Take that, 911!

Yesterday, in the midst of uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes (see 'Rant'), the 7-year old patient in the next room was having dyspnea.

I swear, the kid looked fine when he walked into the clinic, but by the time I saw him in the room, his fever had shot up to 104.0, his 02 had dropped to 90-93% and he was sweating like a west coast native during a New England summer. The only thing missing was frizzy hair. In addition to these alarming findings, his eyes both got red and puffy. Not the way newFNP looks around grass and cats, but peri-orbitally he just looked wrong.

In addition to the fever, he also had rhonchi & wheezing so newFNP treated him to grape flavored Motrin, strapped him onto the nebulizer and put a cold pack behind his neck. In the back of my mind, I was wondering if I should treat him for the likely pneumonia or send his ass to the ED. And this is where the struggle of community health comes in.

The kid perked up, but still didn't seem A-OK to me. I was content to send him to the ED with his mom and three siblings, but they had no car. I asked her to call someone but no one was available to help her out. At this point, newFNP wasn't convinced that the kid needed an ambulance, but newFNP was also distinctly uncomfortable with sending him home.

As such, 911 was called to save the day. Of course, the kid looked super by the time the four paramedics arrived. As I recounted his tale, sounding like an idiot as always ("Um, I can't remember his BP - sorry"), the strapping, capable and tough paramedics looked upon newFNP as a nuisance, a burden, an embarassment to medical/nursing professionals everywhere.

Well, fuck them because the kid's mom called and told me that her son stopped breathing in the hospital. Now, I don't know if he de-satted or if he really stopped breathing, but he remains in the hospital as of now. All through the night I was wondering if I had over-reacted, but I am so thankful that I made the decision to send him.

Take that, hot paramedics! You think you know everything with your pecs and your biceps and your six-foot-three! Blow me.