General Forums >> NursingLink Anonymous Zone >> medically clearing alcoholics
medically clearing alcoholics
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Anonymous back to top |
Posted almost 4 years ago A woman came into the emergency department after she called 911 stating that she was going to kill herself, the police baker act her to the emergency psychciatric screening department. Md's medically cleared the pt to be admitted to the psych unit. her blood alcohol level on admit to ED was 380.Keeping her in ED for several hours. however we all know that it takes a few days for the true alcoholic to go into full blown DT's which can be fatal. The very next day she was sent to ICU for medical management with a pulse of 160 with serious tremors. Please let me know what the MD's are thinking when they do this kind of behavior. The RN and the social worker did not think she should have been sent to the psych ward where there is no way of monitoring physical conditions. Why are the psych pt's so neglected? |
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Anonymous back to top |
| Posted almost 4 years ago I agree 100%...in the ER, we had a psych room. Room 8. Most of them were referred to a mental hospital an released to the sheriff with no medical treatment at all. It was aweful! |
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| Posted almost 4 years ago Dr's and many nurse's are so uneducated about Alcoholism and how to medically manage withdrawl, that is why this happens. I develope a CEU class years ago and it helped. Plus we had an addictionologist on staff so that helped. Education is the answer, just no one does it... |
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| Posted almost 4 years ago I worked at a facility that was just for the acute cases. We would get the patient at their worst. After 7-10 days of letting them detox, they would then be sent to the psych unit if appropriate. It was very rewarding work. It was not what most people think. Our patients were bankers, lawyers, teachers .. even nurses. We would see them when they were barfing their guts out and at the lowest of low in their life, then see them a week later as a person with hope. It was a chance for redemption for them. If only one in a million stayed sober, it was worth the effort. It is kind of stupid, that accomodations can't be made to detox a patient safely, but when they get to the psych unit and crash they end up taking up a bed in an ICU. |
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| Posted almost 4 years ago It seems like the world is angry at them and seeks revenge instead of treatment. Just my 2 cents. :) |
