Mechanical Error?

[alparen]

I just called the hospital to check up on my Samalamadingdong.
The nurse was giving me the usual run down on how she is doing. Then she tells me Samanatha gave her quite the scare this morning.
Apparently she had 3 desats back to back all getting severly worse. 38,16 then 6... she said she stood there watching her the whole time. So she came back up and the nurse charted everything that happened. When the dr came on rounds she told him what happened and the dr thought it was to weird for her to do that and decided it must have been a mechanical error. So they noted that as mechanical error and changed the probe on her ankle top a new one and she hasn't had a spell since then.....
My husband is calling the hospital the ghetto.... I hate that damn place
Creepy!

 

[AP]

Alparen thats really common too, a change of probe can fix the 'desats' you'd think there would be a better way these days eh?

 

[bob2331]

we came across that once, H's alarms all going off and them saying oh he doesnt look like a 60, just ignore the probe!!?!?! Didnt know wheather to laugh or cry so did both x

 

[nkbapbt]

We had this happen all the time, especially the older and more active Lakai got. Sweat, grim and such can make the probe not pick up properly. As can the fact it's not taped on properly (not picking up right), movement...lots of things. It's scary but there is almost zero chance a baby who destats to 38 let alone 6, would not show physical signs (not to be scary...but turning dusky).

If you are there when it happens you can always ask them to adjust the probe, get them to show you how to do it yourself (its super easy), and or change it out if it's looking gummy and gross.

I am glad Samantha is ok!

 

[Lottie86]

Ahhh yes we've had this happen lots. I just changed the probe to the other foot (it should be changed to alternate feet every few hours anyway) or peeled the old tape off and used new tape to give it a good hold and it fixed the issue

 

[AP]

Nics right, you would 'see' it in her if it was a true desat, when Alex did it she really did go that dusky way, i felt my whole body run cold and they were desperatly trying to get her going again.

 

[alparen]

So freakin weird. She was a bit dusky the nurse said but her feet and hands had great color so she was sure she wasn't desatting that far. She does go down to 38 and it's always for a breif second or 2 and she pops herself right back. I called again and she only had in quick one where she dropped to 38 and then she was fine. Frigging probes. Enough to give me a heart attack lol.

 

[alparen]

I swear by the time she comes home I am going to need anxiety pills

 

[AP]

I dont blame you

 

[toothfairyx]

I had some they were great

 

[Srrme]

This happened a lot while Elias was in the NICU -- I think it's also the reason he stayed in longer than he needed to. My Husband and I kept telling them the wrap did not fit on his foot properly, because it was far too small, therefor, it was not reading. I would watch Elias like a hawk, and I knew when he was having a legitimate desat, and when he wasn't, but they wouldn't listen. Due to that, he went home on a Pulse-Ox Monitor. I removed the wrap from his foot, and put it on his toe that night, and he didn't have anymore desats after that. Proves them WRONG.

I have a very strong hatred for the NICU my son was in -- including most of the Nurses, and Doctors.

 

[alparen]

we are not to fond of the one she is at. there is ALOT of my shit don't stink know it all nurses. They are rude and crabby. I get a few really sweet ones but the majority are asshats. We went up 2 sundays ago and my husband was so upset with the nurse on call he didn't even want to be at the hospital visiting. I never really get to see or speak to a dr unless i ask for one and even then they'll send over a nurse practioner before a dr will come by. since she has been at this hospital i have seen a dr twice. in toronto i saw drs all the time. :/
I hope they can get her moved to this hospital by my house soon.

 

[Srrme]

I hope they move her too, and I hope you have a better experience at the hospital closer to your house.

We had so much trouble going on at the NICU, we started writing everything down, including the names of his day RN and night RN, and what they did, said, etc. We realized, in the beginning when he was critical, he had very good RN's, but as he got older, they started sticking the not-so-good ones with him.