed the bag from his mouth. Jesse positioned Steve's head in order to get a clear airway so that he could insert the tube and have Steve hooked up to the ventilator as soon as possible. The Epinephrine was injected into his IV and he was moved to the ICU for close monitoring.
Steve's vital signs began to stabilize within the hour. Jesse and Mark discussed the ventilator and chose to leave him hooked up for the next several hours monitoring his progress very closely. Once they knew he was stable and out of immediate danger, the two walked out into the hallway to discuss how this could have happened. Mark heard what sounded like crying, and when he looked up he saw Nancy huddled in a corner crying softly to herself. He and Jesse quickly made their way over to her.
Mark reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder and asked her what was wrong.
"Oh Mark. All of this is my fault. I caught the mistake on his records and left a note because of the code with Mrs. Crouch. When I got back I looked and the note was on the desk but Steve's chart was gone. I went to the Medication Nurse to ask about the Penicillin and before she could even answer me he started having trouble and they pushed the code button." Nancy looked up to Mark with pain in her eyes. She cared so much for this man and his son. She felt responsible for all of this and the guilt was eating at her.
Mark looked at her puzzled. "I don't understand why his chart wasn't flagged. He has always been allergic to Penicillin. As many times as he has been in here everyone should know that by now."
"I know. Annie caught it with out even looking at his allergy record. It's like common knowledge around here. It was flagged yesterday. And he has been getting Claforan 1 gm. every since he was admitted. I don't understand what happened to his chart. It's as if it was reworked. I'm just so sorry. I should have made sure it was taken care of. It's my responsibility as head floor nurse." Nancy was angry with herself and it was apparent in her tone of voice.
Jesse stepped in at this time. "You couldn't do anything about it at that moment because you had to respond to Mrs. Crouch's code. The note should have been enough. What I want to know is how his record got so messed up and who is responsible?" Frustrated by the whole thing Jesse turned and walked to the nurse's desk. He intended to find out what had happened to Steve's chart.
Mark returned to the ICU to sit with Steve. Lots of questions were running through his mind as he watched his son closely for any complications that might come up. Who had reworked Steve's chart and why? He couldn't think of anyone at the hospital who would hold any malice against his son.
Was it possible that someone wanted his son dead? Of course it was highly possible. Over the years Steve had successfully closed many cases causing just as many people to go to prison. It wasn't the first time the cop had been on the wrong end of a grudge fest.
Having nothing better to do but sit and watch his son sleep Mark had lots of time to think. And think he did. How many times had he been involved with cases and helped to solve a crime not able to resist getting involved in spite of Steve's protests. He himself had been the cause for many of those people to be imprisoned leaving his son open for threats as the arresting officer.
It was something he would have to deal with later, however, for now all he wanted was for Steve to wake up.