Patients that Overdose Working in an emergency room introduces you to a variety of patients and conditions. It is often assumed that when a patient comes in that has overdosed, they are a drug user, but that is not always the case. Accidental Overdose Everyone has the capability of making a medication error. Whether administering medications, or taking them yourself, mistakes can occur. -
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A 79-year-old woman was getting her medication out, when she decided to get her husband’s medications at the same time. By the time she got all the pills removed from the bottles, she mixed them up, giving her husband his pills, plus an added dose of the same medication from her own bottle. She realized her mistake prior to taking the pills herself, so luckily, she was not affected. She drove her very sleepy husband to the hospital, and he was admitted into the emergency room. The drug that was administered twice was a blood pressure medication, so his blood pressure dropped dangerously low. He was admitted overnight so that medications could bring his numbers back into a normal range, however he was fine afterwards. The nurse suggested the social worker speak with the couple regarding help with medications. A simple fix of medication dispensers that were designed to hold 1 dose per container. They both agreed that would be a great solution, and everything ended up fine. A 16-year-old female was brought in by ambulance, unresponsive. She had attended a party, and overdosed on a form of heroin. Paramedics tried to get a response, but were unable to. Doctors worked on the girl for over an hour until her parents arrived. Unfortunately, she did not make it, which always makes for such a sad time for the remainder of the shift. An emergency room regular was admitted after mixing alcohol with several Xanax. This gentleman is 59 years old, lives in his car, and looks worse than most 90-yearold’s. He has lived a very sad few years after losing his family in an accident. It took some work; however, he was once again brought back from the brink of death, and walked out on his own 2 days later. A 19-year-old was admitted from a drug overdose with a mixture of drugs. She attended a party at her college, and the party was what was considered a Pharm Party. This entails everyone to bring some type of narcotic or stimulant pills, and then the pills are mixed
together. The young people assume often times that because the pills they are taking were prescribed, they are safe. This of course is not true, and many young people have lost their lives over this misconception. In this case, the young woman’s mother was a nurse at the hospital, and was called down from ICU. She was devastated to see her daughter in that condition, and had trouble processing the fact that her daughter would do something like take drugs. Fortunately, this case turned out well, the young lady was ok after several days, and hopefully learned a valuable lesson. Related: All About the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Drug overdoses are not always street junkies, in fact most are not. Some are strictly accidental, and some even as a result of depression. Many older people need assistance is setting up a system to take their medication appropriately. Pill dispensers with large writing, days and times marked clearly is a good option for keeping medications straight. If a couple is involved keeping two distinct colors of dispensers can help to ensure the right medications are administered. Related:
What does a Nurse Practitioner do?
Children need to be aware of drugs and the consequences of using them. It is especially important to be sure they understand that just because it’s a prescribed medication, it can still harm you if not used properly. Patients that are admitted from an overdose could be there for a variety of reasons, and regardless of the reason, they should never be judged or treated differently than any other patient, under any circumstances. The goal is to save a life, and heal. Related: Leading Registered Nurse, Linda K. Tilley, RN, will be Announced in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter