#do not intubate

[krislivesheresometimes]

Now, I don’t know what dni stands for to the OP, but to me (specifically in my job) dni stands for Do Not Intubate (do not place a breathing tube into this person and place them on long or short term ventilator for any reason)… so …

time for my oddly specific dni that is a joke and not real. ofc tag how many apply to you. dni if you:

like ranch dressing

think you “Get” the movie inception

are an only child

were/are into supernatural AND sherlock but NOT doctor who

were born after st patricks day 2002

dont like fruit or vegetables

took german in high school

have happily married parents

have a strong preference for the xbox over other consoles

have a name that was one of the top 100 in your country the year you were born

have or want more than two dogs

are a libra

are against writing/highlighting in books (like morally against it, even other people doing it in books that arent yours and have nothing to do with you)

have never worked customer service

like thunderstorms

are a man who works in tech

dont remember your dreams

dont have a favorite color

regularly wear jeans to bed

look good in hats

[redheadgleek]

The medicine/science stuff wasn't as bad as Fringe, but WTF is with these depictions of placing your own IV? The angle is wrong, even with the plumpest of veins.

[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

"yes im so fine"

*researches whether i can get my hands on ipecac*

[bugbuoyx]

CW: Suicide, graphic description of hospitalization

I know this shouldn't have to be said and you'd think people would know better in this day and age and this fucking community but apparently fucking not.

If you encourage, support, or engage in suicide baiting, even as small as "kys", block me or respond so I can block you. Suicide is not a fucking joke, it's not a punchline, it's not a "gotcha" or a catchy comeback it causes real actual fucking harm.

Do you know what it feels like to have a tube put down your throat? It's been 7 fucking years and I still viscerally remember being told to hold my breath and the awful pressure of the tube. I remember looking over and seeing my heartrate at 300, both my parents crying. The nurses reassuring me that it was gonna be okay.

You know what else I remember? The name and face of a kid who once told me to kill myself, I doubt he remembers, we were only 14, but I do.

Also, for obvious reasons, I don't support any threats of violence, especially over fucking internet discourse.

[bucksboobs]

ER on in the break room, we are ROASTING it.

[onycho]

Decided today that I’m not too old to go to med school and fuck it yeah I’m gonna have like $400k in debt but I’m gonna be an MD because that’s what I’ve always really wanted to be

[i-eat-worlds]

Alex & Friends Part 26-Deterioration

thanks to @jaydiann and @whumpy-daydreams for helping with the medical stuff

Aaron belongs to @pigeonwhumps

cw: medical whump, intubation, medicinal drug use, general suffering and misery

Joseph watched as the ketamine took hold on Alex and she drifted off. Once Aaron was satisfied that the drugs had worked, he slid his hands under the blanket that was laid over her chest. He couldn’t actually hold her neck because of the collar, so this was the next best option.

He watched as Aaron closed his eyes, then slowly exhaled. She whimpered as the healing started, but it quickly grew into a pained howl. Even though he knew that the drugs would prevent her from remembering it or feeling it, that didn’t make fun to watch. Listening to someone wailing in pain was always going to be uncomfortable. It was worse when you were just watching. At least when you were treating you had something to block it out.

Aaron kept going, face furrowed in concentration. Necks were difficult places to heal, and the spinal cord made it especially agonizing. Most healers wouldn’t heal spinal stuff without pretty strong analgesia, even though it made it harder to. Her screams were half-panting now, and her legs were twitching and kicking with the pain. She slowly started to quiet after Aaron pulled his hands away.

“Alright, let’s get going,” he said as he stretched his fingers out. There was nothing he could do about her chest for the time being, not until they got to the hospital. One of the paramedics went around to the front, and Joseph checked to make sure Alex was secure. The ambulance was carefully backed out of the lot, and they were off.

Alex fully came too several minutes later, accompanied by a wearily mumbled curse. Her eyes flickered around as she searched the back of the ambulance, unable to turn her head. “…oseph?” she murmured quietly.

“I’m right here, Alex.” He leaned forward so that he was more in her line of sight. “How’re you feeling?”

“ ‘s hard to breathe,” she groaned.

“We’re nearly to the hospital.” Joseph said, patting her hand. He looked over at the monitor, and Aaron did the same, turning away from Phoenix to check. She was satting high enough to avoid intubation, and she’d been protecting her airway so far, but it still wasn't great.

Aaron grabbed his stethoscope and carefully rose to standing. “I’m just gonna listen to your chest, okay?” He started to pull the blankets away as he spoke.

Alex whimpered as she tried to draw more air in. There was a hint of panic behind her eyes.

She flinched a little when the cold bell of the stethoscope made contact with her chest. Then, she reached out for Joseph’s hand. He took it, letting her squeeze it while he rubbed his thumb on the back of it.

