We brought her into the ER because we talked through her symptoms with the Ortho nurse team and decided she needed to be seen. Her heart rate has been higher and higher every day. Even asleep on bipap it was in the 150s at times and off of it up in the 170s (normal asleep is is 60s and awake is 100). Her farrell (stomach drain) has had more output and it is bloody. Her ileostomy output is doubled and watery. Her urine output was really low. Her secretions were thick. She was making odd jerky movements. She has been lethargic.
Our best guess was dehydration, but once you come to the ER they have to rule out everything. Since we got here this afternoon they have done a catheter urine sample, stool sample, viral nose swab, chest x-ray, lots of blood tests, multiple regular IV placement attempts, EKG test, multiple ultrasound IV placement attempts for large 20 gauge needle, and a chest CT scan with contrast. She has had a fluid bolus and now her heart rate is down to 130 while she snoozes. We have ruled out lots of scary things. Her blood tests showed potential blood clots, so they checked for a pulmonary embolism. That has thankfully come back negative.
Now that they have ruled out many scary things, they want to just give her more fluid to see if that brings her heart rate down even more. We just want to get a clear answer on if fluid is the problem and then also get an action plan for what to do about it. We can’t just fill her up and take her home. If we do, we’ll just be back to do this all again in a few days.
Ed and I are having a ER date picnic while we wait. ;)
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