Glued to Glucose

It seems like everytime I work its all about me and my glucometer.

This time the patient, who wasn't diabetic but was a transplant patient looked odd. When I entered his room to do routine vitals for new admits and he was sleeping, bundled under about 5-6 blankets. I heard him, and realized something quickly, something I will never forget. There's a difference between snoring (sleeping) and snoring (respirations). His was the second. I quickly left the room and for whatever reason grabbed my glucometer. The nurse stopped me and asked me what I was doing, and I informed her that I felt it needed to be done. She nodded and then grumbled about me as she walked away.

I tried to wake him, and he woke suddenly, but went immediately back to sleep. I took the finger prick and had to milk the blood out, but got the reading. The glucometer beeped frantically and his wife, a nurse came running to see what the reading was. I felt my stomach drop and quickly locked the glucometer and ran to the galley.

I grabbed two apple juices and a grape juice, then notified the nurse that the reading was below what the glucometer would read. The patient downed both apple juices and laid back in bed, falling asleep again. I opened the window to let in some light and turned on the televsion, then returned five minutes later to get a new reading; 52.

Handing him the grape juice I again notified the nurse, who then looked to me with worried eyes. "Looks like we're gonna give him the D-50." She said. "Page his doctor." I nodded and did so, then returned to his room for a third blood sugar; 70.

"You must be good with diabetics." The wife said to me as we stepped into the hallway. I sighed and placed my glucometer on the shelf and wrote down the readings, nodding my head.

"Seems like they are everywhere." I said, looking up to her, relieved that he at least had a reading. "Has this ever happened before?"

The wife shook her head. "No, he was just nauseated and vomiting all day." Stopping, I looked to her, watching her carefully.

"And the ER didn't check it?" She shook her head no and I sighed. A problem and an admit could have been prevented. A note to self was made and I charted his glucose levels, and strict monitoring from me all night.

I swear, I am glued to the glucose cases lately.