DNRs

Cold, rainy, foggy day. Only did two calls. One at an MD's office for a man who came in feeling dizzy, and who was found to be in a new onset of rapid afib. My preceptee gave the man Cardizem, which brought the rate down from the 140's-150's to the 80's and then started a Cardizem drip.

Later in the day, we did an unresponsive, which turned out to be a nursing home patient, who'd just had his DNR signed, and none to soon. Agonal resps, no BP, 20 on the monitor. This is the second time my preceptee has had a patient he could tube, but had to hold off. At the hospital, they just tried to make him comfortable.

I was sort of ticked at the nursing home. They always try to ship their DNR's off just before they croak.