“We’re gonna take good care of you,” he assured her.

While the look on Aaron’s face remained mostly stoic, Joseph had known him long enough to tell that her lungs hadn’t sounded good. Their eyes flickered to the monitor again. Her saturation had dipped even lower, down to the low nineties.

“How far are we out?” Aaron asked.

Joseph peered out the window. “We’re on the hospital side of the river. What are you thinking?”

“I would prefer CPAP, but HAL has been HAL and our ambulances don’t carry those.” Aaron mentally cursed the damn cheapscapes that ran the alliance.

“RSI?” Joseph suggested.

“Not yet.” He wasn’t happy with her sats, but she was holding for now, and the c-collar would make intubation significantly harder.

Alex’s eyes nervously filtered around, breaths increasingly labored.

“It's alright, I know it’s scary.” Joseph rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand. “Just keep breathing for me.”

Aaron sat back down, but he was still watching his patient like a hawk, eyes moving between her and the monitor.

Joseph kept a hold of her hand, reassuring her with a soft voice. The fear in her eyes was no longer subtle. She mumbled something from behind the mask, but he couldn’t hear it. “What was that?” he asked, leaning in closer.

“ ‘m sorry.” Her voice was whisper quiet, and Joseph pushed certain memories out of his brain.

“You don’t need to be sorry.” He smiled, continuing to brush her hand with his thumb. “We’re taking good care of you, yeah?”

“I-” she gasped for air, eyes growing wide, “-cn’t..mmh..breathe.” Her saturation took a nosedive into the eighties as she tried to heave enough air in. “..elp.”

It didn’t come back up.

Aaron jumped into action. “We’re gonna have to RSI.” He quickly started setting out his supplies. “Tell Cole to pull the ambulance over.”

Alex was obviously distressed now, frantically pounding her arm on the side of the stretcher as she fought to breathe. The vehicle came to a stop while Aaron was drawing up his medications, Joseph helping him set out his supplies.

Joseph spoke to Alex as he worked, explaining what was going to happen. “We’re going to put a tube down your throat to help you breathe easier, okay?” She whimpered, coughing violently. “We’ll give you drugs so you can’t feel it, you’re doing great, just keep breathing for me.” He kept talking to her as Aaron sat down behind her head.

“You ready?” Aaron asked while he started to preoxygenate her. “Any questions?”

Joseph shook his head. “I’ve got 7.5 tube with stylet, laryngoscope with a mac 3, bougie, ket and roc already drawn up, cric kit’s up here just in case.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Aaron said.

“We gotcha, Alex,” Joseph said as he pushed the ket. She was still too panicked to acknowledge it, but the drug took hold, and she slowly started to relax. Her breathing wasn’t great, still, even though she looked less distressed.

Once Alex was out, the procedure commenced quickly from there. He pushed the paralytic next, grabbing his laryngoscope while he waited for it to take effect. Aaron had to use more force than he would’ve liked because of the c-collar, but he was able to visualize what he needed to and get the ET tube in easily enough. Joseph secured the tube while Aaron attached it to the ventilator.

The intubation had helped, and even though her sats were still not great, they were higher then they’d been. The ambulance continued towards the hospital, and Joseph found himself holding her hand again. They turned into the hospital, and Joseph gave it a squeeze before letting go so he could get ready to unload her.

Even though she’d made it to the hospital, she still had a long way to go.

Taglist: @/pigeonwhump @rainydaywhump

[nautilusopus]

people in the tags of that post once again like "what do you mean i can't drive my car into oncoming traffic? look i've made a PERSONAL CHOICE to drive in whatever lane i like and i'm not forcing YOU to do it :) don't be a cop respect my decision"

[hergrandplan]

oooooo i have made it to the 911 episode where they say they have to intubate a guy who is very much still breathing!

[lisa-and-shadow]

I had some really good pizza last night and now I want pizza again. There is no pizza. There won't be any pizza.

[clownboy-yeehonk]

.

[stinalotte]

All I'm saying—as an older person who only has come across the DNI tag in recent years is that the first thought I ALWAYS have is

huh

that's weird

DNI without DNR?

And then I remember fandom discourse. 🫣

[madigoround]

Death and medically triggering stuff in tags I don’t have the brain power for specifications

[humandisastersquad]

boy i have had A Day lol.

[lizzibennet]

me discovering thru talking with other people who have been intubated for longer stretches of time (like a day+) that it’s very common that after spending that time you get really depressed and/or get a bit of a psychotic break with really delusional symptoms and actually in doing a bit of research finding out it’s very common and well documented but ppl still don’t know precisely why it happens and definitely do not discuss it with you before or after your hospital stay

[tundrakatiebean]

I’m just gonna do a wee ramble in the tags. You can ignore me if you want.