Sick, sad, baby

She spiked a fever of 104.6, her eyes rolled back in her head, she shook for a minute,  and just went limp and was pretty lethargic afterward.

I quickly took her to our local ER, where it was very apparent the ER nurses could use some further education.  I was quick to realize just how unprepared this local hospital is for pediatric emergencies.  This RN, who smells strongly of cigarettes, is squeezing an adult sized pulse oximeter on my baby's foot for thirty two minutes trying to get a reading.  Yes, 32 minutes, yielding an 82% reading at best.  I know this is not an accurate reading as Hart's color and mentation report otherwise, I calmly suggest - maybe just chart it as unable to obtain, and go see what the physician wants to do.  After all, if the physician is concerned about her oxygenation status, they can order an ABG - lingo I hate to throw around because then it all changes.  Then my healthcare background is showing, and I'm no longer the concerned mother at the bedside, but instead labeled the know it all, healthcare provider parent at the bedside by these ER workers.

The ER physician comes in, said she likely had a febrile seizure and told me that febrile seizures are often a one time thing.  He recommended to alternate Motrin and Tylenol, and give her a bath at home to help keep the temperature down - I was doing all of this already.  He orders a flu swab (it was negative), chest X-ray and said it is questionable for new developing infiltrates (pneumonia) vs bronchiolitis.  Of note Hart was diagnosed by her pediatrician, who we adore, last week with bilateral ear infection and bronchiolitis…finished a course of antibiotics and then the next day spiked this high fever.  He sends us home with orders to give her nebulizer treatments, alternate Tylenol/Motrin every 3 hours for fever, started her on an antibiotic, and instructed to follow up with her pediatrician in one day.

After three doses of antibiotics, Hartley starts vomiting.  Excessively.  It is a Saturday so I can't follow up with her pediatrician, and after the last ER experience I'm not going back there unless absolutely necessary.  So I figure it is some other stomach bug she must have picked up while in the ER.  Then I look at the antibiotic.  I calculate her dose to be double what she should be getting - but hesitant to trust my drug calculation skills after almost 48 hours of being up without sleep.  I call the pharmacy to make sure of her dose.  They assure me that dose is appropriate for a 16lb baby.  So I text my NP friends - and sure enough, they say that IS double the dose she should have been given.  I know it isn't the end of the world, but this seriously frustrated me.  Healthcare is an imperfect world, it just is a bummer to have a baby deal with the imperfection.  

and now, I'm a firm believer that the healthcare in Mississippi has a LOT of room for improvement.