Family wants to keep life support for girl brain dead after tonsil surgery #6

[K_Z]

Was she hooked up for transfusion before the popsicle incident? If not, would that happen in ICU? She received four liters of blood. I just read that the average adult has a blood volume of roughly 5 liters. What is the standard unit for a blood transfusion bag? I guess the most important question is whether everything was ready for a potential transfusion. I'm guessing it was, but in the middle of it all, mom fainted. Apparently the grandmother, who was the second person to use the suction tube, was also at the bed when nurses were trying to look after the patient. I can't imagine the chaos at the time!

My post from yesterday.

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Family wants to keep life support for girl brain dead after tonsil surgery #6

 

[Herat]

With purple polish (sensors don't read thru purple, blue, and red very well) , and the altered turgor, I wonder why a different pulse ox isn't being used? Earlobe? Forehead? etc. That does not look like a very accurate place for the sensor. (IMO) And if her body is clamped down distally, it won't read well, either. (vasopressin or hypotension and altered circulation)

Since we can't see the nail, we can't tell if it has polish on it or not.

 

[Isabelle]

That's what I assumed too but was too embarrassed to say "plastic monitor thingy" in place of "pulse oximeter".

So yeah, what Herat said

Is ok. Been an RN for 27 years and call a sequential compression device a leg squeezer!

 

[otto]

I can only find the earlier photo on the Facebook page, and I don't think I'm allowed to link it here. It was posted New Year's day, her mother is holding her hand, pink nail polish.

I'd like to see that. Is it posted anywhere else? It was said somewhere that staff tended to her hair and nails after Dec 12.

 

[otto]

Looks to me like it has the pulse oximeter on it and is just bent back.

What is the pulse oximeter?

 

[Isabelle]

Was she hooked up for transfusion before the popsicle incident? If not, would that happen in ICU? She received four liters of blood. I just read that the average adult has a blood volume of roughly 5 liters. What is the standard unit for a blood transfusion bag? I guess the most important question is whether everything was ready for a potential transfusion. I'm guessing it was, but in the middle of it all, mom fainted. Apparently the grandmother, who was the second person to use the suction tube, was also at the bed when nurses were trying to look after the patient. I can't imagine the chaos at the time!

One problem is that we do not know what the timeline would show.

 

[Disguiseduser0308]

What is the pulse oximeter?

Not sure if you mean what it is or where it is. Linking just in case you're curious as to what it is.

Pulse oximetry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[popsicle]

You know how... when your child is sleeping and you stroke their hair and face and study every inch of them? I can't imagine being in a situation like this one, what things a mother must tell herself to explain all this away.

 

[Frigga]

What is the pulse oximeter?

I believe it measures oxygen saturation levels (% wise) in the blood (pulse).

 

[Linda7NJ]

I'm no expert on this, but that sure looks like skin slippage to me. And definitely altered turgor. My understanding is that it often happens distally first, and moves proximal. Eyelids are supposed to be one of the first signs of skin slippage.

Please explain "altered turgor" because I have no idea whatcha talkin bout?

Slippage I understand.

 

[Isabelle]

What is the pulse oximeter?

It is on Jahi's left 4 the finger. Measures oxygen levels. Not sure if you are asking what it is or asking someone if they are asking that. Goes on like a bandaid but some clip on the finger an can be put on toes and even seen on ear lobes.

ETA: reddish light is visible near finger tip.

 

[Leilei]

I'd like to see that. Is it posted anywhere else? It was said somewhere that staff tended to her hair and nails after Dec 12.

If you have FB, there is a Keep Jahi McMath on Life Support page. It's in the photo tab there. I could have sworn it was linked here from twitter or instagram, too, but I wouldn't know where to begin to find it after all of the posts.

 

[katydid23]

What is the pulse oximeter?

I have a small portable one to use to check my oxygen levels because of my asthma. If it gets below 95% then I need to use a nebulizer to treat my lungs to prevent an asthma attack. When I was in the hospital they checked my levels every hour because it was at a very low 90% when I was admitted.

I am very curious what her oxygen levels would be now. When mine was low they put me on an oxygen tube. I hope they are not doing that to this poor child.

 

[swilla2]

What is the pulse oximeter?

It measures the oxygen level in the blood.

 

[Herat]

It is on Jahi's left 4 the finger. Measures oxygen levels. Not sure if you are asking what it is or asking someone if they are asking that.

ummm Isn't that her right hand? The pulse ox is on her forefinger (first finger), that's the light showing pink at the knuckle.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Regarding whether or not they returned Jahi to the OR - most PICU's are equipped to perform emergency surgery in case the patient is too unstable to move.

For example- in the past year our unit has seen the following surgical procedures done: TWO diaphragmatic hernia repairs, a repair of a bowel perforation and multiple cardiac surgery revisions (shunt clipped, re-do sternotomies and the like)

It happens all the time. While an OR is preferred, sometimes you just don't have time.

 

[K_Z]

One more thought about the pic of the fingers. Another possibility is that the pulse ox probe is a flexible "tape on" style, and it was on the middle finger and ring finger for a period of time before this was taken. In essence, compressing the skin on the tip, which also had altered turgor and circulation, but the sensor had been subsequently moved to another finger. KWIM? Like taking off a bandaid that you kept on "too long" and the skin is mushy underneath. Except now that the sensor is off, the turgor and circulation is altered, so the skin can't perfuse back to normal appearance.

A possibility.

 

[Linda7NJ]

You know how... when your child is sleeping and you stroke their hair and face and study every inch of them? I can't imagine being in a situation like this one, what things a mother must tell herself to explain all this away.

Denial is a very real, unconscious, defense mechanism. It just is.

 

[K_Z]

Please explain "altered turgor" because I have no idea whatcha talkin bout?

Slippage I understand.

Sure!

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003281.htm

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=skin+turgor&qpvt=skin+turgor&FORM=IGRE

 

[Isabelle]

ummm Isn't that her right hand? The pulse ox is on her forefinger (first finger), that's the light showing pink at the knuckle.

Umm yes you are "right". Thanks