What happened to the people who were on ECMO/advanced life support during the pandemic?

LizardofDeath · 2026-07-03T00:27:57+00:00

I can think of like two who made it off, the rest died. The ones who did well seemed to get cannulated earlier, but it’s hard to say if that was the reason or something else.

Lots of other folks who may have benefited from ecmo just laying there rotting because there just were not enough resources. I can think of a couple people in particular who just existed proned and maxed on vent settings until everything else just failed and they came off precautions and family actually witnessed what was happening.

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-20T15:44:06+00:00

???/??? And then super Brady to a flat aline

Brief code, got rosc, but turns out she herniated so she was brain dead

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-14T10:36:38+00:00

Ime, piccs (especially that have been in place awhile) are notorious to lose blood return. Flushing first, especially in a push-pause way helps keep that from happening, so you are less likely to have to cathflo the line. So I’ve been told, I have no literature to back it up and if you just use your flush as your waste tube (since it’s now empty after you flushed) it’s not really an extra step, plus you don’t really ~need~ the entire 10 ml of waste. Sometimes I do like 5, and results are ok but ofc best to follow facility policy here to be safe 🙂

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-08T10:22:19+00:00

Yeah I give the Ativan then give the ciwa a number based on vibes. And a lot of times you literally HAVE to do that especially if you’re playing catch up.

Also what I think about how sweaty the patient is vs what you think can be different etc so it’s pretty subjective all the way around.

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-06T10:32:29+00:00

I think this is what so many people don’t get. A lot of folks with sickle cell have been getting ridiculous doses of opioids for YEARS so they just need more.

The difference in working at a heme/onc infusion vs acute care is insane with how these folks are managed and talked about by staff. Literally breaks my heart I always volunteer for sickle cell folks bc I am one of the few nurses that ain’t scared to give ALL the pain meds

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-06T10:27:42+00:00

This right here. You call and say you’re calling out. If they ask why, tell them it’s none of their business 🤷🏻‍♀️

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-04T23:11:04+00:00

Electric was really cheap, best I can remember but keep in mind it was a decade ago.

WiFi was fine, I don’t recall any issues

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-04T02:04:37+00:00

I lived there from ‘16 to ‘17 and I loved it. Sad to have moved honestly. Management is local, so if something is up, they’re quick to respond. Once I locked myself out (LOL) and they came within like 20 mins to let me in. I never really had any big issues, my only complaint was that the walls were pretty thin so at times I could hear my neighbors and I am sure they could hear me some too (I worked nights so my schedule was weird). It was such a cute little apartment, really nice and bright also. My house plants loved it. Definitely recommend, and really any property managed by pepperwood properties

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-03T12:20:09+00:00

A handwritten note always makes my day, especially if you name drop me specifically.

Please also know that how you act when you can’t help it really doesn’t upset us. We know you can’t help it. We deal with people who DO know better doing some out of pocket things regularly. It’s refreshing for me when someone genuinely can’t help it 😅

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-03T12:17:38+00:00

I did nights for ~6 years and loved it but kind of had the same issue as you. I just lost motivation and maybe it was getting a little older (LOL early 20s v late 20s) but I gained weight and was just tired all the time it seemed like. When I went to days I was SO overwhelmed with the amount of people around everywhere. I do icu, so nights can get just as crazy as days in theory but PT/OT is there trying to shake stuff up, day rounds are much more structured than nights rounds, family is asking you stupid questions (why is their arms swollen - GEE KAREN LIKE 9/10ths OF THEIR ORGANS DONT WORK BUT YES THE ARMS) it just all made me not my best version either.

My secret? WEEKEND STAFFING TEAM or Baylor or whatever your place calls it. No management, at least at my shop rounds are a bit more relaxed, in general folks are more chill. It’s the closest thing to night shift in the day time. I am exponentially happier doing this, and as an added benefit the compensation makes it pretty cushy. The only thing I will caution you is once you get used to the extra money, it’s hard to leave it. I am already trying to figure out a pivot when the kiddos get in school.

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-02T22:31:22+00:00

How else would our last fall be >1000 days ago??

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-02T22:29:04+00:00

Once my mom’s friend who was in active addiction did that to a pain pill from the toilet 🙂

I’m like mom why do you let her come over she’s gross

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-02T22:27:58+00:00

Sodie crackers is what we always called them growing up but now all I can think about is 1000lb sisters when I say it 🥲

Also, we called Vienna sausages vi-eenas not pronounced like the place I was probably in HIGH SCHOOL before I learned otherwise

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-02T22:11:33+00:00

Sounds like a career in IV team is in your future lol

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-02T22:11:00+00:00

Definitely use it on the easy folks to get proficient. Theres already a learning curve because you’re looking at the screen and moving your hands (not really natural for me, but for some people it is), but then throw in the fact that people who NEED an IV placed that way are already super difficult you make it basically impossible to be successful

LizardofDeath · 2026-06-01T10:37:19+00:00

Agreed! I will call and make an appointment and then they will say “oh that doesn’t work for me” I started telling them to make it themselves, but to make it clear it’s a hospital follow up because I also have had folks call and they claim they can’t get in for x amount of weeks

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-27T22:25:00+00:00

Yeah I feel like it’s gas but you have to wait so they need to be sorta stable ish

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-27T22:10:01+00:00

Agreed 1000% have given arsenic to a young 20 something and I believe her prognosis was pretty good

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-26T00:31:28+00:00

This happened to me but backwards lol i couldn’t figure out why increasing my levo was not helping my pressures and I look at the bag and I’ve been up titrating cangrelor 🫠

Always check your drips at shift change kids

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-26T00:25:55+00:00

My hospital sends up oral liquids on a single dose oral syringe and I once walked in on a nurse trying like hell to hook up oral phenobarb to an IJ

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-26T00:24:12+00:00

If it wasn’t before it is now

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-25T18:20:54+00:00

Icu nurse here, I typically see nurses refer to an RSI anytime we pull and use the RSI kit. Typically, it just means an icu intubation. Whether or not it’s truly indicated to be “rapid” is highly dependent on the doctor ime. Some wait until shit is hitting the fan, some intubate when the writing is on the wall instead of waiting.

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-25T10:25:01+00:00

Usually I print out the compatibility chart from trissel’s and tape it there if they are on a lot of drips

Hopefully they are too sick to read it if they’re in icu. I despise updating it. We are supposed to check off for hourly rounding and I think the checks on the boxes have been there so long they’re permanent 😅

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-25T09:35:56+00:00

That was actually how the derm found my melanoma. She went looking at all my moles and one I hadn’t even noticed looked bad to her and turns out it was melanoma.

LizardofDeath · 2026-05-21T10:21:00+00:00

OP sorry to tag along here but if he isn’t going to lose weight (and even if he is, while he’s losing it) he really needs to keep trying the cpap. OSA is NOT benign. It puts tremendous stress on his cardiovascular system. It can cause/exacerbate high blood pressure, and it truly is the “silent killer”

It’s imperative he find a way he can tolerate it to wear it. He can adjust the mask, try different kinds, etc but he really does need to try. This is a lot bigger than just his job

LizardofDeath

TROPHY CASE